University of Colorado Athletics
Buffs Face Washington In Regular Season Finale
February 26, 2016 | Women's Basketball
THE GAME: The University of Colorado plays its final game of the regular season by facing the Washington Huskies on Saturday, Feb. 27 at 2 p.m. MST at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.
BROADCAST: Saturday's game is scheduled to air live on Pac-12 Mountain and Pac-12 Washington. Ann Schatz will have the call alongside Tammy Blackburn. The game will also be available on KKZN 760 AM with Cory Lopez and Carol Callan of USA Basketball.
ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 7-21 overall and 2-15 in Pac-12 play. The Buffaloes snapped a five-game skid and earned their second Pac-12 win of the season against California on Feb. 21, but then had a setback against Washington State on Thursday, falling 83-70 in Pullman. Colorado is 0-12 on the road and will look to end that streak in its final road game of the season on Saturday in Seattle.
On offense, Colorado is averaging 62.9 points per game while shooting 39.7 percent from the field. Colorado is shooting 71.5 percent at the free throw line, which ranks fifth in the Pac-12 Conference. The team also ranks in the top half of the conference from long distance as they are fifth in the league, connecting on 33.8 percent of its shots behind the arc.
Defensively, Colorado has allowed 69.8 points per game on 41.9 percent from the field. The Buffaloes average 36.8 rebounds and are fifth in the Pac-12 with 4.2 blocked shots per game.
Senior forward Jamee Swan has been the team's top scorer and rebounder throughout the season, averaging 14.1 points and 7.0 rebounds while hitting 45.7 percent from the field and 69.1 percent from the free throw line. Swan has also recorded a team-leading 48 blocks on the season. Swan led the team with 12 rebounds against California and added 18 points to earn her team-best fourth double-double of the year. She also tied a career-high with six steals.
Swan ranks 11th in the Pac-12 in scoring, 11th in overall rebounding seventh in field goal percentage, ninth in free throw percentage, is 11th with 4.8 defensive rebounds per game, 14th with 2.2 offensive rebounds per game and fourth in blocked shots (1.8 bpg).
Freshman guard Kennedy Leonard is second on the team in scoring, averaging 12.1 points a game and leads the team with 132 assists this season as she averages 4.7 in each contest. She scored a career-high 23 points and dished out a career-high 13 assists against California, recording her second double-double of her young career. Leonard then registered 20 points at Washington State, recording her second straight 20-point game and third of her career.
On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Leonard is 18th in scoring, sixth in assists, 14th in steals (1.5 spg) and is 13th in assist/turnover ratio (1.3).
Junior guard Haley Smith leads the team in field goal percentage (.472) and free throw percentage (.900). She ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.5 rpg) and third in scoring (10.7 ppg). She has made 18-of-20 (.900) from the free throw line during league play and 36-of-40 overall. Smith has also been one of Colorado's most consistent rebounders, recording at least five rebounds in 18 of 28 games this season. In the Buffs' home finale vs. Cal, she paced the team on offense, matching a career-high with 24 points. She has led the team in scoring seven times this season. Smith ranks 25th overall in the conference in scoring .
Junior wing Lauren Huggins is first on the team with 46 3-pointers, which is a single-season career-high for the Littleton, Colo. native and has knocked down 37.1 percent of her shots from long range, ranking 10th in the Pac-12. She is ninth in the league in 3-point field goals made, averaging 1.9 per game. Huggins has played in 13 Pac-12 games this season where she is shooting 36.7 percent from behind the arc (10th in the Pac-12). In January, she tied a career-high with five treys at Arizona.
Freshman guard Alexis Robinson has been a mainstay in the starting line up since Colorado's second game of league play against Washington State. The Ashland, Ky. native is fourth on the team in scoring (8.0 ppg), tied for fourth in rebounding (3.3 rpg) and second in assists (2.5 apg). Robinson has recorded 21 3-point field goals, third most on the team.
Freshman Makenzie Ellis has earned five straight starts after providing a nice spark off the bench over much of the season. She is averaging 3.2 points and 3.0 rebounds a game. Ellis registered eight points against Cal, one point shy of tying a career-high and grabbed four rebounds.
Junior Zoe Beard-Fails leads the reserves in scoring. She is averaging 3.9 points and 3.0 rebounds while connecting on 43.2 percent of her shots.
Sophomore center Zoe Correal averages 2.1 points and 3.3 rebounds a game. She is second on the team with 16 blocks and all 15 of her career starts have come this season. Sophomore guard Brecca Thomas averages 3.3 points and 1.8 assists per game coming off the bench.
ABOUT WASHINGTON: The Washington Huskies, receiving votes in the Associated Press poll is 19-9 overall and in fifth place in the Pac-12 at 10-7. The Huskies defeated Utah at home, 73-60 on Friday and have won three of their last five games. Washington owns the third-ranked offense in the conference, averaging 71.8 points per game. The Huskies shoot 41.5 percent from the field and a conference-best 78.6 percent from the free throw line. From beyond the arc, Washington connects on 33.0 percent of its shots and makes on average 7.1 3-point field goals each game, second most in the conference. Defensively, the Huskies allow 63.3 points per game and opponents shoot 36.7 percent against them.
Junior guard Kelsey Plum leads the Pac-12 and ranks third in the nation in scoring at 26.8 points per game. She also leads the conference in free throw accuracy at 89.0 percent and dishes a team-leading 3.8 assists per game. Senior forward Talia Walton is second on the team in scoring at 15.8 points per contest and junior forward Chantel Osahor is averaging a double-double with 10.0 points and a team-best 10.5 rebounds per game, which ranks second in the conference. Junior forward Katie Collier paces the Huskies in blocks (1.1 bpg).
Head coach Mike Neighbors is in his third season at the helm for Washington with a record of 62-33.
THE SERIES: This will be the 17th meeting between Colorado and Washington with the series tied at 8-8. Washington won the meeting in Boulder on Jan. 2, 76-74, which saw Colorado erase a 19-point second half deficit. The Huskies have won the last five and six of eight since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12. Colorado is 2-4 all-time playing on the Huskies' home court.
Linda Lappe is 2-6 against Washington as a head coach. Mike Neighbors is 5-0 against Colorado as a head coach.
WHAT'S NEXT?: The Buffaloes return to Seattle next week for the Pac-12 Conference Tournament at KeyArena, March 3-6. The tournament bracket with official seedings and game times will be announced on Sunday, Feb. 28 after the conclusion of regular season action. The first three rounds of the conference tournament will be televised on Pac-12 Networks with the Championship being broadcasted on ESPN.
