Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
12-1, 1-1
Washington
9-4, 1-2
Buffaloes Streak Ends At Washington
January 05, 2012 | Women's Basketball
SEATTLE - Washington guard Jazmine Davis scored 21 of her game-high 27 points in the second half to lead the Huskies to a 75-67 Pac-12 Conference win over Colorado Thursday night at Alaska Airlines Arena.
The loss snaps Colorado's 12-game winning streak to start the season (12-1, 1-1 Pac-12) while Washington improves to 9-4, 1-2 in league play.
Chucky Jeffery had 20 points, seven rebounds, four assists and a team season-high six steals. Julie Seabrook tied a career-high with 18 points on 8-of-11 from the field.
Colorado lost the battle of the boards for the first time since the season opener (40-35). Washington also shot 45 percent from the field, scoring 42 points in the paint.
"I think our defense and rebounding let us down," head coach Linda Lappe said. "Washington did a tremendous job, you have to give them a lot of credit. They really crashed the glass and kept us off the boards."
Colorado's transition offense also stalled. The Buffaloes had only seven fast break points in the game, all in the first half. Overall the Buffaloes shot just 39 percent. Combined with the defense and rebounding woes, the recipe was not right for Colorado.
"We really didn't do any of those three," Lappe said. "When we don't do that it's usually going to be a long night."
Seabrook scored 12 of her points in a fast-paced first half which saw the senior from nearby North Vancouver, B.C., hit a pair of 3-pointers as the Buffaloes held a lead as large as five before settling for a 37-35 halftime edge.
But Colorado's lead quickly vanished. Davis scored seven points during a 10-2 Washington run to open the first half as the Huskies built a 45-39 lead.
Colorado fought back to take the lead midway through the second half. Meagan Malcolm-Peck drilled a 3-pointer to cap off an 8-2 run as CU led 55-51 with 10:26 left.
Washington quickly tied the score with back-to-back layups by Mercedes Wetmore and Regina Rogers. A pair of Jeffery free throws gave CU a 57-55 lead with 9:13 left, but consecutive Davis 3-pointers - her only two attempts from that range on the evening - gave Washington the lead for good.
"(Davis) did a good job looking to score," Lappe said. "She was very comfortable; we didn't take her out of her comfort zone at all in the second half. She was a tough player and played extremely well."
Colorado had erased a 10-point second half deficit at Utah in its last game, and nearly came up with a similar effort against Washington. Down by eight (67-59) with 2:30 left, the Buffaloes attempted one last rally. Jeffery was able to buy time by getting to the line, hitting three in the last two minutes to cut the UW lead to 70-65 with just under a minute left.
After a missed Davis free throw, Seabrook converted on a layup on the CU end, and was fouled with 37 seconds left, cutting the Washington lead to one possession at 70-67. But Seabrook missed the free throw and Washington corralled the rebound. CU was forced to foul down the stretch and the Huskies made just enough to hand the Buffaloes their first loss of the season.
"It's a great opportunity to see how we bounce back," Lappe said. "As a coaching staff you never want to lose games, but you want to see how your team will respond. Going on the road is tough, the key is you always want to try and split any time you go on the road. So we have to make sure we are prepared and come ready for Washington State."
Colorado continues its trip to the Northwest with a game at Washington State on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m. MST.
