Brooks: Persistent Sborov Finds Game At Right Time

BOULDER - Freshman Jasmine Sborov's best night as a member of the University of Colorado women's basketball team reminded her of where she had come from and what she was recruited to do.

It also reinforced a couple of points that have become evident to her coach and teammates: Sborov is as tireless as she is unassuming. Coach Linda Lappe didn't recruit her to score 20 points a game, but if Sborov got half that total - which she did Thursday night against Arizona - of course Lappe could live with it.

"She's going to be a role player offensively . . . anything that she scores is going to be a bonus," Lappe said after CU's 69-59 win. "But defensively she can set the tone for us and it's a huge help to our team . . . From the first game to now, she's probably made the most progress of any player we have."

Her teammates have noticed.

"She's really grown from the first day she stepped on the court," sophomore guard Brittany Wilson said. "She's one of our top lifters, along with me Chucky (Jeffery) and Ashley (Wilson). She works hard in every aspect - she's rebounding, doing everything we need her to do. We knew what she could do, but we also know a lot of those girls in that locker room can roll with the best of them."

Wilson said Sborov's perseverance has gained admiration among the Buffs: "I look up to her because she just keeps going; it doesn't matter how much a coach is yelling at her. 'Jas' just keeps fighting, keeps going and doesn't let anything deter her confidence."

A solid 6-footer, Sborov obviously had enough confidence in her offensive game at Red Rock (Texas) High School to average 15 points a game as a senior and be three-time offensive player-of-the-year. But it was her athleticism and physicality - plus her eight rebounds a game and defensive potential - that attracted Lappe and her staff. And the fact that Sborov was Red Rock's four-time hoops MVP and set her school's high-jump record (5-6) also spruced up her resume and looked pretty good to Lappe.

Sborov arrived in Boulder willing to work but obviously needing time to acclimate. Said Lappe: "We saw some good things in Jasmine early. She was almost a deer-in-headlights in the games though."

As a result, Sborov's minutes early in non-conference play - and even when Pac-12 play began - were limited. But a lack of court time didn't push her into a shell in practice.

"She had a great attitude and stayed with it and worked hard," Lappe said. "She's really persevered. I know it's tough when she sees freshmen like Lexy Kresl and Jen Reese playing. She's wanted to learn and has had a passion to be on the floor."

That surfaced against Arizona when Sborov submitted her best performance at CU. She recorded career highs in points (10) and rebounds (seven) and tied her career best in assists (three).

"She has gotten better, more than anything, at knowing when to take a shot and knowing what's a good shot for her, just getting her feet set and knowing where to take shots," Lappe said. "She took some 15-foot jumpers (Thursday); she was playing with a lot of confidence and you like that . . . she just has a better understanding of the game."

Still, Sborov, who hit four of her six field goal attempts and was two-of-three from the free throw line, downplayed her offense against Arizona. "I was just getting back to my roots and doing what I do best, basically just what they recruited me for: rebounding and defense," she said.

Soborov is averaging 2.0 points and 2.3 rebounds in 12.1 minutes. She's played in 20 games (no starts). Those numbers have risen slightly in conference play: 2.7 points, 2.4 rebounds in 12.8 minutes (12 games).

As for the steady improvement she's shown since that early deer-in-the-headlights period, Sborov said she "just had to find myself and slow the game down a little bit for myself, just to feel more comfortable. But my teammates have definitely helped me with that and have kept encouraging me, so it's nice to have them by my side."

It's also nice for Lappe to have a versatile defender and rebounder who is capable of taking a pounding but controlling the ball. Said Lappe: "She can guard a 2, 3, or 4 (position). She's rebounding well even if people are hanging on and grabbing her. She's big and she can jump."

More performances from Sborov like Thursday's would be welcome as the Buffs head into the regular season's home stretch. Disposing of the Wildcats leaves Arizona State (Saturday, 7 p.m.), Utah (Feb. 18), Oregon (March 1) and Oregon State (March 3) on the home schedule.

After a 50-46 loss Thursday night at Utah, the Pac-12 standings find ASU (6-6) tied with USC for fourth, while CU (5-7) is tied with Washington and Oregon for fifth. The Ducks' visit to the Events Center follows the Buffs' final road trip of the season to play the Pac-12's top two teams - Stanford (12-0) and California (9-3) on Feb. 23-25.

Both teams won in Boulder, with the No. 4 Cardinal cruising 80-54 and the Bears overcoming a 12-point second-half deficit to win 68-55.

But the way the backend of the schedule breaks should be advantageous for the Buffs if they can protect their home court in the final four games. Winning those four would send CU, now 16-7 overall, to the Pac-12 postseason tournament (March 7-12, Los Angeles) with a 20-win regular season.

Tickets for Saturday's game and all remaining home contests can be purchased on-line at CUBuffs.com/tickets or by calling 303-49-BUFFS.

Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU