BASKETBALL BUFFS WIN EXHIBITION OPENER

Tuesday, November 4

Boulder, Colo.

7 p.m.

Colorado

102

Metro State (Exhibition)

Photo by: CUBuffs.com

November 05, 2003 | Women's Basketball

By: CUBuffs.com

BOULDER - Randie Wirt scored 21 points and added 10 rebounds as four Colorado players scored in double-figures helping the No. 20 Buffaloes pick up a 102-63 win over Division II school Metro State in the first of two exhibitions to start the 2003-04 season.

Veronica Johns-Richardson scored a game-high 22 points to go along with her eight rebounds and Tera Bjorklund chipped in 19 points in just 21 minutes of play.

Metro State started the game in a full-court press, which flustered, but did not intimidate the Colorado guards. The Roadrunners got within two points of the Buffaloes, 10-8, with 15:31 left in the first half but Colorado used a 13-0 run over the next 4:58 to help put away Metro State, whose tallest player stood at 5-11. Colorado led 49-30 at halftime.

The Buffaloes received major contributions from first-year players as red-shirt sophomore Whitney Law, who had to sit out last season after transferring from the University of Georgia, scored nine points and freshmen Emily Waner had eight points and a game-high five assists, while Leslie Howard put in 10 points and grabbed six boards.

“Everybody got in and we got the tempo up like we wanted,” head coach Ceal Barry said. “We also got some easy buckets like we wanted, but we put them at the free-throw line too many times. We were aggressive and we need to keep that up.”

Colorado shot 49 percent from the floor and 80 percent from the free throw line, while holding Metro State to 29 percent from the floor and 65 percent at the line, despite the Buffaloes sending the Road Runners to the line 35 times. The Buffaloes forced 21 turnovers, but also picked up 26 fouls.

Colorado will host the defending Division II national champions, the Jackrabbits of South Dakota State on Friday, Nov. 7, to close out the preseason, before hosting Notre Dame, Old Dominion and Auburn for the WBCA Classic on Nov. 14 and Nov. 15. The Jackrabbits are lead by Division II All-American Melissa Pater, who averaged 19.5 points per game last season. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. MST.