Colorado University Athletics
Colorado Heads North To Tangle With Wyoming
THE GAME: The University of Colorado will make its first appearance on the road in 2006-07 as the Buffaloes take on the University of Wyoming on Tuesday, Nov. 21, at 7 p.m. in Laramie.
BROADCAST: All Colorado womenGÇÖs basketball regular and post season games are broadcast live on KKZN AM 760, BoulderGÇÖs Progressive Talk station. Mike Rice will make his CU womenGÇÖs basketball broadcasting debut and will handle play by play duties. He is joined by USA BasketballGÇÖs Carol Callan with the color commentary.
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado defeated Cal State Northridge, 80-64, on Sunday to improve to 2-1, marking the sixth time in the last seven years the Buffaloes have started a season 2-1 or better.
Junior forward Jackie McFarland has had a fantastic start to the season. She is averaging 21.7 points and 12.7 rebounds per game while shooting 68 percent from the field (23-of-34). She was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Week for the seasonGÇÖs opening weekend (Nov. 13) and has three consecutive double-doubles to start the campaign. It is only the third time in CU history that a player has began the season with three-straight double-doubles, and McFarland is two of those instances (2005-06). The only other player to start a season with three straight is CUGÇÖs all-time leading scorer Lisa VanGoor who did it in 1982-83.
Senior guard/forward Jasmina Ilic is second on the team in scoring at 11.7 points per game and has a team-best five 3-point field goals. She is coming off an 18-point performance against Cal State-Northridge and will be searching for her 100th career 3-point field goal when the Buffs face Wyoming. Colorado is receiving 11 points per game from center Kara Richards who is also second on the squad in rebounding (4.7 rpg) and fourth in field-goal percentage at .483 (12-of-22).
Colorado has shot well, for the most part, over the first three games. The Buffaloes have hit 48 percent from the field (83-of-172), with the bulk coming from McFarland, Richards and freshman guard Bianca Smith who has hit 11 of her first 20 collegiate attempts (.550).
Two points of emphasis are beginning to show in the early season for Colorado: ball movement and defense. The Buffs have dished out 49 assists over three games (16.3 apg) and the numbers are fairly evenly distributed throughout the team. Ilic, Richards and guards Susie Powers and Whitney Houston each have eight while McFarland and Candace Rucker each have five.
On the defensive side, Colorado has forced 61 turnovers, which equals the amount the Buffs have given up themselves. CU also has 24 steals -- four each from McFarland, Rucker and Powers. CU averaged a program-low 5.5 steals per game in 2005-06.
McFARLAND BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Jackie McFarland was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 WomenGÇÖs Basketball Player of the Week by a media voting panel on Nov. 13 for the opening weekend of games.
This is McFarlandGÇÖs third career weekly honor from the Big 12 as she was twice named the leagueGÇÖs Rookie of the Week during the 2004-05 season.
McFarland averaged 22 points, 12 rebounds and two steals while shooting 71 percent from the field (17-of-24) in games against San Francisco and No. 16/15 ranked Vanderbilt over the weekend.
McFarland had 17 points on 7-of-10 shooting and 12 rebounds in the season-opening 62-56 win over San Francisco. She scored a game-high 27 points and pulled down 12 rebounds along with two assists and three steals against No. 16/15 Vanderbilt. McFarland recorded double-doubles in both games for the 20th and 21st of her career. She had nine points ? a 3-pointer and two conventional 3-point plays ? in the final minute against VU as Colorado nearly erased a 17-point second half deficit.
THE COACH: Kathy McConnell-Miller is in her second season as ColoradoGÇÖs head coach and in her eighth season at the helm of an NCAA Division I program. She is 11-22 with the Buffaloes and has an overall head coaching record of 102-110.
ABOUT THE COWGIRLS: Wyoming is 2-1 overall, coming off a 68-62 overtime loss at Kansas State on Nov. 17. The Cowgirls, who received a vote in the Nov. 12 Associated Press Top 25 Poll, were picked to finish fifth in the Mountain West Conference in the annual coaches preseason poll.
Sharpshooting junior guard Jodi Bolerjack has led Wyoming through three games with 17.3 points per game. Bolerjack is shooting 65.4 percent overall (17-of-26) including a phenomenal 81.3 percent from the 3-point line (13-of-16). The Cowgirls as a team have been outstanding from the 3-point arc hitting 44.6 percent through three contests (38-of-46). Junior forward Hanna Zavecz, a preseason All-MWC pick, is averaging 14 points, three rebounds and has hit 5-of-9 3-point attempts. Junior forward Justyna Podziemska is WyomingGÇÖs top rebounder at 7.0 per game and is also averaging 12 points per contest.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 41st meeting between Colorado and Wyoming with the Buffaloes holding a commanding 32-8 series lead. The 32 wins over Wyoming are the most for CU over any nonconference opponent, and it is also the most played non-league series in BuffsGÇÖ history. Although extended history is in favor of the Buffaloes, the Cowgirls have had the edge recently winning the last two contests, including the last in Laramie, a 72-67 decision on Dec. 1, 2004. ColoradoGÇÖs last win in Laramie was Dec. 4, 2002, a 73-62 triumph.
Kathy McConnell-Miller is 0-1 against Wyoming in her head coaching career.
ON THIS DATE: Colorado is 1-4 all time on Nov. 21, including a 66-50 setback to Wyoming exactly one year ago in Boulder. ColoradoGÇÖs only win on Nov. 21 was a big one as the Buffaloes defeated No. 9 Arkansas, 73-71, in Fayetteville for the 1995 Preseason WNIT Championship.
MILESTONE WINS APPROACHING: Three wins will give Colorado 600 as a program (597-354) and two wins at the Coors Events Center will give the Buffs 300 in the facility (298-88).
CLIMBING THE 3-POINT LADDER: Jasmina Ilic needs just one 3-point field goals to reach 100 in her career, which would make her the seventh Buff to hit the century mark. Against Vanderbilt she hit two 3-pointers to pass Annan Wilson (1986-90) for seventh on CUGÇÖs all-time list and currently sits at 99. She needs 10 more to reach Alexis Felts (1994-98) who is in sixth with 109.
Anna Nedovic needs three 3-point field goals to reach 50. She has a shot at reaching the career top 10, needing 27 3-pointers which would be a career season high.
CLOSING IN ON 1,000 POINTS: Jasmina Ilic and Jackie McFarland are both well on pace to reach the 1,000 point mark this season and would become the 19th and 20th Buffs to reach that milestone. They would be the first pair of teammates to hit the mark in the same season since Britt Hartshorn, Jenny Roulier and Mandy Nightingale hit 1,000 within two weeks of each other in November 2001. McFarland needs 148 points, which by using her season average of 21.7 ppg, she would approach the mark in about seven games (Dec. 9, vs. Oregon). Ilic needs 245 points, which by using her junior season average of 14.8 ppg, she would reach around game 19 (Jan. 28, at Missouri).
MORE NUMBERS FOR McFARLAND: Against Wyoming, Jackie McFarland will be looking for her fourth-straight double-double to begin the season, which would set a school record. McFarland started the 2005-06 season with three straight double-doubles as did CUGÇÖs all-time leading scorer Lisa VanGoor, who did it in 1982-83.
McFarlandGÇÖs 22 career double-doubles tie for third on the CU charts with Sandy Bean (1978-82). Her 22 double-digit rebounding games ranks sixth on CUGÇÖs all-time list.
McFarland needs just 17 rebounds for 500 in her career and 164 rebounds would put her in the career top 10. She had 277 rebounds as a sophomore.
McFarland is already ninth on CUGÇÖs career list for blocked shots with 68. She needs 32 to reach 100 and would be just the sixth Buff to reach the century mark.
COME FROM BEHIND WIN BREAKS LONG DROUGHT: CUGÇÖs 62-56 win over San Francisco broke a 26-game losing streak when the Buffaloes trailed at halftime dating back to a 56-51 win at Missouri on Jan. 18, 2005. USF led 30-26 at the break, but the Buffs outscored the Dons 36-26 in the second half.
STILL IN NEED OF A WIN OVER A RANKED TEAM: After its competitive 81-76 loss to No. 16/15 Vanderbilt, Colorado is still searching for its first win over a ranked team in 17 tries dating back to January of 2004. The Buffaloes last win over a ranked opponent was a 69-59 decision at No. 24 Baylor on Jan. 7, 2004. CU was ranked No. 14 at the time. The last time CU was unranked and defeated a ranked opponent was in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament when the Buffaloes knocked off No. 12 North Carolina 86-67. CU will likely get its next shot at a ranked opponent at home on Dec. 2 against Southern California. The Trojans are currently ranked No. 19 in the Associated Press poll and No. 20 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches poll.
BUFFS IN OPENERS: Colorado is 28-5 (.844) all-time in season openers and a whopping 32-1(.970) all-time in home openers. The BuffsGÇÖ lone loss in a season-opening home game was a 77-63 setback to Michigan on Nov. 21, 1999. CU has won seven straight season debuts and 20 of its last 21 with the lone loss in that span coming at Denver on Nov. 19, 1999.
NOVEMBER SUCCESS: Fast starts in November are common for Colorado. The Buffaloes are 92-26 (.780) all-time in the month of November and a stunning 75-12 (.862) at the Coors Events Center. CU is 18-5 at home in November since 2000.
EARLY START: The Nov. 10 start against USF was the third earliest start for the Buffs and the second earliest home game in their 33-year history. CUGÇÖs earliest start came in season No. 2 as the Buffs dropped an 81-80 decision at Nebraska on Nov. 6, 1976. CUGÇÖs earliest start at the Coors Events Center is much more recent as the Buffs hosted Oral Roberts in a preseason WNIT game on Nov. 9, 2001, a 78-49 CU win.
BUFFS PICKED 11TH: CU was picked to finish 11th in the annual Big 12 Coaches Preseason Poll. The Buffaloes received 26 points, an improvement from the 14 points received a year ago when the CU was picked to finish last. CU was 9-21 overall in 2005-06 and finished 11th in the Big 12 race with a 3-13 mark.
Defending league champion Oklahoma was picked to repeat its title receiving all 11 possible first place votes for a total of 121 points. Coaches were not allowed to vote for their own team. Big 12 Southern Division teams dominated the upper half of the poll, taking the top four spots. Texas A&M was picked second with 107 points, followed by Texas (101) and Baylor (94).
Iowa State came in fifth with 68 points, just edging out Nebraska which was picked sixth with 66. Kansas State and Texas Tech tied for seventh with 57 points followed by Missouri (43), Kansas (36), CU (26) and Oklahoma State (16).
TOUGH SCHEDULE: Colorado once again faces a tough schedule with no less than 17 games against 2006 NCAA or WNIT tournament teams. The Buffaloes will host perennial NCAA womenGÇÖs powers Southern California and Vanderbilt during the non-conference season as well as region rival Colorado State. Baylor, Texas Tech and Oklahoma come to Boulder this year out of the Big 12 South along with the BuffsGÇÖ usual Big 12 North opponents.
HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 298-88 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.772). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 18 of the previous 28 years including five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94). At 7-9 in 2005-06, CU finished its home season with a below .500 mark for just the third time in the 28-year history of the CECC.
BUFFS ON TV: ColoradoGÇÖs schedule features nine games that will be televised either regionally or nationally by Fox Sports Net. Two games are part of the Big 12GÇÖs national package with FSN: Sunday, Jan. 28, at Missouri and Saturday, Feb. 10, at home against Nebraska. FSN Rocky Mountain will televise six CU home games beginning with the regular season opener against San Francisco on Friday, Nov. 10. FSN Midwest will televise CUGÇÖs game at Kansas State on Wed., Feb. 14, which could potentially be picked up by FSN Rocky Mountain as well.
UP NEXT: Colorado will host the 20th Annual Coors Classic Friday, Nov. 24 and Saturday, Nov. 25, at the Coors Events Center. The Buffaloes will face Nevada at 7:30 p.m. on Nov. 24 and Charlotte on Nov. 25, at 7:30 p.m.