Colorado University Athletics
Big 12 Honors Smith's Big Week
December 10, 2007 | General, Women's Basketball
BOULDER -- Colorado sophomore guard Bianca Smith has been named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week by a media voting panel for games of Dec. 3-9, the league office announced on Monday.
Smith captures her first career Big 12 weekly honor and the first for the Buffaloes since Jackie McFarland was named Player of the Week on Nov. 13, 2006.
Smith averaged 19 points, two assists and two rebounds off the bench while leading Colorado to wins over No. 22 (AP)/21 (WBCA) Wyoming and at No. 20/17 Vanderbilt this last week. Colorado broke a 23-game losing streak against ranked teams with its 69-55 win over Wyoming on Dec. 5. The Buffaloes then made it wins in back-to-back games over ranked teams for the first time since the 2002 NCAA Tournament with a 62-51 triumph at Vanderbilt on Dec. 9.
Against Wyoming, Smith scored 16 points on 5-of-8 from the floor with three assists as Colorado broke a three-game losing streak against the Cowgirls. She was 4-of-7 from 3-point range and her final two from downtown were clutch as they provided the answer to a 14-3 Wyoming run that cut the CU lead to just one with 5:11 remaining.
Smith had an even bigger game against Vanderbilt. She had a career-high 22 points on 7-of-14 from the field with three rebounds, one steal and one assist as the Buffs handed the Commodores just their second loss in their last 23 home games. Smith scored 13 of CU's first 17 points to erase an early 8-0 Vanderbilt lead, and hit four straight free throws in the final seconds of the game to close it out.
Smith's success has extended beyond this last week as she is averaging 13 points per game and hitting 42 percent from 3-point range during CU's current five-game winning streak. Her four 3-point field goals against Vanderbilt gave her 50 for her career which ranks 15th on CU's all-time list.
Colorado (6-2) will be back in action on Friday, Dec. 14, as the Buffaloes host Texas Southern University at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center.
