BUFFS CHALK UP ANOTHER BIG 12 VICTORY

Wednesday, February 4

Boulder, Colo.

7 p.m.

Colorado

18-2, 7-1Big 12

Nebraska

14-6, 4-5Big 12

Team	1	2	F
Nebraska	28	35	63
Colorado	30	48	78

February 04, 2004 | Women's Basketball

Box Score

By: Associated Press

BOULDER, Colo. - Tera Bjorklund scored 18 of her 32 points in the second half to lead No. 11 Colorado to a 78-63 victory Wednesday night over Nebraska.

“I thought we'd have an advantage with Tera inside,” head coach Ceal Barry said. “We needed to get her the ball and have her score for us. That's what we wanted to do. We felt like 22 (Margaret Richards) would double-team her, but we thought by going to her, we'd score the most buckets.”

It was the second 30-plus point game for Bjorklund on the season (Bjorklund scored 33 at Minnesota on Nov. 23) and her 32 points were two less than her career high of 34 reached in the second round of the 2003 NCAA tournament.

Kate Fagan and Amber Metoyer added 10 points each while Maria Billingsley nabbed a career-high eight rebounds. The Buffs (18-2, 7-1 Big 12) rolled to their sixth consecutive victory and 20th straight over the Cornhuskers (14-6, 4-5) in Boulder.

Alexa Johnson had 13 points for Nebraska, and Keasha Cannon-Johnson added 11.

Colorado survived a scare after trailing Nebraska for much of the first half. The Buffs grabbed the lead with 19 seconds left and went into the break up 30-28.

“We expected a tough game out of Nebraska,” Barry said. “They are so much improved, particularly with their post players at the four and five spots. They are shooting the ball well.”

Poor shooting plagued both teams in the first half, with Nebraska making 33.3 percent from the field and the Buffs 36.7. Bjorklund was the only player to score in double digits in the frame, but eight of her 14 points came from her solid free throw shooting.

But both teams would turn it around in the second half, chalking up field goal percentages of 53.6 percent and 54.5 percent respectively.

The teams traded leads, but the Buffs took control for good with 7:05 remaining when Bjorklund hit a layup from the left, sparking a 19-3 run for Colorado.

On the strength of that run, the Buffs would let the Huskers get no closer than 11 points and the Buffs ran away with the win. The Huskers, at times, looked frazzled and turned the ball over 15 times with errant passes and miscommunication.

Colorado, which is off to its best start since the 1994-95 season, now prepares for a rematch with No. 10 Kansas State in Manhattan, Kan., on Sunday, Feb. 8. The Wildcats beat the Buffs 76-69 back on Jan. 10, handing Colorado its only conference loss this season.

The game is set for a 2 p.m. tip and will be broadcast on ESPN2.