Colorado University Athletics
Buffaloes Host Kansas On Senior Night
THE GAME: The University of Colorado hosts the University of Kansas on Saturday, Feb. 24, at 7 p.m., in the Coors Events/Conference Center. ItGÇÖs the BuffaloesGÇÖ final home game of the 2006-07 season as the team will say goodbye to three seniors, Jasmina Ilic, Anna Nedovic and Courtney Wallace.
BROADCAST: SaturdayGÇÖs game will be televised live by Fox Sports Net Rocky Mountain, with Tim Ring on the play by play and former CU head coach Ceal Barry with the color commentary. 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 with USA BasketballGÇÖs Carol Callan on the color commentary. Live internet audio can be accessed through Yahoo! Sports.
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 11-15 overall and tied with Texas and Missouri for eighth place in the Big 12 Conference at 5-9. The Buffaloes remain just one game out of sixth place as Texas Tech and Oklahoma State are at 6-8.
Colorado has won just one of its last five games, three of which have come on the road. The Buffaloes are 10-5 at home in 2006-07 with four of the losses coming to teams ranked in the nationGÇÖs top 25, including the latest contest, a 75-67 setback against No. 14 Baylor on Feb. 21. 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. The BuffsGÇÖ five Big 12 wins match their totals in the previous two years combined (3-13 in 2005-06 and 2-14 in 2004-05).
Junior forward Jackie McFarland is living up to her All-Big 12 second team status in 2006, and then some. She is averaging 17.9 points and 10.9 rebounds per game, both marks ranking second in the Big 12. McFarland ranks third in NCAA Division I in field-goal percentage (.616) and 11th in rebounding through games of Feb. 18. She has 11 games of shooting 70 percent or better this season.
She is only the seventh player in CU history to register 1,200 points and 700 rebounds in a career and currently ranks in CUGÇÖs 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 16 double-doubles this season, ranking second in the Big 12, and nine in 14 conference games. She has 35 double-doubles and 36 double-digit rebounding gams in her career, both of which rank third on CUGÇÖs all-time list. McFarland has missed five other double-doubles this season by a single point or rebound.
Senior guard/forward Jasmina Ilic is second on the team in scoring at 12.7 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 44 3-point field goals and an 88.5 percent efficiency from the free-throw stripe, which ranks second in the Big 12. She entered the week 10th in the nation in free-throw percentage at 89.2.
Sophomore center Kara Richards is coming off her second career double-double netting 22 points and 10 rebounds against Baylor. She was 10-of-15 from the field against the Lady Bears and is shooting 59 percent from the floor on the season. Richards would sit second in the Big 12 in field-goal percentage, behind only McFarland, but barely lacks the minimum number of games played to be ranked. However, appearing in CUGÇÖs final two regular season contests will alleviate that issue, as she will reach the 75 percent minimum (21-of-28 games). She is fourth on the team in scoring (7.2 ppg) and second in rebounding (4.7 rpg) and tops the Buffs in field-goal percentage in Big 12 games at .594.
Junior guard Susie Powers is averaging 4.2 points and 2.2 assists per game and had a stand-out defensive effort against Kansas State while scoring nine points and grabbing six rebounds. She is hitting 41 percent from 3-point range during the Big 12 schedule.
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 2.4 per game and overall is third on the team in scoring at 7.8 points per contest. In her first game against Kansas, she had a career-high 25 points.
Colorado is receiving overall strong support from its freshman class. Redshirt freshman guard Bianca Smith is averaging 5.2 points per game and ranks 10th in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage (.353). She has distributed the ball well of late averaging 3.7 assists over her last three games. Guard Candace Rucker is averaging 3.7 points and 2.3 rebounds per game off the bench for the Buffaloes. She had a career-high eight points at Iowa State and had seven against Kansas State on Feb. 14, hitting a pair of free throws with just six seconds remaining in regulation to provide the winning margin. 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.
ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS: Kansas is 9-18 overall and last in the Big 12 at 3-11, but arguments can be made for the Jayhawks as one of the leagueGÇÖs hotter teams as the regular season schedule enters its final two games. KU started Big 12 play 0-9 with numerous near-misses. The Jayhawks broke out of their slump with their 70-68 overtime win over CU in Lawrence and followed that up with a last-second 50-49 win over Texas in Austin. Overall KU has won three of its last five and nearly upset defending Big 12 champion Oklahoma on Feb. 21, falling by just six in Lawrence.
The JayhawksGÇÖ backcourt duo of senior Shaquina Mosley and freshman Kelly Kohn each average 10.2 points per game and combine to average 7.1 assists per outing. Mosley has been on a roll in the second half of the season averaging 16.5 points, 7.9 rebounds and 5.5 assists over the last 11 games. Forward Taylor McIntosh leads Kansas in rebounding at 5.7 per game. Freshman Danielle McCray averages 9.7 points and 4.5 rebounds per outing.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 59th meeting between Colorado and Kansas with the Buffaloes holding on to a 30-28 series lead. Colorado has won 10 of the last 13 matchups, but will be looking to salvage a split in the season series as the Jayhawks topped the Buffaloes in overtime, 70-68, on Feb. 6. Season splits have not been the norm in recent years of this series. The winner of game one has prevailed in game two for seven straight seasons dating back to the last series split in 1999 when both teams won at home. Colorado is 15-9 all-time against Kansas in Boulder and has won six of its last eight by the Flatirons.
Kathy McConnell-Miller is 2-1 in her head coaching career against Kansas, all three games coming with Colorado.
HOME COOKING: The Buffaloes look to continue the momentum they have built at the Coors Events Center this season. Colorado is shooting 44 percent in 15 home games, far better than its 39.7 percent average in 10 road contests. CU is also rebounding better at home, with a margin of 4.9 per game while pulling down just under 40 a contest. On the road, CU is pulling down just 35.5 per game and giving up 38.4 to its opponents. The Buffaloes have been battling turnovers all season long and average over two more on the road (21.9 TOpg) than at home (19.5 TOpg). Rebounds and turnovers have allowed CU opponents to take 10 more shots per game (62-52) on the road than the Buffs, however the CU defense has held opponents to just 38.1 percent from the field on the road, which is better than the 40.1 percent allowed at home.
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.
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 22 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 606-368 in 32-plus seasons. CUGÇÖs overall .622 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 306-92 (.769) all-time at the facility.
CLIMBING THE 3-POINT LADDER: Jasmina Ilic hit a 3-point field goal against Baylor to increase her career total to 138, good for sixth place on CUGÇÖs all-time list. She needs 12 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 1,253 points through 83 career games (15.1 ppg).
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 20th on CUGÇÖs all-time scoring list with 1,049 points through 89 career games (11.8 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 35 career double-doubles and 36 double-digit rebounding games, which both rank third on the CU charts. Her 16 double-doubles this season, second-most in the Big 12, is 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 is fifth on CUGÇÖs all-time rebounding list at 729 and is surging up the single-season charts as well. Her 284 rebounds are eighth on CUGÇÖs single-season leaderboard and needs just 16 become the sixth player in team history with 300 rebounds in one season. Her current 10.9 per game average would rank as the third best mark in team history for a season. McFarland had a career-best 18 rebounds in the last 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 306-92 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.769). 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 10-5 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 close out regular season action with a game at Nebraska on Tuesday, Feb. 27, at 6:05 p.m. in Lincoln.