Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
21-5,10-5Pac-12
Washington State
10-16,6-9Pac-12
Brooks: No. 20 CU Perseveres, Beats Persistent WSU
February 22, 2013 | Women's Basketball, B.G. Brooks
BOULDER - Early style points were scarce for a Top 25 team, but in late February for the No. 20 Colorado Buffaloes aesthetics don't matter as much as points on the scoreboard and final results.
That's the way Friday night unfolded and at times unraveled at the Coors Events Center. After an unsightly start, the Buffs stayed patient, regained their poise late and finally disposed of Washington State 59-45 for their sixth consecutive win.
Coach Linda Lappe said she and the Buffs "were happy to get that win. It was a hard-fought game and you have to give Washington State a lot of credit . . ."
But after watching her team commit 19 of the game's 44 turnovers and shoot only 33.8 percent from the field while trying to solve WSU's match-up zone, Lappe added, "There was no rhythm in that game at all. When you watch basketball, when you coach basketball, when you play basketball, usually there is some rhythm within a game . . .
"It was hard to get into a rhythm. Both teams never did, and I told our team after the game that's not a game where you're going to be able to play your best."
Offensively, who could argue? But defensively, the Buffs turned in another near air-tight performance, limiting the Cougars to below 20 percent from the field and forcing 25 turnovers that led to 25 CU points.
WSU was the 11th opponent CU has held under 50 points this season, and the Cougars' 11 field goals and 19.6 field goal percentage were both seasonal lows for Buffs opponents. WSU coach June Daugherty recognized CU's 'D' for what it was and has been: "Credit to their defense," she said. "They have been pushing teams in that aspect all season."
CU (21-5) matched last season's win total and set up a crucial home finale on Sunday. Washington, one of two teams just ahead of the Buffs in the Pac-12 Conference standings (UCLA is the other), visits the CEC at 2 p.m. for Senior Day.
The Buffs improved to 10-5 in the Pac-12, with their 10 wins marking their first double-digit season in league play since 2004. The Huskies dropped to 11-4 after losing at Utah on Friday night. With a win on Sunday, CU can take a large step toward overtaking UW and securing the No. 4 seed and first-round bye for the Pac-12 tournament (March 7-10, Seattle).
"Having that first-round bye is huge," Lappe said. "It's something we thought we could do at the beginning of the year."
Sunday's game also marks the final regular-season home appearance for CU seniors Chucky Jeffery, Meagan Malcolm-Peck and Brenna Malcolm-Peck, whose career has been interrupted by various injuries.
Lappe called Sunday's game "important for a lot of reasons. Obviously we want to play well for our three seniors . . . (but) there's standings in play at this point in time as well."
Three CU players - Arielle Roberson with 17 and Jeffery and Jen Reese with 10 each - finished in double figures Friday night. WSU (10-16, 6-9) was led by Lia Galdeira with 12 and Mariah Cooks with 10.
Starting sophomore guard Lexy Kresl watched from the CU bench, still recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in last weekend's win at Arizona State. She remains day-to-day.
Roberson also collected a career-high 13 rebounds, accounting for her first career double-double, which she called "exciting. I didn't think I had that many rebounds. I'm definitely not trying to compete with Andre (her brother, who has 36 career double-doubles) in any way. I don't think I can. But I think I was just more aggressive tonight than I have been in conference play."
Roberson and the Buffs opened aggressively but couldn't maintain it. Going ahead 21-8 on a conventional three-point play by Roberson, they appeared to have a comfortable first-half lead. Then they went frigid and forgetful, lapsing on the offensive end and allowing the Cougars back into the game.
WSU went on a 10-1 run and cut CU's 13-point lead to four (22-18). The Buffs had opened by hitting six of their first 12 shots, but they closed the half hitting just three of their last 20 attempts - and their final field goal of the half was by Roberson just seven seconds before the buzzer.
Still, despite shooting 28.1 percent from the field, committing 11 turnovers and getting just two points from Jeffery, CU led 26-19 at intermission. That was mainly because WSU committed 14 of its turnovers and was limited to 21.9 percent first-half shooting.
Lappe can be forgiven if she was leaning toward destroying the first-half tape. "We refocused at halftime," she said. "To beat that defense, you all have to be on the same page . . . we did a much better job in the second half."
Added Reese about Lappe's halftime mood: "She wasn't happy - but neither were we. Coach Lappe definitely got on us at halftime. But I think we came out after that and performed pretty well."
With 13:30 remaining, the Buffs matched their largest lead of the game - 13 points at 40-27 - on a Jeffery basket. But the Cougars crept back to within six (48-42) with just under six minutes to play.
A Jeffery jumper with 4:48 to play pushed CU ahead 50-42, and a Roberson trey from the top of the key restored the Buffs' double-digit lead (53-42) with 3:30 left. When Roberson followed with a basket in the paint, CU's lead went to 15, and WSU was finished.
Although Roberson said the Buffs' performance "definitely wasn't our best," she added that she never felt CU had lost control of the game. "I can speak for myself; I'm not sure how everyone else felt. But I think the majority of us felt like we could control the game," she said.
"When the game was going downhill, it was our fault. And when we were doing good things, it was us as well. I think, knowing that, we weren't threatened at all. At least I wasn't."
Contact: BG.Brooks@Colorado.EDU
