Friday, February 16
Boulder, Colo.
7:00 PM
Colorado
vs
Washington
Photo by: Brendan Mackey
Correal And Thomas Set To Play Final Home Games
February 15, 2018 | Women's Basketball
BOULDER – Colorado's women's basketball team will say goodbye to two seniors this weekend and Zoe Correal and Brecca Thomas are set to play the final two home games of their careers. The two have both been at CU for four seasons and have left their mark on the program.
Correal, a native of San Francisco, has had a solid four-year career with the Buffs and has consistently improved each season. She played in 31 games as a freshman in 2014-15, averaging 1.7 points. She improved her scoring to 2.1 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore when she made 15 starts and appeared in 30 games. As a junior, Correal bumped her scoring up to 4.3 and averaged her rebounds to 4.2 rebounds, while shooting a team-best 56.1 percent from the floor. As a senior, so far she has averaged 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds, both career bests. The best two games of her career came in her hometown when she led the Buffs to un upset win at No. 24 Cal as she totaled 16 points and 15 rebounds as a junior, and scored a career-high 20 points at Cal as a senior. Also an excellent student, she will earn Pac-12 All-Academic honors for the third time in her career this season and has a 3.314 GPA while majoring in psychology.
Thomas, a native of Stafford, Texas, has been a solid contributor throughout her career for the Buffs, but has saved her best for her senior year. As a freshman in 2014-15, she made four starts and appeared in 32 games, averaging 3.3 points. She averaged 3.5 points as a sophomore with 30 games played and four starts. As a junior, she had 26 points in 25 games, but has rebounded with a big senior season, averaging 5.8 points and shooting a career-best 47.5 percent. She scored a career-high 16 points in a win over No. 24 Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 18 and had 12 points at Washington State and at home vs. USC. She was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor for 14 points in a win over North Dakota State earlier this season as well. She was key in a road win at Utah, scoring 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Thomas has earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors twice in her career.
"Brecca and Zoe have been really great for this program," head coach JR Payne said. "They have worked so hard during their time at CU to make Buff Nation proud. I am thankful for their leadership, work ethic and the example they have set for our young team throughout the year. I have no doubt that they will both be extremely successful in all that they do."
Q & A WITH CORREAL AND THOMAS
Correal:
What's your favorite thing about CU? My favorite thing about CU has been the people I've met. I've met some of my best friends and people I'll never forget. I wouldn't trade that for the world.
What has been the highlight of your career? The highlight of my career was definitely my junior year at Cal. I got to play in front of all my family and friends, I played one of my best games and we got the win. It's a game I'll never forget. [Correal had 16 points and 15 rebounds in a 64-59 win at No. 24 California]
What are your plans after graduation? I'm going to take a year off before I go to graduate school. Hopefully, when that time comes, I'll be able to be a graduate assistant somewhere to earn my degree. In my year off I'll be in search of internships and experience in my field and take a nice break from school before I hit the books hard for the next few years.
Thomas:
What's your favorite thing about CU? Meeting so many new and beautiful people.
What has been the highlight of your career? Beating ranked Oregon State my freshman year in the Pac-12 tournament and beating the ranked University of Miami this year. [Thomas had a career-high 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting vs. Miami on Nov. 18]
Tell us a funny story involving you or your teammates will you've been at CU: So many stories with Mya [Hollingshed] lol
What are your plans after graduation? I'm not certain yet, just enjoying the anticipation of graduating right now. But I would like to go get my master's and maybe become a basketball coach or strength and conditioning coach.
THIS WEEKEND
CU will host Washington at 7 p.m. on Friday and Washington State on Sunday at 12 p.m. Sunday's game will be televised on Pac-12 Networks. Both games will air in the Denver and Boulder areas on 630 KHOW with Cory Lopez calling the action.
PROMOTIONS
Friday's game against Washington is CU's annual Buffs Beat Cancer game. Fans wearing pink will receive $5 general admission tickets and the first 500 fans will receive a free pink t-shirt. Free tickets will be available for breast cancer survivors as well (contact the ticket office for more information at 303-492-8337). It's also $1 hot dog night.
Ceal Barry will also be honored during the game for her selection to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018 earlier this week.
Sunday's game against Washington State is Senior Day for Correal and Thomas as both will be honored before tipoff. It is also Military and First Responder Appreciation Day as military members and first responders can receive four free tickets to the game.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The Huskies are currently in last place in the Pac-12 and are 7-18 overall and 1-13 in conference action. The Buffs won the meeting in Seattle earlier this season 66-61 on Jan. 7, rallying from a 13-point deficit. That win snapped a nine-game losing streak in the series.
Sophomore guard Amber Melgoza leads the Huskies and is fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring at 17.4 points per game. She is the only UW player averaging double figures. Mai-Loni Henson, a 6-1 sophomore, is second at 9.6 points per game. Jenna Moser, one of two active seniors on the team, averages 9.3 points.
Four Huskies are redshirting this season, including senior Natalie Romeo, who was UW's leading returning scorer at 9.3 per game a year ago.
Washington ranks 10th in the Pac-12 in scoring (67.8) and 12th in scoring defense (75.3).
Washington State enters Friday's game at Utah 10-16 overall and tied with the Buffs at 3-11 in the Pac-12. One of those three conference wins came at the hands of the Buffs on Jan. 5 as WSU earned an 89-75 win in Pullman behind 36 points from Borislava Hristova.
The 6-foot sophomore from Bulgaria is second in the Pac-12 in scoring at 18.8, including 20.7 per game in Pac-12 games. She is shooting 45 percent from the floor and was 15-for-21 vs. the Buffs on Jan. 5
Hristova is the only Cougars player averaging over 10 points with junior guard Alexys Swedlund coming in second at 9.6 per game.
Chanelle Molina, a sophomore guard who recovered from a knee injury suffered last season, has finally regained the form she showed prior to her injury and is averaging 10.4 points in Pac-12 play, but just 7.9 overall.
The Cougars have dropped their past three games, but played both Oregon schools tough last weekend at home. WSU lost 63-61 in overtime to No. 16 OSU and fell 90-79 on Sunday to No. 8/7 Oregon.
WSU ranks 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring (67.7) and 11th in scoring defense (71.3).
Correal, a native of San Francisco, has had a solid four-year career with the Buffs and has consistently improved each season. She played in 31 games as a freshman in 2014-15, averaging 1.7 points. She improved her scoring to 2.1 points per game and 3.2 rebounds per game as a sophomore when she made 15 starts and appeared in 30 games. As a junior, Correal bumped her scoring up to 4.3 and averaged her rebounds to 4.2 rebounds, while shooting a team-best 56.1 percent from the floor. As a senior, so far she has averaged 6.1 points and 4.3 rebounds, both career bests. The best two games of her career came in her hometown when she led the Buffs to un upset win at No. 24 Cal as she totaled 16 points and 15 rebounds as a junior, and scored a career-high 20 points at Cal as a senior. Also an excellent student, she will earn Pac-12 All-Academic honors for the third time in her career this season and has a 3.314 GPA while majoring in psychology.
Thomas, a native of Stafford, Texas, has been a solid contributor throughout her career for the Buffs, but has saved her best for her senior year. As a freshman in 2014-15, she made four starts and appeared in 32 games, averaging 3.3 points. She averaged 3.5 points as a sophomore with 30 games played and four starts. As a junior, she had 26 points in 25 games, but has rebounded with a big senior season, averaging 5.8 points and shooting a career-best 47.5 percent. She scored a career-high 16 points in a win over No. 24 Miami (Fla.) on Nov. 18 and had 12 points at Washington State and at home vs. USC. She was a perfect 7-for-7 from the floor for 14 points in a win over North Dakota State earlier this season as well. She was key in a road win at Utah, scoring 13 points on 6-of-9 shooting. Thomas has earned Pac-12 All-Academic honors twice in her career.
"Brecca and Zoe have been really great for this program," head coach JR Payne said. "They have worked so hard during their time at CU to make Buff Nation proud. I am thankful for their leadership, work ethic and the example they have set for our young team throughout the year. I have no doubt that they will both be extremely successful in all that they do."
Q & A WITH CORREAL AND THOMAS
Correal:
What's your favorite thing about CU? My favorite thing about CU has been the people I've met. I've met some of my best friends and people I'll never forget. I wouldn't trade that for the world.
What has been the highlight of your career? The highlight of my career was definitely my junior year at Cal. I got to play in front of all my family and friends, I played one of my best games and we got the win. It's a game I'll never forget. [Correal had 16 points and 15 rebounds in a 64-59 win at No. 24 California]
What are your plans after graduation? I'm going to take a year off before I go to graduate school. Hopefully, when that time comes, I'll be able to be a graduate assistant somewhere to earn my degree. In my year off I'll be in search of internships and experience in my field and take a nice break from school before I hit the books hard for the next few years.
Thomas:
What's your favorite thing about CU? Meeting so many new and beautiful people.
What has been the highlight of your career? Beating ranked Oregon State my freshman year in the Pac-12 tournament and beating the ranked University of Miami this year. [Thomas had a career-high 16 points on 7-of-9 shooting vs. Miami on Nov. 18]
Tell us a funny story involving you or your teammates will you've been at CU: So many stories with Mya [Hollingshed] lol
What are your plans after graduation? I'm not certain yet, just enjoying the anticipation of graduating right now. But I would like to go get my master's and maybe become a basketball coach or strength and conditioning coach.
THIS WEEKEND
CU will host Washington at 7 p.m. on Friday and Washington State on Sunday at 12 p.m. Sunday's game will be televised on Pac-12 Networks. Both games will air in the Denver and Boulder areas on 630 KHOW with Cory Lopez calling the action.
PROMOTIONS
Friday's game against Washington is CU's annual Buffs Beat Cancer game. Fans wearing pink will receive $5 general admission tickets and the first 500 fans will receive a free pink t-shirt. Free tickets will be available for breast cancer survivors as well (contact the ticket office for more information at 303-492-8337). It's also $1 hot dog night.
Ceal Barry will also be honored during the game for her selection to the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame Class of 2018 earlier this week.
Sunday's game against Washington State is Senior Day for Correal and Thomas as both will be honored before tipoff. It is also Military and First Responder Appreciation Day as military members and first responders can receive four free tickets to the game.
SCOUTING THE OPPONENTS
The Huskies are currently in last place in the Pac-12 and are 7-18 overall and 1-13 in conference action. The Buffs won the meeting in Seattle earlier this season 66-61 on Jan. 7, rallying from a 13-point deficit. That win snapped a nine-game losing streak in the series.
Sophomore guard Amber Melgoza leads the Huskies and is fifth in the Pac-12 in scoring at 17.4 points per game. She is the only UW player averaging double figures. Mai-Loni Henson, a 6-1 sophomore, is second at 9.6 points per game. Jenna Moser, one of two active seniors on the team, averages 9.3 points.
Four Huskies are redshirting this season, including senior Natalie Romeo, who was UW's leading returning scorer at 9.3 per game a year ago.
Washington ranks 10th in the Pac-12 in scoring (67.8) and 12th in scoring defense (75.3).
Washington State enters Friday's game at Utah 10-16 overall and tied with the Buffs at 3-11 in the Pac-12. One of those three conference wins came at the hands of the Buffs on Jan. 5 as WSU earned an 89-75 win in Pullman behind 36 points from Borislava Hristova.
The 6-foot sophomore from Bulgaria is second in the Pac-12 in scoring at 18.8, including 20.7 per game in Pac-12 games. She is shooting 45 percent from the floor and was 15-for-21 vs. the Buffs on Jan. 5
Hristova is the only Cougars player averaging over 10 points with junior guard Alexys Swedlund coming in second at 9.6 per game.
Chanelle Molina, a sophomore guard who recovered from a knee injury suffered last season, has finally regained the form she showed prior to her injury and is averaging 10.4 points in Pac-12 play, but just 7.9 overall.
The Cougars have dropped their past three games, but played both Oregon schools tough last weekend at home. WSU lost 63-61 in overtime to No. 16 OSU and fell 90-79 on Sunday to No. 8/7 Oregon.
WSU ranks 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring (67.7) and 11th in scoring defense (71.3).
Players Mentioned
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