University of Colorado Athletics
Colorado
Spartak Moscow (Exhibition)
Buff Women Win By 60 Over Spartak
November 16, 2002 | Women's Basketball
BOULDER - Tera Bjorklund scored 20 points and grabbed 11 rebounds, while Amber Metoyer scored 19 points of her own and had 11 rebounds to lead Colorado to a 60 point win over Spartak Moscow, 115-55, in the Buffaloes final exhibition game before opening the regular season against Rice on Nov. 22.
"I am still developing the starting lineup," said Colorado coach Ceal Barry, who played everyone on her roster for more than five minutes. "But it is not about who is out there the first minute, it is who is getting the bulk of the minutes. The exhibition games are helping me to determine who will be playing a lot of those minutes."
Spartak Moscow had 39 fouls-23 in the first half-and sent Colorado to thee free throw line 51 times-converting 38 of them-in a game Barry called just "a little physical." Four Spartak players fouled out.
Spartak Moscow led for the first 8:27 of the game, but Kate Fagan hit two free throws when Svetlana Ramanova hacked her as she was driving to the basket and put Colorado up for the duration.
Spartak Moscow got as close as 24 points in the second half, but the Buffaloes went on a 35-9 run over the last 10:34 of the game, finished off by a three-pointer from Maria Billingsley with one second left on the clock.
Metoyer was two assists shy of a triple-double in only her second collegiate game, although it won't count in final statistics. Bjorklund was 12-13 from the free throw line and Fagan was a perfect 10-10 finishing with 18 points. Cecily Jones scored 12 points in 14 minutes and Syreeta Stafford chipped in 10. Ekaterina Sitnyak scored 17 points to lead the Russian traveling team.
Colorado forced 38 turnovers and had 17 steals in the contest.
The Buffaloes will open the season against the Rice Owls in a double-header that will also feature the Colorado men's basketball team taking on Cal-Poly.
"Rice is a veteran team and we are less experienced then them," Barry said. "It will be a tough opener, but we will just have to put ourselves in the position to beat them."
Tipoff for the women's game will be at 5:45 p.m., followed by the men who are scheduled for 8 p.m.
