Colorado University Athletics
Colorado To Battle No. 18/16 Sooners
THE GAME: The University of Colorado (5-8, 0-1 Big 12) will play its first Big 12 Conference road game of 2006 by traveling to face No. 18/16 University of Oklahoma (11-3, 1-0 Big 12) on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 2:30 p.m. MST, at the Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.
BROADCAST: Due to a conflict with the CU menGÇÖs game, the womenGÇÖs game at Oklahoma will be broadcast live on KVCU AM 1190. Tim Smile will handle play by play duties and is joined by USA BasketballGÇÖs Carol Callan with the color commentary. Internet audio streaming of the game will be available through Yahoo! Sports. Stampede Online subscribers can also watch the game live on CUBuffs.com.
STAFF RETURNS TO OKLAHOMA: SaturdayGÇÖs game will be a homecoming of sorts for first-year head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller and her staff. Miller was the head coach at neighboring Tulsa for six seasons. Current CU assistants Mike Neighbors, Bethann Shapiro Ord and Aisha Veasley were all assistants under Miller at Tulsa while CUGÇÖs Director of Basketball Operations Carla Morrow was a four-year letterwinner for the Golden Hurricane (1998-02).
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado will face Oklahoma looking for its first road win since a 56-51 decision at Missouri on Jan. 18, 2005. A trip away from the Coors Events Center may just help the Buffaloes pull out of a mini scoring slump.
After averaging 75.9 points and hitting 43 percent from the field over the first 10 games of the season, the Buffs averaged just 63.3 points over the last three home games while shooting only 35.6 percent.
Saturday will be just the third actual road game for the Buffaloes this season (All three San Juan Shootout games were on a neutral court). CU played well in its two road games, having a chance to either tie or take the lead in the closing minutes of each contest. Colorado is averaging 77.5 points and shooting 43 percent on the road this year, but is also giving up 81.5 points per outing while the opponent is shooting 48 percent, not just from the field, but from 3-point range as well. CU will also look to cure the turnover bug on the road as it has given up 38 in its two early road match ups.
Sophomore post Jackie McFarland is averaging a double-double over the first 13 contests. She ranks fifth in the Big 12 in scoring at 19.2 points per game and is fourth in rebounds at 10.2 per contest. Junior Jasmina Ilic is seventh in the Big 12 at 18.9 points per game, and has scored at least 20 points in five of the last 10 outings, including a 36-point performance against Nebraska. McFarland and Ilic have scored 20 or more points in the same game four times this season and the Buffs are 3-1 in those outings (lone loss at Creighton). After a relatively slow start, junior forward Anna Nedovic is heating up. She has hit 48.3 percent from the floor the last 10 games (28x58) after hitting only 16.7 percent over the first three games (3x18). ColoradoGÇÖs back-court trio of senior Whitney Law and sophomores Lauren Lubin and Yari Escalera have put up some impressive numbers. Law, who returned to action against Nebraska after missing the previous two games, recorded a career-high 22 points against Colorado State and ranks fourth among Big 12 players in assists with 4.9 per game. Escalera, the second-best foul shooter in the Big 12 at 90.7 percent, had a career-high seven assists and scored 14 second-half points against South Dakota State. Lubin, who has started the last 10 games, is hitting nearly 50 percent from the field as a starter (18x38) and is second on the team in assists and rebounding. Escalera (.907), Lubin (.842) and Ilic (.791) each rank in among the top 15 free-throw shooters in the Big 12.
ColoradoGÇÖs freshman duo of forward Caley Dow and guard Hannah Skildum are getting some key minutes off the bench for the Buffaloes. Dow is averaging 15.4 minutes a game and has at least four rebounds in 10 of 13 contests. Skildum has scored in eight of the last nine games and has recorded at least one rebound in all 13 outings and one assist in 11 of 13 games.
LAST TIME OUT: ColoradoGÇÖs Jasmina Ilic scored a career-high 36 points but NebraskaGÇÖs 55.2 percent performance from the field was the difference maker in the HuskersGÇÖ 80-62 victory over the Buffaloes Wednesday night at the Coors Events/Conference Center in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams.
Colorado falls to 5-8 overall and is 4-6 all-time in Big 12 openers. Nebraska improves to 9-3 overall, breaking a 21-game losing streak against CU in Boulder that dated back to the 1985-86 season.
Ilic hit 12-of-25 from the field ? both career highs ? and 8-for-11 from the free-throw line. Her 36 points mark the third best single-game total in team history. Susan Horner and Tracy Tripp share the single-game school mark at 38. Ilic, who also had a personal-best five steals, is the first player in CU history to score 33 or more points twice in the same season. She had 34 against Cal-State Fullerton in the season opener.
Despite IlicGÇÖs career-night, the Buffaloes shot only 37.5 percent from the field and made only one field goal in a critical eight-minute stretch that spanned the last six minutes of the first half and the first two of the second half.
The Buffaloes, who led by as much as six in the opening 10 minutes of the game, claimed a 26-25 lead with 6:06 remaining in the first period on an Ilic 15-foot jumper. Nebraska scored six straight to take a 31-26 lead with 3:24 remaining.
After a media timeout, Ilic nailed a 3-pointer from the left corner to cut the lead to two, but the Huskers scored the final eight points of the period for a 10-point lead at halftime. Nebraska made 17-of-29 attempts in the first half (58.6 percent) and shot 55.2 percent overall. Nebraska is the first CU opponent this season to hit over 50 percent from the field for the entire game.
The Huskers extended their lead to 14 in the opening minutes of the second half and never let the lead fall below nine points the rest of the game. Kiera Hardy led the Huskers with 17 points while Kelsey Griffin had 12 points and a game-high nine rebounds.
Jackie McFarland had 10 points and a team-high eight rebounds
for Colorado, but fell into foul trouble in the second half. Point guard
Yari Escalera had six points, six rebounds and five assists.
FIRST 13 GAMES: Comparing statistics from ColoradoGÇÖs first 13 games last year, and the first 13 games this year, the most significant improvements for the Buffaloes are in scoring, rebounding and free-throw shooting. CU is averaging 6.7 more points per game than at the same time last year. The Buffs have scored 80 or more points five times in 12 games this season as opposed to once in the entire 2004-05 campaign. Many of those points are coming off free throws. Colorado is getting to the line 7.3 more times per game and making good on 7.6 per game reflecting a solid .762 free-throw percentage -- currently tops in the Big 12 -- as opposed to .659 last season. Colorado is also averaging four more rebounds than this time last year and enjoying an even greater rebounding margin. CUGÇÖs averaging 6.8 more rebounds per game than its opponent this year while the Buffs were -1.1 through 13 games in 2004-05.
CU has fallen off on its 3-point field-goal shooting, down 4.4 percent from last year. The Buffs are actually giving up fewer turnovers from last year (+1.9) and have a better assist/turnover ratio (+0.15) but their turnover margin is 1.3 higher than this time last year.
Colorado Statistics Through 13 Games
2004-05 2005-06
Record 7-6 5-8
Points 66.3 73.0
Points Allowed 67.6 68.2
Scoring Margin -1.3 +4.8
Field Goals 24.1 24.0
Field Goal Att. 57.2 57.8
Field Goal Pct. .421 .415
3-pt Field Goals 5.5 4.8
3-pt Field Goal Att. 16.1 15.9
3-pt Field Goal Pct. .344 .300
Free Throws 12.6 20.2
Free Throw Att. 19.2 26.5
Free Throw Pct. .659 .762
Offensive Rebounds 12.6 14.9
Defensive Rebounds 25.9 26.8
Total Rebounds 38.5 42.5
Rebounding Margin +1.1 +6.8
Fouls 15.8 18.5
Assists 13.3 14.5
Turnovers 19.2 17.3
Assist/TO Ratio 0.69 0.84
Turnover Margin -1.9 -3.2
Blocks 3.2 3.5
Steals 7.5 7.5
McFARLAND 20-10: Jackie McFarland is the first player in CU womenGÇÖs basketball history to average at least 20 points and 10 rebounds over the first seven games of a season, in fact, she was the first to do it in the first four games of a season. McFarland dipped below the double-double numbers while at the San Juan Shootout, but has resurfaced with 35 rebounds over the last three games and is currently residing at 19.2 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
ILIC, McFARLAND IN TOP FIVE: Jackie McFarland and Jasmina Ilic own the fourth and fifth best season scoring averages through the first 13 games in team history. McFarland has ranked among the top five all season, while Ilic just joined the top five after her 36-point performance against Nebraska.
POINTS AVERAGE FIRST 13 GAMES
Name (Season) PPG
1. Tera Bjorklund (2003-04) 20.1
2. Jamillah Lang (1993-94) 19.6
3. Lisa Van Goor (1980-81) 19.3
4. Jackie McFarland (2005-06) 19.2
5. Jasmina Ilic (2005-06) 18.9
LUBIN BACK-TO-BACK DOUBLES: With her performances against Utah State and Colorado State sophomore guard Lauren Lubin became just the fifth true guard in team history to record two or more points-rebounds double-doubles in a career and only the second to do it back-to-back games. Former Big Eight Conference MVP Bridget Turner did it in back-to-back games during the 1988-89 season and leads all CU guards with nine total points-rebounds double-doubles. Lubin joins three other guards with two points-rebounds double-doubles and included in that list is teammate Whitney Law who had a pair last season. Lubin had 13 points and 13 rebounds against Utah State and had 15 points and 10 rebounds at CSU.
CLIMBING THE ?3GÇÖ LADDER: Junior Jasmina Ilic hit four 3-point field goals against Nebraska to move into sole possession of 10th place on CUGÇÖs all-time list with 68. Next on the radar screen for Ilic is Sabrina Scott (1999-03) who is in ninth place at 74.
Junior Anna Nedovic is tied with Shelley Garcia (1994-99) for 14th on the all-time list with 44.
ABOUT THE SOONERS: Oklahoma is 11-3 overall and ranked No. 16 in the latest USA Today/Coaches poll and 18th in the most recent Associated Press poll. The Sooners won their Big 12 opener on the road with an 87-67 decision over Iowa State. Freshman center Courtney Paris has had an outstanding start to her collegiate career. The 6-foot-4 Paris is averaging 21.8 points and 14.6 rebounds and 3.14 blocks per game while hitting 63.9 percent from the field. She leads the Big 12 in rebounding and ranks second in scoring, blocks and field-goal percentage. Paris is joined by forward Leah Rush, a 2005 second team All-Big 12 pick. Rush is averaging 11.8 points and 4.8 rebounds per game. Erin Higging, a junior guard, leads OU with 40 3-point field goals and is averaging 10.4 points per contest. Oklahoma sports the Big 12GÇÖs top rebounding team and second-best offensive team at 77.4 points per game. OUGÇÖs achilles heel has been scoring defense and turnovers. The Sooners rank last in the Big 12 in turnover margin, giving up 3.57 more per game than their opponent, and 11th in scoring defense at 67.2 per contest.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be 51st meeting between Colorado and Oklahoma with the Buffaloes holding a 33-17 series lead. Oklahoma has had the edge in the recent meetings having won three straight and eight of the last 10 contests. The Sooners-Buffs series is tied at 10 in Norman, with Oklahoma claiming the last four. ColoradoGÇÖs last win in Norman came in the final season of the Big Eight Conference, a 68-53 decision on Jan. 28, 1996.
CUGÇÖS LAST 10 GAMES AGAINST OKLAHOMA IN NORMAN:
Date Result Date Result
2/15/04 L, 58-78 2/3/95 W, 69-64
1/2/02 L, 67-78 1/28/94 W, 79-74
1/22/00 L, 73-76 2/28/93 L, 69-74
1/28/98 L, 58-61 2/1/92 W, 63-55
1/28/96 W, 68-53 1/16/91 W, 68-51
Kathy McConnell-Miller is 1-4 against Oklahoma as a head coach.
CHRISTMAS WINNERS: Colorado is 24-8 since the 1975-76 season in its first game back from the Christmas holiday. The Buffaloes have won eight in a row in their first game back from the Christmas break including wins over LSU in 2001, Illinois in 1999 and Stanford in 1998.
MILESTONES GALORE IN SEASON OPENER: Several milestones were reached in ColoradoGÇÖs season-opening 100-71 win over Cal State-Fullerton.
Junior Jasmina Ilic and sophomore Jackie McFarland each had 34 points, both career highs, marking the first time in team history two players hit the 30-point mark in the same game. McFarland recorded her sixth career double-double, grabbing a personal-high 15 rebounds. Ilic also had a personal-best 12 field goals and tied a career mark with 10 rebounds.
Senior Whitney Law dished out a school record 15 assists, breaking the previous record of 14, which was done twice, last by La Shena Graham vs. Missouri in 1998. She also had nine assists in the first half, breaking a 26-year old school record. Sandy Bean recorded eight assists in a half against Northern Colorado on Feb. 1, 1979.
Colorado recorded its first 100 point game since a 114-52 win over St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 28, 1994. CUGÇÖs 58 first-half points tied for the sixth-most in team history, a feat also achieved against TCU on Dec. 7, 1993 and vs. St. Francis (Pa.) on Nov. 28, 1994.
CLASSIC IN REVIEW: Colorado placed third in the 19th Annual Coors Classic Tournament Nov. 25-26 at the Coors Events Conference Center. The Buffaloes fell to Northern Iowa, 74-65, in overtime marking the first time in Coors Classic history that CU lost a first round match up. Colorado rebounded to take the consolation game from Utah State, 73-56. Northern Iowa would go on to take the tournament title by defeating Illinois 71-47.
Jackie McFarland was named to the All-Tournament team as she averaged 18 points, 8.5 rebounds, four steals and two blocks. Northern Iowa senior center Cassie Hager, who had 21 points, 10 rebounds and six blocks against CU, was the tournament MVP.
WALLACE ACTIVATED: Junior forward Courtney Wallace has waited more than a year to put on the Buffaloes uniform and now laces them up with the rest of the squad. Wallace, a walk-on transfer from CU-Colorado Springs, was officially added to the active roster on Nov. 17. Wallace practiced with the Buffs for most of last season as she sat out her NCAA mandated redshirted year after transferring from the Springs campus. She has been practicing and conditioning with the Buffaloes since the start of the school year. Wallace played two years for the Mountain Lions and was a two-year letterwinner for Air Academy High School in Colorado Springs, graduating in 2004.
ON THE MEND: Sophomore center Kara Richards, who has missed the first 12 games of the regular season due to a Jones fracture in her left foot suffered in practice on Nov. 15, had her cast removed on Dec. 28 and began limited practice drills on Dec. 29. She will be evaluated next week to determine her return to the line up. Richards started in 26 of 28 games for the Buffaloes as a true freshman last winter, averaging nine points, 5.3 rebounds and one block per game. She earned a spot on the Waco Tribune-HeraldGÇÖs All-Big 12 Conference Freshman team in 2004-05 and was named the BuffsGÇÖ Rookie of the Year. A native of Graham, Texas, Richards averaged 12 points and 6.5 rebounds in CUGÇÖs two exhibition games earlier this month.
McCONNELL-MILLER 100 IN DEBUT: Kathy McConnell-Miller led Colorado to the century mark in her first game as head coach, by far the best total of any current Big 12 Conference coach in their debut at their school. Bill Fennelly of Iowa State was the closest as he led the Cyclones to an 82-55 win over Idaho State in his debut in 1995. Ironically, McConnell-Miller is not the first Colorado womenGÇÖs coach to debut with a 100-point performance. Sox Walseth led the Buffs to a 107-73 win over Colorado WomenGÇÖs College in his first game as womenGÇÖs head coach on Nov. 18, 1980. Here is the list of current Big 12 coaches and their first games:
Coach, School Opponent Date W/L Result
Kathy McConnell-Miller, Colorado Cal State Fullerton 11/18/05 W 100-71
Bill Fennelly, Iowa State Idaho State 11/24/95 W 82-55
Marsha Sharp, Texas Tech Abilene Christian 11/19/82 W 78-64
Kim Mulkey-Robertson, Baylor Miami (Ohio) 11/18/00 W 75-62
Cindy Stein, Missouri Bradley 11/19/98 W 73-57
Jody Conradt, Texas McLennan CC 11/22/76 W 72-58
Kurt Budke, Oklahoma State Texas State 11/19/05 L 69-77
Deb Patterson, Kansas State Memphis 11/22/96 W 68-60
Connie Yori, Nebraska Grambling State 11/22/02 W 63-40
Sherri Coale, Oklahoma Oral Roberts 11/22/96 W 62-50
Gary Blair, Texas A&M La Salle 11/22/03 L 62-67
Bonnie Henrickson Texas-Arlington 11/21/04 L 49-53
BUFFS IN OPENERS: With its win over Cal State-Fullerton, Colorado moved to 27-5 (.844) all-time in season openers and a whopping 31-1 (.969) all-time in home openers. CU has won six straight season debuts and 19 of its last 20 with the lone loss in that span coming at Denver on Nov. 19, 1999.
BUFFS IN PRESEASON: After its loss to Oregon, Colorado dropped to 5-7 overall meaning the Buffaloes string of five straight seasons of .500 or better during non conference action will end. It will be only the third time CU has finished below .500 during the nonconference schedule in the Big 8/Big 12 era going 5-6 in 1999-2000 and 4-9 in 1984-85.
BUFFS PICKED 12TH: Colorado was picked to finish 12th in the annual Big 12 Conference Coaches Preseason Poll. CU received 14 points meaning no less than eight Big 12 coaches picked the Buffaloes to finish in the 12th spot (coaches do not vote for their own teams). It is the first time the Buffaloes have been picked lower than eighth since the coaches poll began in 1997. Defending NCAA champion Baylor was picked to win its second consecutive Big 12 title, landing six first place votes and 113 total points to edge out second place Texas with two first place nods and 110 points. Texas Tech was a close third with the four remaining first place votes and 108 points. Oklahoma was fourth (91), followed by Nebraska (70), Kansas (66), Texas A&M (59), Kansas State (56), Iowa State (45), Missouri (37), Oklahoma State (23) and Colorado.
TOUGH SCHEDULE: Colorado once again faces a tough schedule, featuring at least 14 games against 2005 NCAA or WNIT tournament teams. Defending national champion Baylor, who the Buffs will face in Waco on Feb. 22, is the highest ranked team on the schedule, checking in at No. 4 in the most recent Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN coaches polls. Oklahoma is tied with Stanford for No. 16 in the coachesGÇÖ poll and is No. 20 in the AP poll. Texas is No. 23 in the AP poll and No. 24 in the coachesGÇÖ poll. South Florida is receiving votes in the coachesGÇÖ poll while Kansas and Wyoming are receiving votes in the AP poll.
HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 293-82 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.781). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 18 of the previous 27 years including five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94). Colorado had a rare sub-.500 season last winter at 5-9, marking just the second time the Buffs have been below .500 for a season in the 27-year history of the CECC.
BUFFS ON TV: ColoradoGÇÖs schedule features seven games that will be televised either regionally or nationally by Fox Sports Net. All but one of the FSN games is in Boulder, with the lone exception at Colorado State on Nov. 30. Buffs fans will see a familiar face on their TV sets during those games as longtime CU coach Ceal Barry is scheduled to provide the color commentary on a majority of the broadcasts.
UP NEXT: Colorado will host the University of Kansas on Tuesday, Jan. 10, at 7 p.m. in the Coors Events Conference Center. The game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain.