Colorado University Athletics
Buffs At Wyoming For Final Non-Conference Game
December 21, 2015 | Women's Basketball
THE GAME: The University of Colorado plays its final non-conference contest of the season against the Wyoming Cowgirls in Laramie on Monday, Dec. 21 at Arena-Auditorium. Tip off is set for 7 p.m. MST.
BROADCAST: Monday's game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call alongside Carol Callan of USA Basketball. A free live video stream will be available at www.gowyo.com.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 5-5 overall on the season and have won two of their last three games after closing out a three-game homestand with a victory over Presbyterian, 72-60 on Saturday, Dec. 19. The Buffaloes will look to win their
second straight game as they face Wyoming in their non-conference season finale.
On offense, the Buffaloes are averaging 70.9 points per game while shooting 44 percent from the field. Colorado is a stellar 78 percent at the free throw line, fourth best in the nation and second in the Pac-12 Conference. The team has also found success shooting from long distance as CU ranks seventh in the country and third among Pac-12 teams in 3-point field goal percentage, connecting on 40 percent of its shots from behind the arc.
Defensively, the Buffs are holding their opponents to 38 percent shooting and CU records an average of 28.5 defensive rebounds per game where Colorado ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in that category. Colorado also ranks in the top half of the conference—fifth with 5.1 blocked shots per game.
Freshman Kennedy Leonard has made quite the impact for the Buffaloes in her debut season. She enters the game as Colorado's second leading scorer, averaging 11.7 points per game and has also dished out a team-leading 54 assists, averaging 5.4 in each contest.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Leonard is tied for fourth in assists, 12th in assist/turnover ratio (1.6) and 24th in scoring.
In her final year playing in a Buffs' uniform, senior Jamee Swan has emerged once again as Colorado's top scorer and rebounder. Swan is averaging 13.6 points and 7.4 rebounds while hitting 46 percent from the field and 76 percent from the free throw line. Swan has also recorded a team-leading 17 blocks on the season.
Swan ranks 15th in the Pac-12 in scoring, seventh in free throw percentage, 15th in overall rebounding, is 10th with 5.5 defensive rebounds per game and is tied for fifth in blocked shots (1.7 bpg).
Junior Haley Smith has remained a constant in the Buffs' starting line-up, while averaging a 10.2 points per game and 5.1 rebounds. She has been one of Colorado's most accurate shooters from the field with a .519 field goal percentage and has gone 16-of-18 (.889) from the free-throw line.
Junior wing Lauren Huggins is averaging 9.4 points per game and is fourth on the team in 3-point shooting, connecting on 24-of-58 from long range for a .414 field goal percentage from behind the arc, which ranks 11th in the Pac-12 Conference. Huggins hit four of her five 3-pointers against Loyola Marymount and four of eight against Presbyterian, tying a career-high with 16 points in both contests to help the Buffs earn two victories. The Littleton, Colo. native also is tied for fourth in the conference in 3-point field goals made as she averages 2.4 per game.
Freshman Alexis Robinson has provided a nice spark off the bench as the Ashland, Ky. native is averaging 8.2 points, 4.2 rebounds and 2.6 assists in about 24 minutes per game. She has posted the team's second best shooting percentage from behind the arc at 53 percent (9-of-17) and has connected on 39 percent of her shots from the field. Robinson had one of her best offensive performances of her young career against UMass when she scored a personal-best 21 points.
ABOUT WYOMING: The Wyoming Cowgirls are 6-3 overall and are winners of three straight games. Wyoming kept its winning streak alive this past Saturday (Dec. 19), defeating Montana State 75-69 at home in its third overtime game of the year.
The Wyoming Cowgirls are averaging just shy of 70 points per game (68.2) and connect on 38 percent of their shots from the field. On defense, they average 5.9 steals, force 15.1 turnovers and hold a +2.6 rebounding margin. The Cowgirls have a trio of players averaging double-figures, led by senior guard and Denver native Marquelle Dent, who is averaging 19.1 points per game to go along with 3.3 rebounds. Freshman forward Marta Gomez and senior guard Jordan Kelley also average 11.0 and 11.2 points, respectively. Kelley is also dominant on the glass, pulling down 9.4 rebounds in each contest.
The Cowgirls own a 4-1 record on their home court this season and on average draw more than 2,500 fans to each game. Head coach Joe Legerski is in his 13th year at the helm for Wyoming and has posted a 238-143 overall record (.625).
THE SERIES: This is will mark the 46th meeting between the Buffaloes and Cowgirls. Colorado is an impressive 36-9 all-time against Wyoming and are 14-7 on the road. The Buffs defeated the Cowgirls 76-71 last season in Boulder to earn its fifth straight win against Wyoming.
WHAT'S NEXT?: The Buffaloes open Pac-12 play on Saturday, Jan. 2 at 1 p.m., hosting the Washington Huskies at the Coors Events Center. The game will televised on the Pac-12 Networks.
