Colorado University Athletics
Colorado Hosts USC In Pac-12 Home Opener
January 08, 2015 | Women's Basketball
THE GAME: The University of Colorado hosts the University of Southern California in its Pac-12 Conference home opener on Friday, Jan. 9, at 8 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.
BROADCAST: Friday's game is scheduled to air live on the Pac-12 Network Mountain and Los Angeles Channels. Krista Blunk will have the play-by-play with Mary Murphy with the color commentary. Friday's game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary.
OPENING TIP: Senior forward Jen Reese is just 30 points away from becoming the 26th player in team history to reach 1,000.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 7-6 overall after dropping its first two Pac-12 games on the road to No. 15/15 Stanford (62-55) and to California (75-59). The Buffaloes have lost their last three and five of their last six, four of those contests on the road and two of them to ranked teams.
Colorado is averaging 71.8 points per game on 42 percent shooting. The Buffaloes have been held to 56.7 points during their current three-game skid. Colorado has hit 80 points four times this season and the 97 points scored against San Jose State are the most in the coach Linda Lappe era and most since scoring 100 against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 18, 2005.
Defensively, Colorado has allowed 68.2 points per game on 36.6 percent from the field. The Buffaloes are the Pac-12's top rebounding team, pulling down 46.8 per game and also top the conference in blocked shots at 5.3 per contest. The Buffaloes rank second in rebounding margin (+8.0) and third in 3-point percentage (.366).
Junior forward Jamee Swan, who has come off the bench the last four games, tops Colorado in rebounding (8.1 rpg), blocked shots (1.7 bpg) and field goal percentage (.493) and is tied with Jen Reese for the team lead in scoring at 14.1 points per game. Swan has led the Buffaloes in scoring the last four contests including a 21-point effort in the loss to California which included her first career 3-point field goal. She hit 20 points for the third time this season and the fifth time in her career. She led Colorado against Stanford with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. The double-double was her third of the season and fifth of her career.
In the Pac-12 Swan ranks third in offensive rebounds (3.4 orpg), fourth in blocks (1.7 bpg), seventh in overall rebounding, 12th in scoring and 15th in field goal percentage and defensive rebounds (4.7 drpg).
Reese also averages 14.1 points per game while hitting 45 percent from the field and ranking second on the team in rebounding at 7.8 an outing. Reese has scored in double figures in 10 of 13 games including 15 points at California. She scored a career and team-season high 26 points in the win over Colorado State. She also matched a personal-best with 14 rebounds for her sixth career double-double and third of the season. Her 26-point performance also marked the third time this season she's hit the 20-point mark and sixth of her career.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Reese is seventh in free throw percentage (.815), eighth in overall rebounding, ninth in defensive boards (5.5 drpg), and 12th in scoring and offensive rebounding (2.4 orpg).
Senior guard Lexy Kresl is averaging 9.6 points per game, leads Colorado in assists (5.3 apg) and steals per game (1.1 spg) and is tied for the top spot in 3-pointers with 20. She returned to the lineup for the Stanford game after missing the last two. In her first action in a little over three weeks, Kresl knocked the rust off early with eight points, six rebounds and five assists against the Cardinal. She was MVP of the Omni Classic averaging 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists in the two-game classic. During that stretch, not only did she record her first career double-double, she topped that with just the fourth triple-double in program history in the win over Colorado State (12 points-11 rebounds-11 assists).
Kresl is third in the Pac-12 in assists and also ranks 11th in 3-pointers made (1.8 3mpg) and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5) and defensive rebounds (5.0 drpg).
Sophomore guard Haley Smith is third on the team in scoring (10.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.5 rpg) while ranking second in field goal accuracy at 48 percent. She recorded her first career double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds against San Jose State; both numbers marking personal bests. She hit 10-of-14 from the field during her career-best day against the Spartans. On the Pac-12 leaderboard Smith ranks 17th in overall rebounding and 27th in scoring.
Senior guard Jasmine Sborov is averaging 6.7 points and 5.5 rebounds and ranks second on the team in assists with 33. She had a solid line against Wyoming with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. Against Iowa, Sborov led Colorado with career-highs in points (17) and rebounds (12) for her second career double-double. Sborov also dished out a career-high nine assists against San Jose State.
Sophomore forward Zoe Beard-Fails has picked up her play and earned a starting role for the Buffaloes front court the last four games. Overall on the season she has averaged 4.9 points and 3.8 rebounds. Against Long Beach State she had career highs in points (14), rebounds (8) and field goals made and attempted (7-of-13).
Sophomore wing Lauren Huggins leads the team in 3-point shooting, connecting on 20-of-53 from long range (.377). Huggins was 4-of-7 from long range against Colorado State, hitting three of her four in the overtime sessions. Two of those came in the final minute of the first overtime, including one with 1.7 seconds remaining to send the game into the second extra period.
Freshmen Brecca Thomas and Alina Hartmann have been increasing their productivity. Thomas started two games while Kresl was absent from the lineup scoring a career-best nine points in the win over Wyoming. Hartmann had a career-high seven points against the Cowgirls. Classmate Zoe Correal had a personal best six points on 3-of-6 shooting at Stanford.
ABOUT SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA: Southern California is 9-5 overall and 1-2 in the Pac-12. The Trojans have lost three of their last four, splitting last weekend's games against the Oregon schools at home. Friday's game will be USC's first road contest in over a month as the Trojans played their last seven at home. USC averages 75.7 points per game ranking fourth in the Pac-12. The Trojans shoot 45 percent from the field and 66 percent from the foul line. USC gives up 67.1 points per outing while allowing opponents to shoot 42 percent. The Trojans lead the Pac-12 in steals at 11.2 per game.
USC sports a balanced scoring attack with four players in double figures. Senior forward Alexyz Vaioletama leads the Trojans at 12.8 points and 6.6 rebounds per game and ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in field goal accuracy at 54.3 percent. Freshman guard McKenzie Calvert is averaging 11.6 points per game and hitting 44 percent from 3-point range. Senior forward Kaneisha Horn and junior guard Brianna Barrett are both at 10.1 points per game. Horn is USC's second leading rebounder at 6.5 an outing. Barrett tops the Trojans in both assists (66) and steals (36), ranking in the top six in the Pac-12 in both categories.
Cynthia Cooper is in her second year as head coach of USC with a record of 31-18. She is in her 10th year as a collegiate head coach with a record of 181-124.
THE SERIES: This will be the 11th meeting between Colorado and Southern California with the Trojans holding a 6-4 series lead. USC swept the regular season series last year, winning 55-45 in Los Angeles on Jan. 3, 2014, and 66-59 in Boulder on March 2. The series is even at 2-2 since the Buffaloes joined the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season. USC has won three of five meetings in Boulder.
Linda Lappe is 2-4 against USC as a head coach. Cynthia Cooper is 2-0 against Colorado as a head coach.
BACK TO THE BOARDS: Colorado has outrebounded, or been even, with 11 of its 13 opponents this season by an average of 8.0 per game ranking second in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 in overall rebounds (46.8 rpg), defensive rebounds (31.8 drpg) and offensive boards (14.9 orpg).
Colorado has five games with 50 or more rebounds, including the Long Beach State contest where the Buffaloes dominated the 49ers 50-26, the largest margin of the season and biggest since holding a plus-25 margin against Arizona (51-26) on Jan. 20, 2013. All five of Colorado's 50-plus rebounding games have come over the last eight outings including a season-high 60 against San Jose State the program's most since pulling down 60 against Marquette in the first round of the 1994 NCAA Tournament.
Colorado sports two of the top eight rebounders in the Pac-12. Junior Jamee Swan ranks seventh at 8.1 rpg while senior Jen Reese is eighth at 7.8 rpg.
KRESL'S DISH: Lexy Kresl recorded the fourth triple-double in team history by scoring 12 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists in the double overtime win over Colorado State on Nov. 29.
Her triple-double was the team's first since Chucky Jeffery recorded the second of her two triple-doubles at Oklahoma State on Mar. 25, 2012 during the Postseason WNIT. Sandy Bean achieved the program's first triple-double against Utah State on Feb. 16, 1979.
For Kresl, both the rebounds and assists figures were career-highs. It was actually her second "double"of the week. Kresl put together her first career double-double in the win over Denver with 10 points and 10 assists.
Nine of her assists in the Denver game came in the first 20 minutes, tying a school record for assists in one half originally set by Whitney Law against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 18, 2005.
Counting Colorado's prior three triple-doubles, Kresl's points-assists double-double was the 14th in team history and first since Jeffery's triple at OSU (12 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists).
WORKING OVERTIME: Colorado played in overtime in three of its first seven games. The Buffaloes won the last two, defeating San Jose State 97-89 on Dec. 5 and Colorado State 87-81 in double overtime on Nov. 29, after dropping a 79-78 decision to Western Kentucky on Nov. 17.
Colorado played back-to-back overtime games for the first time in team history with the San Jose State and CSU contests. The Buffaloes had two overtimes in a three-game span in February 1988.
The double overtime game with CSU was just the sixth in team history and first since an 84-77 setback to Iowa State on Jan. 13, 2008. Lexy Kresl set a school single game record by playing in 49 minutes against Colorado State.
Colorado's win over San Jose State improved its all-time record to 23-23 all-time in overtime. The Buffaloes are 3-3 in double overtime games.
It's the fifth time Colorado has played three overtime games in one season and first since 1995-96; the most in any one campaign. This is the first instance where all three games have happened during the nonconference schedule. Overall it's the 14 time Colorado has played multiple overtime games in one season.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Colorado has a record of 51-28 since the beginning of the 2012-13 season. Of those 28 losses, 14 have been to ranked teams and 13 of those ranked higher than Colorado at the time the game was played. The Buffaloes have won 48 of their last 62 games against unranked opponents.
The Buffaloes have been dominant in regular season nonconference games under Linda Lappe. Colorado is 48-9 in that stretch since the beginning of the 2010-11 season. The Buffaloes have won 41 of their last 46 regular season nonconference contests. The Buffaloes put together 33 straight nonconference wins from Dec. 30, 2010 through Dec. 12, 2013.
REESE'S PIECES: Senior forward Jen Reese has joined one elite group in Colorado history and is well on her way to join another. Reese became the 21st player to reach 500 career rebounds during the Missouri State game. She is currently 16th on Colorado's all-time list with 566.
The 6-2 shooter is also Colorado's active leading scorer with 970 career points, putting her 30 points from becoming the 26th player in team history to reach 1,000.
Hitting both marks would make her just the 15th player in team history to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.
KRESL SOLID FROM ARC, LINE: Senior guard Lexy Kresl ranks seventh in career 3-pointers attempted (477) and is eighth in 3-pointers made (144)
She has made a 3-pointer in 77 of 106 career games and has 38 contests with two or more buckets from long range. Kresl hit five against Missouri, tying a season high and also marking her sixth career game with five or more 3-pointers.
Kresl has also been one of Colorado's most reliable free throw shooters over the past three seasons. Her career percentage of 83.2 (144-of-173) would rank fourth on the Buffs' all-time list (minimum of 100 attempts).
Kresl hit 84.1 percent from the line in 2013-14 (69-of-82) ranking third in the Pac-12 Conference. Her mark was also good for 19th on Colorado's single-season list.
Kresl has a shot at reaching 1,000 career points entering Friday's game at 842.
HUGGINS SHOOTS UP LIST: With 13 3-pointers over the last nine games, sophomore Lauren Huggins has put herself among the Buffaloes' career leaders. She is currently 18th in career 3-pointers made with 60 and 19th in attempts at 163.
SWAN'S SWATS: Junior forward Jamee Swan ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in blocked shots at 1.7 per game. She has 26 blocks over the last 15 games dating back to last season.
Swan has 86 career blocks ranking 10th CU's all-time list.
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 0-2 against ranked teams this season after dropping a 62-55 decision at No. 15/15 Stanford on Jan. 3. The Buffaloes have dropped their last 14 against ranked opponents. Colorado is 62-156 all-time against ranked opponents.
OMNI HOTELS CHAMPS: Colorado won its Omni Hotels Classic championship for the 18th time by defeating Missouri State and Colorado State. The Buffaloes improved to 46-10 all-time in their home holiday classic and won their sixth straight title.
CHALLENGING START: Colorado opened a season with two teams that made the NCAA Tournament the previous year (North Dakota & Western Kentucky) for the first time since 2003-04 when the Buffaloes hosted Old Dominion and Notre Dame in the WBCA Classic. Only twice since then had the Buffaloes even played one team in their first two coming off a trip to the big dance, Loyola-Marymount in 2004-05 (Game 1) and Vanderbilt in 2006-07 (Game 2).
Two of Colorado's three opening opponents, North Dakota and Arkansas State, are their respective conference's top preseason pick and Western Kentucky was selected second. The Buffaloes have also faced two conference preseason players of the year in Western Kentucky's Chastity Gooch and Arkansas State's Aundrea Gamble.
HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 400-137 all-time record at the Coors Events Center (.745). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CEC in 25 of 36 years. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CEC.
Colorado was 12-6 at Coors in 2013-14 and has won 24 of its last 33 and 35 of its last 47 at home.
BUFFS ON TV: Colorado women's basketball will be televised to a regional or national audience at least 13 times during the regular season, including 12 games on the Pac-12 Networks during league play. This marks the third consecutive year the Buffaloes will have double-digit regional or national television appearances.
Colorado made its television debut on ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain on Nov. 25, defeating Denver 77-49. Colorado's first eight Pac-12 games will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks as will five of the Buffaloes' nine home conference games. All remaining home games, and conference road games, that aren't televised will be scheduled to be streamed live through Colorado's Pac-12.com video portal. In addition, CU's game at Missouri on Friday, Dec. 12, aired on SEC Network +, the SEC's online video streaming option.
Entering this season, Colorado has tipped off on 127 national or regional telecasts since the fall of 2001, and 28 since the advent of the Pac-12 Networks in 2012.
