Colorado
Colorado School of Mines (Exhibition)
Buffaloes Defense Clamps Down On Mines In 55-28 Exhibition Win
November 03, 2005 | Women's Basketball
BOULDER-Colorado Junior Jasmina Ilic scored 29 points ? one more than Colorado School of Mines did as a team ? to lead the Buffaloes past the Orediggers 55-28 in exhibition women's basketball Thursday night at the Coors Events Conference Center.
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Colorado held the Orediggers to just 16 percent from the field (8-of-45) and forced 26 turnovers. Mines scored just 11 points in the second half and went without a field goal for a 12-minute span in the second half.
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Ilic hit 9-of-20 from the field (45 percent), but was even more dangerous from the 3-point arc, nailing 4-of-7 from downtown. Ilic, who was also 7-of-9 from the free-throw line, grabbed six rebounds, dished out three assists and had two steals.
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"I anticipated that Jasmina would be getting that many touches, but it surprised me that we didn't establish a better presence inside," CU head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said. "We have to know that in the near future that Kara Richards and Jackie McFarland have to establish themselves as a presence."
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McFarland was CU's only other player in double digits with 10 points. Richards, double and triple teamed at times, hit just 1-of-8 from the floor but had a team-high eight rebounds and four steals.
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"We finally played against somebody besides ourselves," Ilic said. "They (Mines) are a hustle team and we knew that coming in. We picked it up in the second half. We played better defense and we were more composed
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Colorado Mines was led by junior Iva Tomova who scored 12 points. Angela Pearson led the Orediggers in rebounds with 10.
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Colorado built an 11-4 lead over the first eight minutes of the game. Mines followed with a 12-4 run taking their first lead (16-13) on a Tomova 3-point field goal with 7:38 left in the first half
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The Orediggers were able to climb back in the lead despite hitting only three of their first 19 shots (15.8 percent). Mines held a 17-11 edge in rebounds over the first 13 minutes of the contest including nine on the offensive end.
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Colorado led by just two at 19-17 with 2:00 left when Ilic took over. She hit three straight 3-point shots over a 1:30 span to increase CU's lead to 28-17 at halftime. Ilic finished with 19 points in the first half on 5-of-11 from the field.
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The Buffaloes will play their second of two exhibition games on Friday, Nov. 11, at 7 p.m. against Regis at the Coors Events Conference Center.
