Colorado University Athletics
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL CRACKS THE TOP 10
January 27, 2004 | Women's Basketball
BOULDER - The Big 12-leading University of Colorado women's basketball team cracked the top 10 in the polls for the first time since the 2001-02 season this Tuesday when the Buffs checked in at No. 10 in the WBCA/USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll. It marks the 59th time in CU history that the women have been ranked in the top 10 in the coaches poll.
Colorado is off to its second-best start in school history with a record of 16-2, and currently the Buffs boast the Big 12's longest winning streak at four straight victories. CU is 5-1 and tied for first place in the Big 12 Conference with Texas, who checked in at No. 4 in this week's poll. UT is 17-2 overall on the season.
The Buffs are paced by Big 12 Player of the Year Candidate and Preseason All-American Tera Bjorklund, who averages a team high 19.3 points per game and 7.8 rebounds per game. Bjorklund leads the conference in field goal percentage at 65.3% and checks in at No. 2 in the conference in scoring. She is flanked by fellow seniors Kate Fagan and Randie Wirt who are second and third in scoring for CU at 14.3 ppg and 8.9 ppg, respectively.
The seniors have been getting a lot of help from the underclassmen, most notably freshman guard Emily Waner (Highlands Ranch/ThunderRidge) who has twice been named Big 12 Rookie of the Week this season. She leads the Big 12 in three point shooting at 50.6%, and is third in three's made per game with 2.3 per outing. Waner is fourth in scoring at 8.9 ppg and averages 25.8 minutes per game to lead the CU underclassmen.
This is the third time in Big 12 play Colorado has opened 5-1, the second time in the last four seasons. The Buffs fought through 2-4, 2-4, and 1-5 starts from 1997-98 through 1999-2000 before opening the 2000-01 Big 12 season 5-1. In 2001-02 it was 3-3, but the Buffs went 11-5 in the conference and took third that season.
Overall, CU's 16-2 record after 18 games is second only to a 17-1 opening in 1992-93; it also matches three other 16-2 starts (1981-82, 1993-94, 1994-95). In both 1981-82 and 1993-94 the Buffs lost game No. 19, but the 1994-95 team didn't lose until game No. 33, in the Elite Eight, finishing 30-3 on the season.
One of the primary reasons for the success of the Buffs of late has been defense. CU has allowed less than 60 points for four straight games? the longest streak since the tail end of the 1996-97 season, when CU held eight straight opponents under 60 points. The current run of 8 out of 9 is the best since that season (8-of-8/8-of-9 including either side of that run). The four straight in league play is technically a best; while the Buffs held six straight league teams under 60 in that '96-97 streak, three were in conference games and three were in the tournament.
CU's next game is this Saturday, Jan. 31 at the ever-tough Hearnes Center against the University of Missouri. The teams met earlier this season, a 71-54 Buffalo win. The Buffs' next home contest will be Wednesday, Feb. 4 against No. 25 Nebraska. The Huskers blew out then-No. 9 Kansas State in Lincoln last Saturday by a score of 81-63. Tickets are available for this pivotal Big 12 North Division contest at www.cubuffs.com or by calling 303-49-BUFFS.
