BUFFS FALL TO K-STATE, 76-69

Saturday, January 10

Boulder, Colo.

11:30 a.m.

Colorado

12-2, 1-1Big 12

Kansas State

11-2, 2-0Big 12

Kansas State

Colorado

Photo by: Associated Press

January 10, 2004 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Associated Press

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Kendra Wecker had 23 points and 11 rebounds and hit three key baskets down the stretch, leading No. 11 Kansas State to a 76-69 win over No. 14 Colorado on Saturday at the Coors Events Center.

Tera Bjorklund had 22 points and eight rebounds for Colorado (12-2, 1-1 Big 12). Bjorklund's performance moved her into a tie for fourth-place among Colorado's all-time scoring leaders with 1,599 points.

Kansas State (11-2, 2-0) also got 19 points from Laurie Koehn and 17 points and 10 rebounds from Nicole Ohlde, who sat out most of the first half with foul trouble.

“I think the difference in the game was the 12 (KSU) offensive rebounds in the second half,” head coach Ceal Barry said. “I think the fact that (Nicole) Ohlde was pretty fresh also hurt us. We did not have anybody to counter her when we rested Tera (Bjorklund); we did not have anybody that size. They're a great team.”

Kansas State, posting its ninth straight victory, used a 10-3 run in the second half to open a 71-65 lead with 4:30 remaining. Wecker and Koehn hit 3-pointers to start the burst, and Wecker's spin move in the lane made it 69-64 with 5:00 to go.

Layups by Bjorklund and Amber Metoyer cut it to 71-69, but Wecker made a driving layup for a 73-69 lead with 1:25 left. Colorado was forced to foul, and the Wildcats hit 3-of-5 free throws in the final minute.

“At the end, our offense was not flowing like it was in the first half,” Bjorklund said. “We weren't scoring like we were in the first. We probably could have taken care of the ball better. Mentally, we have to be tougher when taking care of the ball.”

Bjorklund had 12 points in the first half helping Colorado to a 40-38 lead.

The Buffaloes, whose nine-game winning streak was snapped, used a 16-4 run to forge a 19-11 lead. Emily Waner had back-to-back 3-pointers, and Bjorklund had a three-point play during the surge.

Ohlde picked up her second foul with 13:20 left and didn't play the remainder of the half, but the Wildcats got solid play from their bench.

Koehn had a 3-pointer and a three-point play to help cut the deficit to two points. Colorado responded with Kate Fagan's 3-point basket and Bjorklund's three-point play, making it 30-22.

Back-to-back 3-pointers by Wecker and Koehn reduced the deficit to two, and Wecker's two free throws produced a 32-32 tie with 3:43 left.

It was the first home loss for Colorado this season, and first since dropping the regular season finale to K-State last spring. The Buffs now turn their attention to their next Big 12 match-up, a road contest at Kansas at 6:05 p.m. Jan. 13.