WBB 50th Season Highlights: Oklahoma State

STILLWATER, Okla. – The 2024-25 season marks Colorado's return to the Big 12 Conference and a renewal of traditional and historic rivalries.

As part of the celebration of Colorado women's basketball's 50th anniversary season, CUBuffs.com will look back at historic matchups.

The Game: Colorado at Oklahoma State, Jan. 28, 1999

The Buffaloes (10-7, 3-4 Big 12) traveled to Oklahoma State (11-6, 3-4 Big 12) having posted back-to-back wins over nationally ranked opponents – 76-65 over Kansas (No. 23) and 70-53 over Nebraska (No. 20). The wins jumped Colorado from No. 98 to No. 64 in the RPI and was receiving votes in the USA Today Top 25.

ROULIER, LAPPE FUEL BUFFS' WIN

Taken from the Jan. 29, 1999 edition of the Daily Camera

STILLWATER, Okla. – The freshman-sophomore dominated University of Colorado women's basketball team grew up in a hurry Thursday night in a hostile environment.

Freshman guard Jenny Roulier poured in a career-high 18 points and fellow frosh Linda Lappe added 13 while second-half defense blanketed Oklahoma State, giving the Buffs an upset 62-58 road win at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The Buffs' third win in a row improved their record to 11-7 overall and 4-4 in Big 12 play, tying them for fourth place with Kansas State and Texas. The Buffs, now 2-5 on the road this season, won here for the first time in four years.

"I was really impressed with all of our young players, particularly our freshmen, hitting those free throws down the stretch," said CU coach Ceal Barry. "It's a big win for us. We needed a road win."

Roulier came off the bench to do a little bit of everything, including throw in a halfcourt shot by accident in the first half.

She also came through in the clutch, hitting a huge 3-pointer with four minutes left and sinking two crucial free throws with 40 seconds remaining.

Lappe matched that clutch play by making a basket-and-free throw three-point play at the 3:29 mark and going 6-for-6 from the line in the last six minutes of play, including two with 8.4 seconds left to seal the win.

All the youthful heroics came after the Buffs made an impressive defensive stand midway through the second half which wrestled the lead away from Oklahoma State, now 11-7 overall and 3-5 in league play.

OSU held a 38-31 lead with about 17 minutes left in the game.

But Colorado held the home team without a point for 13 possessions in a row, forcing five turnovers while holding the Cowgirls to 0-for-9 from the field.

The Oklahoma State point drought lasted nine minutes, allowing the Buffs to go on a 10-0 run for a 41-38 lead which they never gave up.

A free throw by Oklahoma State's Jessica Spinner with 8:00 left ended the drought.

Oklahoma State had a chance to tie the game at 45 with 6:43 left, but the best free throw shooting team in the nation missed several critical free throws down the stretch, including one by Megan Gregg at that 6:43 mark.

With a 45-44 lead, CU used the 3-pointer by Roulier and the three-point play by Lappe to take a 51-44 advantage. They pushed the lead to as much as eight, 54-46, with a Melody Johnson putback of a missed free throw with three minutes remaining.

"I don't think we'd have won the game tonight without Mel," Barry said of the sophomore who chipped in eight points off the bench while starter Britt Hartshorn struggled going 0-for-6 from the field. "It's nice when you have a player with a year and one-half of experience. Britt just didn't have a good game."

After that, Buff free throw shooting took over. CU went 8-for-8 from the line the last 2:11 of the game with Lappe, Roulier, sophomore Chaquita Dilworth and Lappe again cashing in both halves of two-shot situations.

The Buffs trailed by as many as nine in the first half, 16-7, but received a huge lift when Roulier bombed a 3-pointer from behind halfcourt without trying, giving her team a 25-24 lead four minutes before intermission.

"I have never seen a shot like that," Barry said. "She lobbed it from behind halfcourt in transition. I couldn't believe that went in. It loosed our team up a bit."

Colorado (17-9, 8-7 Big 12) is in a similar spot this Saturday, relying on a heavy dose of underclassmen over the last two games.

Saturday will be the 55th meeting between the two programs. Colorado owns a 28-26 series advantage and is 10-14 all-time at Gallagher-Iba Arena.

The game is set for a 1 p.m .MT start on ESPN+.

Cory Lopez and Carol Callan will have pregame coverage starting 30 minutes before tip-off on the Colorado Radio Network.

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