Colorado University Athletics
Colorado Faces Road Test At Kansas State Wednesday
THE GAME: The University of Colorado plays its first of two straight on the road, heading east to face Kansas State University on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. MST, at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan..
BROADCAST: WednesdayGÇÖs game will be broadcast live on KVCU AM 1190, due to a conflict with the menGÇÖs basketball game which will air on AM 760. 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. WednesdayGÇÖs game will be televised by Fox Sports Net Midwest with Ben Boyle on the play by play and Patti Phillips with the color commentary. While the game will not be available on FSN Rocky Mountain, some digital and premium cable or satellite subscribers may be able to pick up the contest as part of their regular programming. Please contact your local carrier for further details.
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 10-13 overall and tied with Kansas State for ninth place in the Big 12 Conference at 4-7. Only one game currently separates fifth place from 10th place in the Big 12 standings, with the Buffaloes squarely in the middle of the positioning. Iowa State University, Oklahoma State University and Texas Tech University are tied for fifth at 5-6 with the University of Texas one-half game back at 5-7 after losing to the University of Oklahoma on Monday night.
The Buffaloes will be looking to break a two-game slide, and will also be looking for their first regular season series sweep of Kansas State since 2001. CU overcame its second-largest halftime deficit in team history to defeat the Wildcats 66-55 on Jan. 31 in Boulder. However, the road as been a tough place for Colorado. The Buffaloes have lost 11 straight on the road and will be looking to avoid tying a school record for consecutive road losses. CU has two separate 12-game road skids in its history, one spanning the entire 1999-2000 season and the other stretching from Jan. 22, 2005 to Jan. 28, 2006. The Buffs have won just once in their last 24 outings on an opponents home floor, a 77-71 win over Kansas on Feb. 1, 2006. Despite the recent road woes, CU has secured its best record since 2003-04 when the Buffs finished 22-8, 11-5 in the Big 12, and advanced to the NCAA Tournament.
Junior forward Jackie McFarland is living up to her All-Big 12 second team status in 2006, and then some. She is averaging 18.1 points and 11 rebounds per game, ranking third and second in the Big 12 respectively. McFarland ranks fourth in NCAA Division I in field-goal percentage (.625) and ninth in rebounding through games of Feb. 11. She has 11 games of shooting 70 percent or better this season.
McFarland needs just one rebound to become the seventh player in CU history to register 1,200 points and 700 rebounds in a career. She currently ranks in CUGÇÖs career Top 10 in blocked shots, free-throws made and 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 14 double-doubles this season, ranking second in the Big 12, and seven in 10 conference games. She has 33 double-doubles and 34 double-digit rebounding gams in her career, both of which rank third on CUGÇÖs all-time list. McFarland has missed four other double-doubles by a single point or rebound.
Senior guard/forward Jasmina Ilic is second on the team in scoring at 13.6 points per game. She surpassed the 1,000 point mark during the Texas Tech game, becoming the 21st player in team history to reach the milestone and the 10th fastest (84 games). Ilic also tops the Buffaloes with 42 3-point field goals, 28 steals and an 89.2 percent efficiency from the free-throw stripe, which ranks second in the Big 12 and 11th in NCAA Division I.
Freshman Whitney Houston has emerged as the teamGÇÖs starting point guard and has stepped up during the Big 12 season. She leads the team in assists at 2.5 per game and overall is third on the team in scoring at 8.5 points per contest, but is actually averaging 11.6 points over the last eight games including a career-high 25 points at Kansas.
Colorado is receiving overall strong support from its freshman class. Redshirt freshman guard Bianca Smith has made 13 starts and is averaging 5.5 points per game including a career-high 18 points in the win over Iowa State. She has 29 3-point field goals and ranks eighth in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (.387).
Guard Candace Rucker is averaging 3.3 points and 2.5 rebounds per game off the bench for the Buffaloes. She scored six points, including 4-of-4 from the free-throw line, and grabbed three rebounds against Kansas. Forward Aija Putnina enjoyed her most extended time in over two months playing 32 minutes off the bench against Kansas, recording five rebounds and career-highs with four blocked shots and two assists.
Sophomore center Kara Richards is fourth on the team in scoring (6.3 ppg) and second in rebounding average (4.7 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.589). She missed seven games with a fracture in the fourth metatarsal of her left foot. Junior guard Susie Powers is averaging 4.0 points per game and is hitting 41.2 percent from 3-point range. She ranks second on the team in assists with 52.
ABOUT THE WILDCATS: Kansas State is 16-8 overall and tied with CU for ninth place in the Big 12 at 4-7. The Wildcats snapped a four-game losing streak by picking up a 66-59 win at Texas Tech on Feb. 11. Overall, KSU has won just two of its last eight games. The Wildcats are 10-2 at home this season, with both losses coming against Big 12 competition (Texas and Nebraska). Kansas State ranks second in the Big 12 in 3-point field goals with 145. The Wildcats are also the leagueGÇÖs top team in defending the 3-pointer allowing just 28 percent on the season. Kansas State has held opponents to just 36 percent from the field overall, third in the Big 12, but ranks last in rebounding defense (39 allowed per game) and is one of only two teams in the Big 12 that give up more rebounds than it collects (-0.6 rpg).
Senior forward Claire Coggins anchors a balanced Kansas State attack, scoring 13.3 points per game. Junior guard Kimberly Dietz, a Boulder native, averages 13.0 per contest and is tied for the Big 12 lead in 3-point field goals with 52. Sophomore guard Shalee Lehning is averaging 8.0 points per game, pulls down 6.5 rebounds per game and ranks third in the Big 12 in assists at 5.1 per contest. Freshman forward Ashley Sweat, averaging 9.0 points and 4.9 rebounds, has filled in nicely for injured sophomore Marlies Gipson who has missed the last eight games with a knee injury. Prior to her injury, Gipson led KSU in rebounding at 8.3 per game while averaging just under 13 points an outing.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 59th meeting between Colorado and Kansas State, with the Buffaloes holding a slim 30-28 series lead. Colorado snapped an eight-game Kansas State winning streak in the series with its 66-55 win on Jan. 31 and will be looking for its first regular season series sweep against the Wildcats since 2001. KSU leads the series in Manhattan 15-11 and has won the last five. CUGÇÖs last win at Kansas State was a 67-62 decision on Jan 6, 2001.
Kathy McConnell-Miller is 1-2 in her head coaching career against Kansas State, all three games coming with Colorado.
HOME-ROAD DISPARITY: For the Buffaloes to break out of their road slump they will look to improve on field-goal shooting, rebounding and turnovers. Colorado is shooting 39.6 percent (162-of-409) in eight road losses this season while shooting 44 percent in 14 home games (344-775) where the Buffs are 10-4. CU enjoys a rebounding margin of 4.7 per game at home while pulling down just under 40 a contest. On the road, CU is pulling down 36.1 per game and giving up 39.6 to its opponents. The Buffaloes have been battling turnovers all season long and average just under four more on the road (23.3 TOpg) than at home (19.6 TOpg). Rebounds and turnovers have allowed CU opponents to take 14 more shots per game (65-51) on the road than the Buffs, however the CU defense has held opponents to just 37.2 percent from the field on the road (192-of-516), which is better than the 39.6 percent allowed at home (331-of-836).
ON THE OFFENSIVE: Prior to the Texas Tech contest, Colorado was struggling on the offensive boards ranking last in the Big 12, pulling in just 10.75 per game overall and only 7.75 per game in league contests. Against the Lady Raiders, the Buffaloes pulled in 23 offensive rebounds which led to a 22-5 advantage in second-chance points. CUGÇÖs 23 offensive boards were its most since recording 23 against Bowling Green on Nov. 23, 2001, and its most in league play since grabbing 24 at Iowa State on Feb. 18, 1996. The BuffsGÇÖ previous high against a Big 12 team this season was 11 against Oklahoma on Jan. 20.
HISTORIC COMEBACK: ColoradoGÇÖs comeback from a 15-point halftime deficit to win against Kansas State on Jan. 31 is the second-largest margin achieved in team history. The Buffaloes trailed the Wildcats 39-24 at the break before outscoring them 42-16 in the final 20 minutes, including a 23-0 run over a 10:24 span.
Colorado came back from 19 down against the University of Washington on Dec. 21, 1982, at the Guisti Tournament in Portland, Ore. CU trailed 35-16 at halftime before winning 67-65.
A more-recent double-digit halftime deficit overcome was a 12-point margin against the University of Southern California in Los Angeles on Dec. 20, 2003. CU trailed the Trojans 39-27 before prevailing 69-67.
STILL IN NEED OF A WIN OVER A RANKED TEAM: Colorado has dropped 21 straight games to ranked teams 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.
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.
MILESTONE WINS: With a 56-51 win over Colorado State, CU won its 600th womenGÇÖs basketball game and now stands 605-366 in 32-plus seasons. CUGÇÖs overall .623 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 306-91 (.771) all-time at the facility.
CLIMBING THE 3-POINT LADDER: Jasmina Ilic hit a pair of 3-point field goals against Nebraska to increase her career total to 136, good for sixth place on CUGÇÖs all-time list. She needs 14 to pass Amy Palmer (1992-96) for fifth.
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, ILIC REACH 1,000: 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 16th on CUGÇÖs all-time scoring list with 1,203 points through 80 career games (15.0 ppg). She needs just one rebound to become the seventh player in team history to reach 1,200 points and 700 rebounds.
Jasmina Ilic became the 21st player in CU history to 1,000 points, reaching the milestone with a 27-point effort against Texas Tech on Feb. 3. Ilic hit the mark on a second-half bucket and now stands at 21st on CUGÇÖs all-time scoring list with 1,032 points through 86 career games (12.0 ppg).
Ilic and McFarland are 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 33 career double-doubles and 34 double-digit rebounding games, which both rank third on the CU charts. Her 14 double-doubles this season, second-most in the Big 12, ties her own mark from 2004-05 for fourth on CUGÇÖs single-season chart. 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 needs just one rebound to become the ninth player in team history to reach 700 rebounds, and is on pace to leap over four prominent Buffs for fifth place on the all-time charts. She needs 27 rebounds to take over the fifth spot passing Raegan Scott (701 from 1993-97), Tera Bjorklund (723 from 2000-04), Britt Hartshorn (724 from 1998-02) and Bridget Turner (725 from 1985-1989). McFarland had a career-best 18 rebounds in the Kansas game, the most by a Buffalo since Scott had 21 at Texas on Feb. 26, 1997.
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.
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. Colorado has now won four games this season when trailing at halftime, all at home (USF, Missouri, Kansas State and Texas Tech).
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 306-91 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.771). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 19 of 29 years including five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94). The Buffaloes are 10-4 at home this season, their best mark since going 14-2 in 2003-04. CU has 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.
UP NEXT: Colorado will continue Big 12 action as the Buffaloes travel to play Iowa State on Saturday, Feb. 17, at 1 p.m. MST at the Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.