Colorado University Athletics
Colorado Hosts Dartmouth Friday
THE GAME: The University of Colorado continues its five-game homestand to close out the nonconference schedule by hosting Dartmouth College on Friday, Dec. 21, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center.
BROADCAST: All Colorado womenGÇÖs basketball regular and post season games are broadcast live on KKZN 760 AM, BoulderGÇÖs Progressive Talk station. Mike Rice, in his second year, will have the play-by-play and he is joined by Carol Callan of USA Basketball with the color commentary. Live internet audio can be accessed through Yahoo! Sports. Live video streaming of FridayGÇÖs battle will be available to BuffsTV subscribers at CUBuffs.com.
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado has won six straight and is 7-2 overall with both marks being the teamGÇÖs best since the 2003-04 season which was also the BuffsGÇÖ last appearance in the NCAA Tournament. With their recent success, the Buffaloes are beginning to gain some national recognition in the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today/WBCA Coaches polls. For the second-straight week CU is in the "receiving votes" category in each poll claiming 82 in the AP poll and seven in the WBCA poll. The 82 votes in the AP poll puts CU at the top of the receiving votes category, just one spot out of the Top 25.
Senior All-America candidate Jackie McFarland leads the Buffaloes in scoring at 17.3 points per game and field goal percentage at .587 while her 8.2 rebounds per contest rank second on the team. McFarland, who is one of only three players in CU history with 1,400 points and 800 rebounds, ranks second on the team in assists at 3.2 and is fourth in free-throw percentage at .750. The All-Big 12 forward once again can be found among the Top 10 in most league statistical categories ranking second in minutes, fourth in scoring, fifth in field-goal percentage, and sixth in rebounding.
Freshman Brittany Spears continues to have a solid start to her collegiate career has she ranks second on the team in scoring (13.3 ppg) and is third in rebounding (7.0 rpg). Her scoring and rebounding numbers are also tops among all freshmen in the Big 12 Conference so far this season while she is second in steals (2.4 spg) and third in assists (2.2 apg).
Senior guard Susie Powers has taken control of the Colorado offense from the point guard position and has been solid in all phases of the game. She is averaging 4.8 points, 4.7 rebounds and a team-best 4.3 assists per game. Powers, who had a career-high nine assists in the win over Wyoming, leads the Big 12 and ranks third in the NCAA in assist-to-turnover ratio at 3.25 as she has 39 assists against only 12 turnovers this season. Powers has 31 assists in the last five games (6.2 apg).
Sophomore Aija Putnina and junior Hannah Skildum have played their way into the starting lineup after coming off the bench to begin the season. Putnina has started the last six games and has responded with a pair of double-doubles and five double-digit rebounding games. She is averaging 8.2 points, 10.3 rebounds and 2.0 blocks as a starter. Putnina ranks fith in rebounding, is tied for seventh in free-throw percentage (.784) and is ninth in blocked shots (1.6 bpg) on the Big 12 charts. Skildum, who has started the last five games, is coming off an eight-point, four-steal performance against Texas Southern and is averaging just under three rebounds per game over the last seven contests.
Colorado is 5-0 with its current starting line up of Powers-Skildum-Spears-McFarland-Putnina.
ItGÇÖs not just the starters, as the bench has been big too. Sophomore Bianca Smith is emerging into a formidable "Sixth-Woman" candidate averaging 10.2 points off the bench for the Buffs. During CUGÇÖs six-game wining streak she has been the teamGÇÖs second-leading scorer at 12.7 points per game while hitting 41 percent from 3-point range (19-of-46). Smith was named Big 12 Player of the Week on Dec. 10 after averaging 19.0 points and hitting 57 percent from the field in games against No. 22 (AP)/21 (WBCA) Wyoming and No. 20/17 Vanderbilt. Whitney Houston and Britney Blythe have also seen extended minutes in the Colorado backcourt.
Juniors Caley Dow and Kara Richards have been CUGÇÖs first front court players off the bench. Dow has played double-digit minutes in four of the last five games recording two points, two steals and four rebounds against Texas Southern. Richards is shooting 50 percent from the floor and had a season-best seven points against Northern Colorado.
Colorado is averaging 68.3 points per game, while the Buffs defense is holding opponents to 55.3 per contest. The Buffaloes have been tough on the boards early on, enjoying a +10.3 rebound margin, a number that ranks 16th nationally, thanks to the BuffsGÇÖ ability to keep teams off the boards. CU opponents have averaged just 31.0 per game including a season-low 25 for Wyoming. The Buffaloes on the other hand have had some big number rebound games this season, including 58 against Colorado State, the most by a CU team since it grabbed 59 against Bowling Green on Nov. 23, 2001, and the most on the road since it had 59 at Oklahoma State on Jan. 28, 1983.
The Buffaloes currently rank fourth in the nation and top the Big 12 Conference in 3-point field goals (8.7 3GÇÖs mpg) and are second in the league in free-throw percentage (.730), third in rebounding defense (31.0 rpg) and fourth in scoring defense (55.3 ppg). CU has been sharing the ball well of late averaging 16 assists per game and recently netted 20 or more assists in three straight contests for the first time since the 2002-03 season.
ABOUT THE BIG GREEN: Dartmouth is 1-7 overall with its lone win coming on the road in a 53-50 decision over Sacred Heart on Dec. 4. The Big Green has dropped their last two including a 67-61 setback to the University of Denver on Dec. 19. Dartmouth is averaging just 46.8 points per game, in fact its 61 points against Denver was a season high. The Big Green is shooting 32 percent from the field and just 60 percent from the free-throw line. Turnovers have hindered Dartmouth as well, giving up 21.6 per game.
Senior guard Kristen Craft leads the Big Green by averaging 9.5 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game. Forward Margaret Smith tops the Big Green in rebounding at 7.7 per game, but has missed the last two contests. Her younger sister, Brittney, is averaging 8.5 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the first ever meeting between Colorado and Dartmouth. The Buffaloes are 3-0 all-time against Ivy Legue schools and will play the league for the first time since a 69-49 win over Penn in the 2004 Coors Classic. Kathy McConnell-Miller has never faced Dartmouth as a head coach.
DEFENSIVE EFFORT SHINES: Colorado had a historic performance from a defensive perspective against Texas Southern. The Buffaloes held the Lady Tigers to just 29 points, which ties for the fourth-lowest total in team history (equals a 79-29 win over Iowa State on Feb. 19, 1993). It was just the fifth time in CU history the Buffs have held an opponent under 30 points (the ISU game in 1993 being the last). CU allowed just 13 second-half points, tying for the second-lowest second-half total in team history (also done in the ISU game and against Utah State on Jan. 28, 1981). The Buffaloes forced Texas Southern into 32 turnovers, the most since forcing 35 against Detroit Mercy on Nov. 24, 2002.
SMITH NAMED BIG 12 PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Sophomore guard Bianca Smith was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Conference WomenGÇÖs Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 10. Smith captured her first career Big 12 weekly honor and the first for the Buffaloes since Jackie McFarland was named Player of the Week on Nov. 13, 2006.
Smith averaged 19 points, two assists and two rebounds off the bench while leading Colorado to wins over No. 22 (AP)/21 (WBCA) Wyoming and at No. 20/17 Vanderbilt. Colorado broke a 23-game losing streak against ranked teams with its 69-55 win over Wyoming on Dec. 5. The Buffaloes then made it wins in back-to-back games over ranked teams for the first time since the 2002 NCAA Tournament with a 62-51 triumph at Vanderbilt on Dec. 9.
Against Wyoming, Smith scored 16 points on 5-of-8 from the floor with three assists as Colorado broke a three-game losing streak against the Cowgirls. She was 4-of-7 from 3-point range and her final two from downtown were clutch as they provided the answer to a 14-3 Wyoming run that cut the CU lead to just one with 5:11 remaining.
Smith had an even bigger game against Vanderbilt. She had a career-high 22 points on 7-of-14 from the field with three rebounds, one steal and one assist as the Buffs handed the Commodores just their second loss in their last 23 home games. Smith scored 13 of CUGÇÖs first 17 points to erase an early 8-0 Vanderbilt lead, and hit four straight free throws in the final seconds of the game to close it out.
RANK STREAK IS OVER: Colorado had its biggest week in several years in terms of success against ranked teams.
ColoradoGÇÖs 69-55 win over No. 21/22 Wyoming snapped a 23-game BuffsGÇÖ losing streak to ranked teams. The Buffaloes last win over a ranked opponent had been a 69-59 decision at No. 24 Baylor on Jan. 7, 2004 where CU was ranked No. 14 at the time. The win was ColoradoGÇÖs first against a ranked team while being unranked since knocking off No. 12 North Carolina 86-67 in the second round of the 2003 NCAA Tournament.
The Buffaloes kept the momentum going four days later with a 62-51 win at No. 20/17 Vanderbilt. The win gives CUGÇÖs its first two-game win streak against ranked teams since knocking off No. 23 Washington and No. 24 Baylor in 2003-04. ItGÇÖs the first pair of wins over two ranked teams in back-to-back games since the 2002 NCAA Tournament when the Buffs defeated No. 22/24 LSU in the second round and No. 5 Stanford in the Sweet 16. It was ColoradoGÇÖs first win on the road over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 24 Baylor 69-59 in Waco, Texas, on Jan. 7. 2004. It was CUGÇÖs first win over a ranked opponent as an unranked team since defeating No. 12 Texas in Austin, 60-56, on Feb. 26, 1997.
RANKINGS OF OUR OWN?: A six-game winning streak including back-to-back wins over ranked teams have earned the Buffaloes votes in the last two editions of the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today/WBCA Coaches Polls. Colorado received 82 votes in the AP poll released Dec. 17, which puts the Buffs just one spot out of the Top 25. CU received seven votes in the coaches poll. The Buffaloes are receiving votes for the first time since the 2004-05 WBCA preseason poll. ColoradoGÇÖs last appearance in either Top 25 came in the final polls of the 2003-04 season. The Buffs finished No. 17 in the AP poll and No. 24 in the coaches voting.
REVERSING ROAD WOES: Colorado is 3-1 on the road this season and has won two straight for the first time since defeating Pacific and Washington on the same road trip in December 2004. The three wins are one better than the team win total on the road for the last two seasons combined (1-10 in 2006-07 and 1-9 in 2004-05). CUGÇÖs 82-47 win over Colorado State was significant on several fronts. The 35-point margin was the BuffsGÇÖ highest on the road since a 70-35 win over Kansas on Jan. 16, 2002 and it was also their largest win over Colorado State (regardless of venue) since a 112-48 win on Nov. 16, 1979. The 82 points were the most CU has scored on an opponents home court since the BuffsGÇÖ last trip to Moby Arena, an 86-83 loss to the Rams on Nov. 30, 2005. Colorado broke VanderbiltGÇÖs 10-game home winning streak and handed the Commodores just their second loss in 23 home games, the other coming last season against eventual national champion Tennessee.
3-POINTERS FALLING: Colorado has made and attempted more 3-pointers through nine games than it has in any other season in team history, and by a wide margin. The Buffaloes are 78-of-235 through nine contests (.332). CUGÇÖs 78 3-pointers are 26 more than the previous best nine-game total of 52 in 2003-04 and the 235 attempts are 92 more than the previous nine-game high of 143 in 2005-06.
Colorado leads the Big 12 Conference and ranks fourth in the nation with 8.7 3-point field goals per game. The Buffaloes had a season-high 14 against Colorado State, the second best single-game total in team history (CU had 16 against Buffalo on Jan. 3, 2004). CU had a string of 10 or more 3-pointers in four straight games for the first time in team history. CU had 10 3-pointers against Wyoming and Northern Colorado and 13 against Rice. Against UNC, the Buffs set a school record for 3-point field goal attempts in one half with 21 in the first stanza and finished the game with 36 attempts, just one shy of the school record of 37 set against Buffalo on Jan. 3, 2004.
Individually, it hasnGÇÖt been one player doing the damage. Nine different players on the CU roster have at least two 3-point field goals and eight have attempted at least 10. Sophomore Bianca Smith leads the team with 21 with 17 of them coming in the last five games. Freshman Brittany Spears is right behind Smith with 17 and senior Susie Powers has 13. Junior Hannah Skildum has seven.
McFARLAND NOMINATED FOR SENIOR CLASS AWARD: Senior forward Jackie McFarland has been named one of 30 nationwide candidates for the 2008 LoweGÇÖs Senior CLASS Award.
The award ? presented annually to the NCAA Division I Student-Athlete of the Year in eight sports ? focuses on the "Four CGÇÖs" of classroom, character, community and competition. An acronym for Celebrating Loyalty and Achievement for Staying in School, the award was launched during the 2001-02 season to honor the attributes of college basketball seniors who remain committed to their university and pursue the many rewards that a senior season and complete college education brings.
A native of Derby, Kan., McFarland is a two-time Academic All-American sporting a 3.89 GPA. She is working on a concurrent degree program which will allow her to earn her MBA while completing her undergraduate degree in accounting. McFarland won CUGÇÖs Scholar-Athlete Award in the spring of 2007 for having the highest GPA in her class. McFarland is a three-year team captain and is actively involved in CUGÇÖs Student-Athlete Advisory Committee. SAAC is the governing body for student-athletes at CU which assists in the development and implementation of programs that motivate student-athletes to strive for and be recognized for academic excellence and community involvement.
From the list of 30 nominees for each gender, a national media committee will select 10 finalists to be announced in January. Those 10 names will then be put to ballot for a nationwide vote during the NCAA Tournament in March. Fan balloting will be coupled with votes from coaches and media to determine the male and female recipients.
CAPTAINS NAMED: Seniors Jackie McFarland and Susie Powers and junior Caley Dow will serve as team captains for the 2007-08 season. McFarland is a captain for a third straight season, Powers is in her second year as captain and Dow is a captain for the first time. CU team captains are voted on by players prior to the first regular season contest each year.
McFARLAND PRESEASON ALL-BIG 12; BUFFS PICKED 11TH: Senior forward Jackie McFarland has been named to the 2007-08 Preseason All-Big 12 Conference WomenGÇÖs Basketball team by a vote of league coaches.
McFarland is CUGÇÖs second preseason All-Big 12 honoree as former Buffaloes standout Erin Scholz was named to the 1996-97 squad. She joins Nebraska forward Kelsey Griffin, Oklahoma center Courtney Paris and Texas A&M guards AGÇÖQuonesia Franklin and Takia Starks on the five-member preseason team. All five players were first team All-Big 12 picks last winter.
McFarland topped the Big 12 and ranked third in the nation in field-goal accuracy in 2006-07 at 61 percent. She was second in the Big 12 in scoring (17.8 ppg) and rebounding (10.8 rpg) and led the league in minutes at 36.4 per game.
Despite returning eight players from a team that finished tied for seventh last season, the Buffaloes were picked to finish 11th in the Big 12 in 2007-08 in annual preseason coaches poll.
Defending co-champion Texas A&M was picked to win the 2008 title with seven first place votes and 117 points overall, just edging out the leagueGÇÖs other co-champion, Oklahoma who had the other five first place votes and 115 points. The Big South held down the top five spots in the poll as Baylor was third with 97 points followed by Texas (86) and Oklahoma State (66). Iowa State was the top North school (64) followed by Nebraska (56), Kansas State and Texas Tech (54 each), Kansas (43), Colorado (29) and Missouri (11).
MORE NUMBERS FOR McFARLAND: Jackie McFarland has had double-doubles in three of the last seven games to become the second player in CU history to reach 40 career double-doubles. Her 41 career double-digit rebounding games are third on the CU career charts.
McFarland is the fourth player in Colorado history with 800 career rebounds, and now stands at 844. She needs 52 rebounds to pass Sandy Bean (1978-82) for third pace on CUGÇÖs all-time list. McFarland is the ninth player in team history to reach 1,400 career points and now has 1,476 in 96 career games (15.4 ppg). McFarland needs one free throw for sole possession of third place on CUGÇÖs all-time list as she is currently tied with Shelley Sheetz with 425. She is 78 away from catching Bridget Turner (1985-99) for the all-time mark of 494. She ranks 13th in field goals made (516) and 15th in minutes played (3,028).
TOUGH SCHEDULE: Colorado once again faces a tough schedule with no less than 16 games against 2007 NCAA or WNIT tournament teams. The Buffaloes will travel to perennial NCAA womenGÇÖs powers Southern California and Vanderbilt during the non-conference season as well as region rival Colorado State. Colorado will host 2007 WNIT Champion Wyoming and will also see Rice, Clemson and Pepperdine at the Coors Events Center. Texas A&M, Oklahoma State and Texas 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 311-93 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.770). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 19 of the previous 29 years including, 2007-08 when the Buffaloes went 11-5 at home with four of the five losses coming to ranked teams. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CECC.
BUFFS ON TV: ColoradoGÇÖs schedule features 10 games that will be televised either regionally or nationally, nine of which will be carried by Fox Sports Net. Two games are part of the Big 12GÇÖs national package with FSN: Sunday, Jan. 13 against Iowa State at home and Saturday, Jan. 26, at Texas Tech. FSN Rocky Mountain will televise six CU home games beginning with Wyoming on Dec. 5. FSN Midwest will televise CUGÇÖs game at Kansas State on Jan. 19, which could potentially be picked up by FSN Rocky Mountain as well. CUGÇÖs game at Colorado State on Dec. 1 will be televised by The Mtn. Network.
UP NEXT: Colorado will return home after the holiday break to face Southern Utah University on Friday, Dec. 28, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain.