Colorado University Athletics
Lappe's Buffs Play Host To No. 11 Beavers
January 23, 2016 | Women's Basketball, Neill Woelk
BOULDER — Last season, Linda Lappe's Colorado Buffaloes scored the biggest upset in Pac-12 Tournament history, when the ninth-seeded Buffs knocked off top-seed and eighth-ranked Oregon State, 68-65, in the quarterfinal round.
Lappe would love to see a repeat of sorts Sunday, when the 15-3 Beavers (6-1 Pac-12) pay a visit to the Coors Events Center for a 3 p.m. meeting (Pac-12 Networks) with the 5-13 Buffs (0-7).
While a win over Oregon State would certainly be a feather in the CU's cap, the Buffs are to point that they're not picky about the opponent. Colorado, currently mired in an eight-game losing streak, would simply like to pick up a conference win and turn momentum back in the right direction.
The key will be putting together a full game. The Buffs have had solid stretches in just about every conference game this year, but haven't been able to put together a complete game. They have 11 Pac-12 contests remaining, plus the conference tournament, to find the right recipe.
“There's so many games left that we can feel like can have a successful season if we just maximize our potential,” Lappe said last week. “We haven't maximized our potential yet as a team, and I really feel like that's coming.”
For roughly a quarter and a half Friday night, Lappe witnessed that potential. The Buffs burst from the gate and carved out an 18-10 lead over visiting Oregon. But Colorado couldn't maintain the pace and the Ducks rallied to produce a 59-46 win.
“It is just a collective effort and we need everybody to do their job and to do it with their best stats,” Lappe said. “If we do that, then good things happen. We don't have a large margin for error. We need everybody to be on their game and to be ready to go.”
The Buffs will no doubt need to be at their best against Oregon State. Scott Rueck's Beavers are ranked eighth in the coaches' poll and 11th in the Associated Press poll. They're outscoring opponents by an average of 18.1 points per game, they lead the nation in defensive rebounding (33.0 per game) and are seventh in the nation in rebound margin (13.0).
Senior guard Jamie Weisner leads OSU in scoring (17.0 ppg) and is fourth in rebounding (5.5 rpg) while 6-foot-6 senior center Ruth Hamblin is averaging 8.7 rebounds and 11.0 points. They're part of a quartet that also includes Gabriella Hanson and Deven Hunter that has started all 18 games for OSU this season.
“They are a very good team and they are obviously very balanced,” Lappe said. “They have nice players and they are well-coached, they run their system very well and they are disciplined.”
But Lappe is also hoping her team can gather a little confidence from last year's win.
“I'm hoping it will invoke some of the same feelings that we had last year when we played them,” Lappe said. “I hope we have some of that same confidence and same swagger. I think we match up with them pretty well.”
One thing the Buffs will need is a more consistent offensive effort. After a stretch when they scored at least 70 points in six consecutive games, they've crossed that barrier just once in the last five games. In Friday night's loss to the Ducks, they didn't have a single player in double-figure scoring.
“We have good enough players that can score the basketball,” Lappe said. “I feel like we are getting some good shots, but we just have to knock them down. A lot of our shots are pretty open. We just have to have the confidence to step up and knock down those shots.”
CU forward Lauren Huggins finished with eight points against Oregon, all coming in the second half, including a late pair of 3-pointers.
“We have to stay confident in our ability to score and our ability to get our teammates open,” Huggins said. “We do a great job of that in practice. Rather than getting frustrated, we have to keep more of a positive mindset and know that we are getting good looks and the ball is going to go in.”
CU senior Jamee Swan had 18 points in the win against the Beavers last season. Swan is coming back from a back injury that sidelined her for two games and had her coming off the bench in a reserve role for two more before finally re-entering the starting lineup Friday.
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.
Contact: Neill.Woelk@Colorado.edu
