Buffaloes To Tangle With No. 17 Aggies Thursday

THE GAME: The University of Colorado plays its second straight Big 12 Conference road game as the Buffaloes travel to No. 17 ranked Texas A&M University on Thursday, Jan. 18, at 5 p.m. MST, at Reed Arena in College Station.

BROADCAST: All Colorado womenGÇÖs basketball regular and post season games are broadcast live on KKZN AM 760, BoulderGÇÖs Progressive Talk station. Mike Rice will handle play by play duties and is joined by USA BasketballGÇÖs Carol Callan with the color commentary. Live internet audio can be accessed through Yahoo! Sports.

ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 8-7 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12 as the BuffaloesGÇÖ attempt at a 3-0 start in the league play for the first time since 1996-97 was snubbed by No. 23 ranked University of Texas 68-49 on Jan. 13. Despite the loss, which snapped an overall three-game winning streak, CU is 2-1 in league play for the first time since 2003-04. The Buffaloes need just one win to equal both their overall and Big 12 win totals from the 2005-06 season (9-21, 3-13 Big 12). Colorado will be looking for just its fifth win in its last 23 road games dating back to the beginning of the 2004-05 campaign.

Junior forward Jackie McFarland is living up to her All-Big 12 second team status in 2006, and then some. She is averaging 19.5 points and 10.5 rebounds per game, ranking third and second in the Big 12 respectively. Through games of Jan. 11, McFarland ranked second in NCAA Division I in field-goal percentage at 69.1 percent and saw that number climb to 69.2 percent (101-of-146) after a 5-of-7 performance against Texas. She has 10 games of shooting 70 percent or better this season and has made 32 of her last 41 attempts from the field (.780).

She is the 20th player in school history to score 1,000 career points and also just the 10th to register 1,000 points and 600 career rebounds. She was named Big 12 Player of the Week for the seasonGÇÖs opening weekend (Nov. 13) and named to the Coors Classic All-Tournament Team.

McFarland has nine double-doubles this season, ranking second in the Big 12, and 28 in her career which ranks third on CUGÇÖs all-time list.

Senior guard/forward Jasmina Ilic is second on the team in scoring at 12.7 points per game. She has a team-high 19 steals, which is just one shy of her 30-game total in 2005-06. Ilic has 22 3-point field goals while her 87.8 percent efficiency from the free-throw line ranks second in the Big 12.

After missing seven games with a fracture in the fourth metatarsal of her left foot, sophomore center Kara Richards has returned to the starting lineup for the last four games. CU is 3-1 since her return and she has averaged 9.8 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists per game while hitting 75 percent from the field (18-of-24). Playing in her first game against Big 12 competition since the 2005 Big 12 Tournament, Richards recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and a personal-best 13 rebounds in the win over Missouri. Through three conference games, Richards has made 13-of-16 field goal attempts (.813), tops in the Big 12. In eight games total games this season, Richards is averaging 9.3 points, 5.4 rebounds and hitting 66 percent from the floor (31-of-47).

Junior guard Susie Powers had a breakout game against Iowa State. She scored a career-high 12 points on 4-of-5 from 3-point range, all of which were career highs. Her 45.5 percent efficiency from 3-point land ranks fifth in the Big 12 and her 35 assists rank second on the team.

Colorado is receiving strong support from its freshman class. Redshirt freshman guard Bianca Smith has made nine starts and is averaging 7.3 points per game including a career-high 18 points in the win over Iowa State. She has a team-best 25 3-point field goals. Smith ranks seventh in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (.424) and has made 18 of her last 38 (.474).

Freshman Whitney Houston is averaging 6.7 points per game and leads the Buffaloes with 39 assists. She provided a spark of the bench in her first career Big 12 contest, scoring 11 points on 5-of-9 from the field against Missouri. HoustonGÇÖs 2.79 assists per game average ranks fifth among freshmen in the Big 12 and 13th overall. Fellow Memphis, Tenn., native Candace Rucker started three games during the nonconference schedule and is averaging 3.4 points, 2.7 rebounds per game. She is second on the team in steals with 17 and her 1.3 per game average is eighth among freshmen in the Big 12.

Forward Aija Putnina had a team-high nine rebounds, two blocks and two assists in her best game in four outings since missing a pair of contests, and most of a third, with a stress reaction on the third metatarsal of her left foot.

Prior to her injury, she had moved into the starting lineup with the foot injury to Richards and made an immediate impact. In her four starts she averaged 10.5 points, a team-best 13.0 rebounds and 1.5 blocks. Her 6.5 rebounds per game tops all freshmen in the Big 12 and ranks 17th overall.

SHOTS FALLING FOR BUFFALOES: Over its last four games, Colorado is shooting 47.1 percent from the field (98-of-208). Much of that success is due to the front-court combination of Kara Richards and Jackie McFarland who have combined to make 44-of-57 (.772) over the last four games. McFarland has made 26-of-33 (.788) during that span while Richards is 18-of-24 (.750) over the last four and 13-of-16 (.813) over the last three. CU is also getting help from the perimeter. After making just 10 of her first 33 shots in a Buffs uniform (.303), junior Susie Powers has hit on 10-of-20 (.500), including a solid 7-of-11 (.636) from 3-point range. Bianca Smith has hit 11-of-23 (.478) from beyond the arc the last four contests. As a team Colorado has hit 42.4 percent from downtown during its winning streak (28-of-66) and 81.5 percent from the free-throw line (53-of-65).

RECORD HALF FROM "3": Colorado set a school record for 3-point field goals in one half by drilling 10 in the first stanza of the BuffsGÇÖ 81-67 win over Iowa State on Jan. 10. Bianca SmithGÇÖs long-range jumper -- her fourth of the half -- with 7 seconds remaining in the period gave CU the record, breaking the previous mark of nine set against the University of Buffalo on Jan. 3, 2004. The 13 3-pointers CU had in the game was its most since a similar bakerGÇÖs dozen put up against the University of Northern Colorado on Dec. 29, 2004.

A SUCCESSFUL BEGINNING: Colorado began the Big 12 season 2-0 for the first time since 1996-97. The start also agave the Buffaloes their first two-game league win streak since defeating Oklahoma State and Kansas on Feb. 21 and 24, 2004. Colorado opened the Big 12 season with a 71-59 win over the University of Missouri on Jan. 3. The win was the first for CU in a Big 12 opener since defeating Baylor to begin the 2004 league schedule and the 12-point margin of victory was CUGÇÖs highest in the leagueGÇÖs 11-year history. Colorado is now 5-6 in Big 12 openers and 19-14 overall in conference openers.

HOUSTON GAME CANCELLED: CUGÇÖs game against the University of Houston that was scheduled for Dec. 30, was cancelled when the Cougars opted not to travel to Boulder for the game due to the winter weather conditions that had spread across the Midwest that weekend. The game is not expected to be rescheduled this season.

LUBIN LEAVES BUFFALOES: Junior guard Lauren Lubin has decided to leave the CU womenGÇÖs basketball program, but will remain at the university as a student, head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller announced on Dec. 27.

Lubin, who earned a pair of letters with the Buffaloes, averaged 2.4 points and 2.4 rebounds over 49 career games. She played in five contests for the Buffaloes this winter, recording three steals and two rebounds. Lubin originally walked on in 2004-05 as a freshman, where she played in 16 games before missing the last half of the season with mononucleosis. Lubin earned a scholarship for the 2005-06 campaign, averaging 3.7 points and 3.6 rebounds per game as a sophomore, including a team-best 42.9 percent from 3-point range (12-of-28).

RICHARDS GRANTED MEDICAL HARDSHIP: Center Kara Richards received some good news on Dec. 2 as the Big 12 Conference office granted her a medical hardship for missing the 2005-06 season. Richards season was lost after suffering a Jones fracture ? a fracture to the fifth metatarsal ? in her left foot on Nov. 15, 2005, just three dayGÇÖs before CUGÇÖs season opening win over Cal State Fullerton. The medical hardship means she returns to sophomore standing for the 2006-07 season and will have two more years of eligibility remaining.

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 17-28 with the Buffaloes and has an overall head coaching record of 108-116.

ABOUT THE AGGIES: Texas A&M is 12-3 overall, 2-1 in Big 12 action and ranked No. 17 in the latest Associated Press Top 25 Poll and No. 19 in the Jan. 9 USA Today/ESPN/WBCA Coaches Poll.The Aggies have won two straight and six of their last seven, with the only setback a 60-52 decision at Kansas State University on Jan. 6. Texas A&M is allowing just 48.5 points per game, the third best in NCAA Division I. The Aggies also rank in the top 15 nationally in scoring margin (7th, +22.7), assists (7th, 18.9 apg), steals (12th, 12.6 spg) and 3-point field-goal percentage (15th, .390). Texas is 9-0 at home in 2006-07.

Sophomore guard Takia Starks leads the Aggies in scoring at 14.7 points per game and also averages 4.9 rebounds and 2.6 assists per contest. Junior forward Morenike Atunrase, who missed five games with a fracture in her foot, has returned to the AggiesGÇÖ lineup and averages 14.2 points and 4.4 rebounds per game. Sophomore forward Danielle Gant has a team-best 6.9 rebounds per game and leads the squad in steals with 35.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 14th meeting between Colorado and Texas A&M, with the Buffaloes holding a 10-3 series lead. The Aggies have won the last two, including a 72-62 decision at Reed Arena on Feb. 5, 2005. CUGÇÖs last win over Texas A&M came on Jan. 21, 2004, 70-58, in Boulder.

Kathy McConnell-Miller is 0-2 in her career against Texas A&M, 0-1 with Colorado.

AGAINST THE BIG 12 SOUTH: Colorado will be attempting to snap a nine game road losing streak against teams from the Big 12 Southern Division. CUGÇÖs last Big 12 South road win came at Baylor on Jan. 7, 2004 (69-59). Overall, the Buffaloes have won just one of their last 14 games against teams from the Big 12 South. CU defeated Oklahoma State, 73-62, in its 2005-06 home finale on Feb. 26.

STILL IN NEED OF A WIN OVER A RANKED TEAM: Colorado is searching for its first win over a ranked team in 18 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.

ON THIS DATE: Colorado is 5-3 all-time on Jan. 17, but 0-3 on the road. CU hasnGÇÖt played a game on Jan. 17 in nine years, falling to Texas Tech 80-40 in Lubbock on Jan. 17, 1998. The first game in CU womenGÇÖs basketball history was played o Jan. 17, 1975, a 57-54 win over Weber State in Boulder.

MILESTONE WINS: With a 56-51 win over Colorado State, CU won its 600th womenGÇÖs basketball game and now stands 603-360 in 32-plus seasons. CUGÇÖs overall .626 winning percentage ranks fourth all-time among Big 12 Conference teams, trailing only Texas, Texas Tech and Kansas State.

With its 78-65 win over Charlotte in the Coors Classic, Colorado won its 300th game at the Coors Events Conference Center, and now stands at 304-89 (.774) all-time at the facility.

CLIMBING THE 3-POINT LADDER: Jasmina Ilic hit a pair of 3-point field goals at Texas to increase her career total to 116, good for sixth place on CUGÇÖs all-time list.

Anna Nedovic had a pair of 3-point field goals against Cal State Bakersfield after sinking just two in the previous 10 games. The pair of treys pushed her career total to 51, tying her with former teammate Emily Waner (2003-04) for 13th on CUGÇÖs all-time chart.

McFARLAND REACHES 1,000, ILIC CLOSING IN: Jackie McFarland became the 20th player in CU history to reach 1,000 career points during the loss at South Dakota State on Dec. 13. McFarland hit the milestone on a second-half layup and now stands at 1,079 points through 72 career games (15.0 ppg). McFarland is also just the 10th Buff to record 1,000 points and 600 rebounds.

Jasmina Ilic needs 89 points to reach 1,000, which by using her season average of 12.7 ppg, she would reach around the game against Kansas on Feb. 6.

Ilic and McFarland 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.

MORE NUMBERS FOR McFARLAND: Jackie McFarland has 28 career double-doubles which ranks third on the CU charts and her 28 double-digit rebounding games are fourth on the BuffsGÇÖ all-time list, just one behind LeaAnn Banks who had 29 double-digit rebounding games from 1984-86. She has nine double-doubles this season, ranking second in the Big 12. She began the season with three-straight double-doubles, equalling her output from the 2005-06 season. The only other player in CU history to record three-straight double-doubles to open a season is CUGÇÖs all-time leading scorer Lisa VanGoor, who did it in 1982-83.

McFarland became the 12th player in CU history to reach 600 rebounds, surpassing the mark during the loss at Texas on Jan. 13. She is currently 12th on the career list with 603 and needs 44 to move into CUGÇÖs Top 10. She is tied for eighth with Debbie Johnson (1989-91) on CUGÇÖs career list for blocked shots with 77. McFarland needs 23 to reach 100 and would be just the sixth Buff to reach the century mark. She is 11th on CUGÇÖs career list with 307 free-throws made and needs just two more to pass Erin Carson (1984-88) for 10th on CUGÇÖs career chart.

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.

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.

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 304-89 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.774). 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). The Buffaloes, 8-2 at home this season, have only three seasons of sub-.500 play in the 28 years of the Coors Events Center.

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 return home to host No. 7 ranked University of Oklahoma on Saturday, Jan. 20, at 7 p.m., at the Coors Events Conference Center. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain.

Colorado University Athletics