Colorado University Athletics
Lappe's Buffs Prepare For Visits From Ducks, Beavers
January 21, 2016 | Women's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — After a four-game road trip that featured games against three teams ranked in the nation's top 25, Linda Lappe's Colorado Buffaloes will finally return home to the friendly confines of the Coors Events Center this weekend.
No doubt, the CEC will be a welcome sight. The 5-12 Buffs (0-6 Pac-12) play host to Oregon on Friday (6 p.m., Pac-12 Networks) and No. 11 Oregon State on Sunday (3 p.m., Pac-12 Networks), with the Buffs setting their sights squarely on collecting their first conference win of the season.
"There should be a comfort level playing at home and being in front of our fans on our court that we practice on every day," Lappe said after Thursday's practice. "There should be a level of mental toughness that you have when you play at home. We have to make sure that we bring that."
It's not that the Buffs haven't played well in stretches this season. They took Stanford deep into the fourth quarter before finally falling short. They threw a scare at Arizona State. Throw in narrow losses to Colorado State, Missouri, Washington and Arizona — all games the Buffs had a chance to win in the fourth quarter — and they know they have the capability to play with good teams.
The sticking point, however, has been consistency — or, more to the point, a lack thereof.
"We've had great stretches in every game," Lappe said. "For us, it's just being able to start to string stretches together, quarters together, halves together, games together and make that the norm. That's really important for us."
With two freshmen in the starting lineup — both at the guard spot — the Buffs are still negotiating a fairly steep learning curve. Still, Kennedy Leonard (12.4 points, 4.8 assists, 3.7 rebounds per game) and Alexis Robinson (7.9 ppg, 4.0 rpg, 2.8 apg) are improving on a weekly basis.
Where Lappe says she needs her team to take the next big step is up front, where the Buffs have plenty of experience. Starting forwards Haley Smith and Lauren Huggins are both juniors, and regular starting center Jamee Swan is a senior. Swan has come off the bench in the last two games after missing two because of an injury, but did log 30 minutes in CU's last game, a 63-52 loss at Arizona. Swan will likely see a similar amount of time Friday, whether in a starting role or off the bench.
The Buffs definitely need Swan to regain her form. While she's still CU's leading scorer (14.6 ppg) and rebounder (7.6 rpg) for the season, she totaled just six points and seven rebounds in her last two games while coming off the bench. Smith, meanwhile, has had four solid games in a row on the boards, averaging eight rebounds per game, while Huggins ended a mini-scoring slump with 15 points against Arizona.
"We really need our posts to step up because they are a veteran group," Lappe said. "They need to come ready to give the team whatever we need — whether it's easy layups, whether it's rebounds, whether it's great post defense, whether it's just energy — whatever it is, that group has got to start emerging as a veteran group."
Friday, the Buffs will catch an Oregon team (12-5, 1-5) that might be playing its best basketball of the season. After dropping a narrow 64-62 decision to Stanford a week ago, the Ducks notched their first conference win of the season on Sunday, 69-59, against Cal. The Ducks are led by 6-3 forward Jillian Alleyne, who is averaging 17.8 points and 13.8 rebounds per game.
One thing Lappe and her staff have been stressing to the Buffs is that there's still plenty of basketball left, with 12 Pac-12 games remaining, plus the conference tournament.
"There's plenty of opportunities for us to have a really special season," Lappe said. "It can still be extremely special if we have the right attitude and we continue to get better and continue to work. We haven't maximized our potential yet as a team, and I really feel like that's coming."
WEEKEND PROMOTIONS: Friday night is "State Farm Night," with State Farm to provide some giveaway items and prizes to fans throughout the game. Also Friday, the CU Residence Hall Association is hosting an attendance competition for all students living in residence halls, and CU students arriving early will be treated to free Half Fast Subs sandwiches and T-shirts.
SWAN TO BE HONORED: CU's Swan will be honored before Friday's game for crossing the 1,000-point threshold for her career. Swan will be presented with an honorary game ball before the game.
SUNDAY WATCH PARTY: Fans wanting to watch Sunday's CU-Oregon State game and the Broncos-Patriots playoff game can do both. Chip's Corral will open at 1 p.m. and will be showing the AFC Championship game on the big-screen televisions. The game will also be on the various televisions around the concourse throughout the women's game, which begins at 3 p.m.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
