Buffaloes Out For Fifth Straight Win, Host Texas State Wednesday

THE GAMES: The University of Colorado will host Texas State University on Wednesday, Dec. 1, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.

BROADCAST: Wednesday's game can be heard live on KKZN AM 760. Mike Rice will handle play-by-play duties with Carol Callan of USA Basketball giving the color commentary. Live game video will also be available for BuffsTV subscribers at CUBuffs.com. Live internet audio is available on CUBuffs.com, through the BuffsRadio free subscription.

THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 5-1 overall and winners of four straight after claiming the 24th Annual Omni Hotels Classic Tournament this last weekend. The Buffaloes edged Evansville 55-53 on Nov. 26 before rolling over Loyola Chicago 65-34 in the championship game on Nov. 27.

Sophomore guard Chucky Jeffery was named Classic MVP after a historic performance that saw her record the second triple-double in team history (more on that below). Senior forward Brittany Spears was also named to the All-Tournament team.

CU will play its fifth straight game at home Wednesday and is 4-0 on its current seven-game home stand. The Buffaloes will be looking to improve to 6-1 for the second-straight season and their first five-game winning streak since the final five games of the 2008-09 nonconference schedule.

Colorado shot a season-best 54 percent (27-of-50) in the win over Loyola Chicago, rebounding from a 39 percent performance (21-of-54) against Evansville. Overall the Buffaloes have shot well in the first six games, sitting at 45 percent (153-of-337) and 40 percent from beyond the 3-point arc (36-of-90). Colorado is averaging 69 points over its first six games while holding its opponents to 53.2 an outing. The Buffaloes defense is limiting their opponents to 37 percent from the field (111-of-303) and just 21 percent from long range (23-of-109), the latter number ranking fifth in the nation through games of Nov. 28.

Brittany Spears has scored in double-digits all six games and notched 20 or more points in three. She ranks fifth in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.2 points per game and is also fifth in 3-pointers made (2.2 3mpg), 11th in rebounds (7.5 rpg) and steals (2.2 spg) and 12th in 3-point percentage (.448) on the league charts. She has three double-doubles on the season, including a 19-point, 10-rebound effort against Evansville, and 25 for her career ranking her fourth on CU's all-time list.

She has scored in double digits in 62 of her last 69 games and in 85 of 99 career outings. Spears is slated to start her 100th consecutive game, encompassing every game of her career. Will become the 10th player in team history to start 100 games.

Chucky Jeffery has been CU's top rebounder through the first six games with 55 total while ranking second on the team in scoring at 15.5 an outing. She also paces the Buffaloes and ranks seventh in the nation in steals (3.8 spg) and 16th in assists (6.0 apg). Jeffery recorded the second triple-double in team history with 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against Loyola Chicago. On the Big 12 charts she ranks second in steals and assists, fifth in rebounding and 16th in scoring.

Sophomore guard/forward Meagan Malcolm-Peck is averaging 8.3 points and five rebounds. She is coming off her first career double-double, a 14-point, 10-rebound effort against Loyola Chicago. Her 14 points matched a season best (at Denver) and her 10 rebounds marked the third time in her career, and first this season, that she's recorded double-digit boards.

Junior forward Julie Seabrook is averaging 8.2 points and 5.5 rebounds per game while shooting a team-best 64.5 percent from the field (20-of-31). She has shot 60 percent or better in five of six games, and 50 percent or better in all six outings. Seabrook had 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting against Loyola, scoring in double-digits for the second time this season. She claimed her second career double-double with 13 points and 10 rebounds against Santa Clara

Senior guard Britney Blythe is averaging 6.2 points over the first six games, mostly from long range. Blythe ranks eighth in the Big 12 in 3-point percentage (.476) and 11th in 3-pointers made (1.7 3mpg). Ten of her 11 field goals this season have come from 3-point range. She had 10 points against Loyola, while grabbing a career-best six rebounds.

JEFFERY'S TRIPLE-DOUBLE: Chucky Jeffery recorded the second triple-double in team history by totaling 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists in the Omni Hotels Classic Championship game against Loyola Chicago. The only other CU triple-double was by Sandy Bean vs. Utah State on Feb. 16, 1979. Bean had 19 points, 11 rebounds and 10 assists.

It marked career highs in both rebounds and assists for Jeffery as well as team season highs in both categories. She's the first CU player with 10 assists in a game since Susie Powers dished out 10 against Pepperdine on Jan. 4, 2008. Jeffery also notched her third double-double of the season.

Jeffery's triple-double was the 18th in Big 12 Conference history (Baylor's Britteny Griner notched No. 19 the next day, Nov. 28) and she becomes the 11th different Big 12 player to record a triple-double.

ABOUT THE BOBCATS: Texas State, out of the Southland Conference, is 2-2 overall and will be playing its first road game of the season. The Bobcats have lost their last two and are coming off a 62-41 setback to Jackson State on Nov. 27. TSU averages just 56.8 points per game, but is the Southland's top scoring defense team, allowing opponents just 52.8. The Bobcats are shooting 35 percent from the field (75-of-215) and 65 percent from the free-throw line (62-of-95). TSU is looking to win its first true nonconference road game since defeating UT-Pan American on Dec. 10, 2006.

Senior forward Anna Brzozowski paces the Bobcats at 9.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Junior guard Verinus Kalu has made 56 percent from the field through four games (10-of-18) and is averaging 7.5 points and 5.5 rebounds per outing. Senior forward Chika Ofoegbu is TSU's top rebounder at 6.8 per contest.

SERIES RECORDS: Colorado and Texas State will meet for the third time and first since December 1992 when San Marcos based school was known as Southwest Texas State. The two teams split a home-and-home in the 1991 & '92 preseasons, each winning at their respective friendly confines. The Bobcats won the first ever meeting, a 64-59 decision at their Southwest Texas Classic on Dec. 5, 1991. The Buffaloes got their revenge in Boulder one year later, defeating the Bobcats 78-57 on Dec. 19, 1992.

Colorado is 6-1 all-time against Southland Conference schools, the lone loss coming against the Bobcats in that 1991 meeting. It will be CU's first game against a Southland Conference opponent since a 99-60 win over Sam Houston State on Dec. 24, 2000.

SCORING, REBOUND DEFENSE SHINES AGAINST LOYOLA: Chucky Jeffery's triple-double against Loyola Chicago stole the headlines in the Omni Classic Championship game, and deservedly so, but the Buffaloes also notched a couple defensive team milestones of note in that game.

Colorado gave up just 20 rebounds to Loyola, tying for the second fewest in team history. Northern Arizona had just 19 against the Buffaloes on Feb. 7, 1981. On two other occasions the Buffaloes have held an opponent to just 20 rebounds; Dec. 28, 1991 at Washington (a 58-53 loss) and Jan. 21, 1980 vs. Northern Arizona (a 129-47 win).
The Buffaloes +22 rebound margin (44-20) was their most since a +23 margin against Arkansas-Pine Bluff (51-28) on Dec. 2, 2008.

On the scoreboard, CU gave up just 34 points to Loyola, tying for the seventh fewest points allowed in team history and the fewest since giving up just 29 to Texas Southern on Dec. 14, 2007.

LAPPE'S DEBUT: The Regis game marked the official CU debut of head coach Linda Lappe, who joined her six predecessors with a successful debut as CU's women's head coach. Lappe is now 5-1 as head coach of the Buffaloes and 55-37 overall in her fourth season as a collegiate head coach.

CU Head Coaching Debuts:
Date Coach Opponent Result
11/12/10 Linda Lappe Regis (H) W 76-38
11/18/05 Kathy McConnell-Miller Cal State-Fullerton (H) W 100-71
11/18/83 Ceal Barry BYU (H) W 89-72
11/18/80 Sox Walseth Colo. Women's Coll. (H) W 107-73
11/17/78 Rene Portland Colorado State (A) W 83-60
11/20/75 Jerry Zancanelli Colorado State (A) W 53-38
1/17/75 Carol Hochsprung Weber State (H) W 57-54

NOTABLE FROM THE OPENER: Colorado improved to 32-5 (.865) all-time in overall season openers and 35-2 (.946) in all-time home openers. The Buffs improved to 25-0 when their overall season opener is played at home.

Colorado's win snapped a four-game losing streak dating back to last season. Colorado's 38-point margin of victory was its most in a season opener since a 93-43 win over Albany to open the 2000-01 campaign.

SPEARS CLIMBING CAREER LADDERS: Brittany Spears scored 19 points against Evansville, passing Erin Scholz (1,621 from 1993-97) for fifth place on CU's all-time scoring list. She now has 1,642 points, 133 behind Shelley Sheetz (1991-95) for fourth place. She also ranks fifth in 3-point field goals attempted (493), sixth in rebounds (765) and 3-point field-goals made (169), seventh in blocked shots (121), ninth in steals (189) and field-goals made (601) and 13th in free-throws made (271) on CU's all-time charts.

She is one of just five players in CU history with 1,600 points and 700 rebounds in her distinguished career.

CU Career 1,500-700
Name (Years) Points Rebounds
Lisa Van Goor (1980-85) 2,067 1,145
Jackie McFarland (2004-08) 1,957 1,048
Erin Scholz (1993-97) 1,621 1,067
Tera Bjorklund (2000-04) 1,858 723
Brittany Spears (2007- ) 1,642 765

SPEARS ON NAISMITH WATCH LIST: Brittany Spears has been named to the 2010-11 Naismith Trophy preseason watch list, announced by the Atlanta Tipoff Club.

The watch list of the nation's top 50 women's players was compiled by the Atlanta Tipoff Club's Board of Selectors, which based its criteria on player performances from the previous year and expectations for the 2010-11 college basketball season. The Naismith Trophy presented by AT&T will be awarded on April 4, 2011 at the NCAA Women's Final Four in Indianapolis.

The active leading career scorer in the Big 12 Conference (1,642 points), Spears topped the Buffaloes in scoring (17.7 ppg), rebounding (7.8 rpg) and steals (2.1 spg) as a junior, earning honorable mention to the 2010 All-Big 12 team. On the 2010 league charts she ranked third in steals, fourth in scoring, fifth in rebounding, defensive rebounds (5.5 drpg) and free-throw percentage (.837), eighth in 3-point field-goal percentage (.357), 10th in 3-point field-goals made (1.8 3mpg), 12th in blocked shots (1.0 bpg) and 14th in offensive rebounds (2.3 orpg).

Her preseason recognition by the Naismith Trophy is CU's first since Jackie McFarland was a Naismith Trophy semifinalist in 2008. Former Buffaloes standout Tera Bjorklund was a finalist in 2004.

BUFFS PICKED 12TH, SPEARS MENTIONED: Colorado was picked to finish 12th in the annual Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll while Brittany Spears recieved honorable mention to the Preseason All-Big 12 team.

2010 NCAA Women's Final Four participant Baylor was chosen as the preseason favorite for the second consecutive year earning 121 points and 11 of 12 first place votes. Texas A&M was second at 109 and received the other first place vote. Oklahoma was third (97) followed by Texas (88), Iowa State (85), Kansas (64), Nebraska (58), Oklahoma State (50), Kansas State (40), Texas Tech (39), Missouri (26) and Colorado (15).

Spears was an honorable mention All-Big 12 selection in 2008 and 2010 and a second team pick in 2009.

BUFFS SIGN THREE: Lexy Kresl, Jen Reese and Jasmine Sborov have signed National Letters of Intent to play basketball and continue their education at the University of Colorado in 2011-12, CU head coach Linda Lappe announced on Nov. 12, during the NCAA early signing period.

Kresl is a 5-11 guard from Paradise Valley, Ariz. She led the state of Arizona in scoring as a junior (27.6 ppg) and guided Shadow Mountain High School to the 2010 Arizona 4AI state title. Reese is a 6-2 forward from Clackamas (Ore.) High School and the reigning Gatorade Oregon Girls Basketball Player of the Year. She led the Cavaliers to a 21-3 record in 2010, advancing to the Oregon Class 6A State Tournament Round of 16. Sborov is a 6-1 guard from Round Rock (Texas) High School who led the Dragons to a 15-9 mark in 2010 and the playoffs for a third straight season.

TOUGH SCHEDULE: Colorado will potentially play 16 games - or 55 percent of the schedule - against teams that advanced to either the 2010 NCAA or WNIT postseason tournaments. Six of CU's 2010-11 opponents are ranked in the latest USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches preseason poll (#3 Baylor, #7 Texas A&M, #11 Oklahoma, #17 Iowa State, #19 Nebraska, #20 Texas) and three others are receving votes (Oklahoma State, Kansas State and Kansas). Six are ranked in the latest Associated Press poll (#2 Baylor, #7 Texas A&M, #11 Oklahoma, #17 Texas, #19 Iowa State and #24 Nebraska) while five others are receiving votes (Kansas State, Kansas, Oklahoma State, USC, and Texas Tech).

HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 345-114 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.752). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 21 of the previous 32 years. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CECC.

BUFFS ON TV: Colorado's regular season schedule features nine games televised either regionally or nationally, seven of which are at home. CU's season opener against Regis on Nov. 12 was the first FSN Rocky Mountain televised game and the next will be the Dec. 8 battle against Colorado State. FSN Rocky Mountain will also televise home games against North Dakota (Jan. 4), Kansas (Jan. 12), Kansas State (Jan. 26), Nebraska (Feb. 6) and Oklahoma (Feb. 23) and road games at Kansas State (Feb. 16) and Nebraska (Mar 2). The home game against Nebraska will be televised nationally on FSN as part of the network's Big 12 package.

CU has appeared on 81 regional or national telecasts over the last nine seasons.