Colorado University Athletics
Buffaloes Look For Road Win At Kansas State Wednesday
THE GAME: The University of Colorado continues Big 12 Conference action by traveling to face Kansas State University on Wednesday, Feb. 16, at 6 p.m. MST at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan.
BROADCAST: Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on FSN Rocky Mountain and FSN Kansas City. Brent Stover will have the play-by-play alongside Missy Heidrick with the color commentary. Wednesday's game will be broadcast on KKZN AM 760. Mike Rice will have the play-by-play alongside Carol Callan of USA Basketball with the color commentary. Live internet audio is available on CUBuffs.com, through the BuffsRadio free subscription.
OPENING TIP: Senior Brittany Spears needs just 15 points to catch Jackie McFarland for second place on CU's all-time scoring list. McFarland, who was a senior during Spears' freshman season, scored 1,957 from 2004-08.
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 12-11 overall and tied with Oklahoma State and Missouri for eighth place in the Big 12 standings at 3-7. Colorado is just one game behind seventh place Texas Tech (4-6) and two behind fifth place Texas and Iowa State (both at 5-5). The Buffaloes, who have already matched their league win total from a year ago (3-13), will now look to match their 2009-10 overall win total of 13 (13-17). The Buffaloes will be looking for their first win away from Boulder this season (0-7) and first true road win in eight tries dating back to the 2009-10 campaign.
Overall the Buffaloes are giving up 59.5 points per game while allowing only 38.4 percent from the field. CU's defensive strength has come from the perimeter, allowing just 28.4 percent from beyond the arc, ranking second in the Big 12 and 39th in the nation. Colorado has also been winning the battle of the boards, outrebounding or equaling its opponent in 18-of-23 games and by an average of 5.5 boards an outing (more on CU rebounding below).
Senior guard/forward Brittany Spears leads CU and ranks seventh in the Big 12 in scoring at 17.8 points per game. She is also second in defensive rebounds (5.9 drpg), fourth in overall rebounding (8.1 rpg), sixth in 3-point field goals (2.2 3mpg), 10th in minutes (32.3 mpg) and 11th in blocked shots (1.0 bpg), free-throw percentage (.779) and steals (1.7 spg).
Spears is averaging 18.4 points and 8.6 rebounds in Big 12 play. She had 12 points and 11 rebounds in the loss to Texas Tech for her 30th career double-double and eighth of this season which ranks third in the Big 12. She has logged double digits in scoring in 22-of-23 games this season and in 101-of-116 career outings. Her 101 career games in double-figures is the third most in team history trailing only Lisa Van Goor (108 from 1980-85) and Jackie McFarland (102 from 2004-08). Spears, who tied her own team season-high 26 points in the win over Nebraska, also leads the team in 3-point field goals (50) and blocks (24) and is second in steals (40) and rebounds on a per game basis (8.1 rpg).
Sophomore guard Chucky Jeffery is CU's top rebounder on a per-game basis (8.5 rpg) while ranking second on the team in scoring at 14 an outing. Jeffery has seven double-doubles this season, ranking fifth in the Big 12, including the second triple-double in team history by recording 10 points, 13 rebounds and 10 assists against Loyola Chicago.
Jeffery leads the Big 12 in steals (3.0 spg) and defensive rebounds (6.2 drpg) while ranking second in overall rebounding, sixth in assists (4.5 apg), 12th in field-goal percentage (.484) and 14th in scoring, assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) and offensive rebounds (2.3 orpg).
Sophomore guard/forward Meagan Malcolm-Peck is averaging 6.9 points and 4.4 rebounds and is second on the team in blocked shots (14). She tops the Big 12 in 3-point percentage during league play at 50 percent (12-of-24) and is eighth on the league's overall season charts at 39.7 percent (27-of-68).
Junior forward Julie Seabrook is averaging 5.7 points and 5.8 rebounds per game while shooting a team best 48.6 percent from the field (54-of-111). She has shot 60 percent or better in 10 games, and 50 percent or better in 13 outings. Seabrook ranks 14th in the Big 12 in rebounding during Big 12 games at 6.1 per game and she is ninth in offensive rebounding at 2.6 per contest. She has four games of double-digit rebounds, including a season-best 11 boards in the win over Missouri.
Freshman guard Brittany Wilson is averaging 8.4 points and 3.9 rebounds per game and is one of three Buffs -- joining Spears and Jeffery -- with at least 30 assists and 30 steals. Her 31 total steals rank third among freshmen in the Big 12. Wilson set a career-high by scoring 22 points in the loss at Kansas and dished out a personal-best six assists against Nebraska.
Senior guard Britney Blythe has had recent success from downtown making nine of her last 20 (.450), including a 3-for-6 effort in the win over Nebraska. She has hit 37 percent from deep during the Big 12 season, ranking ninth on the league charts.
Freshman center Rachel Hargis is becoming a solid player off the bench. Hargis is averaging four points, 4.8 rebounds and 1.2 blocked shots over the last five games, including career highs with six points and eight rebounds in 26 minutes against Nebraska
ABOUT THE WILDCATS: Kansas State is 16-7 overall and in fourth place in the Big 12 standings at 6-4, one game up on Texas and Iowa State. The Wildcats have lost two straight, including their first home setback of the season, a 69-59 decision against Texas on Feb. 9. K-State, still 11-1 in Bramlage this season, averages just under 62 points per game while shooting 40 percent from the field and 30 percent from 3-point range. The Wildcats' defense has held opponents to just 54.1 points per game, ranking second in the Big 12. KSU's field-goal defense (.364) ranks fourth best on the league charts.
Sophomore guard Brittany Chambers paces the Wildcats at 15.5 points and 5.7 rebounds per game. She ranks third in the Big 12 with 60 3-pointers on the season. Junior forward Jalana Childs averages 12.9 points per game while grabbing five rebounds per contest. Sophomore guard Taelor Karr averages 10 points per game with five rebounds. Sophomore guard Mariah White tops the Wildcats and ranks 10th in the Big 12 at four assists per game.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 68th meeting between Colorado and Kansas State, briefly tying the Nebraska and Missouri series for the most played in Buffaloes' history (CU will play Missouri on Feb. 26 and Nebraska on Mar. 2). The Wildcats took over the all-time series lead at 34-33 after defeating the Buffaloes 72-59 on Jan. 26 in Boulder, their first lead since the 1992 Big Eight Conference season. KSU has won five of the last six meetings, but the Buffaloes claimed a 63-57 decision in the last meeting in Manhattan on Jan. 20, 2010. In fact, the road team has won the last four in this series (excluding the 2009 Big 12 Championship neutral site meeting). Kansas State holds a 17-13 series lead in Manhattan.
COLORADO AND KANSAS
STATE, LAST 10:
Date
Result
Date
Result
1/26/11
(H)
L,
59-72
2/21/09
(A)
L, 60-72
3/3/10
(H)
L,
70-72
2/23/08
(H)
W, 73-68
1/20/10
(A)
W,
63-57
1/19/08
(A)
L, 60-67
3/12/09
(N)
L,
51-68
2/14/07
(A)
W, 60-58
3/7/09
(H)
L,
61-71
1/31/07
(H)
W, 66-55
CONNECTIONS: Kansas State head coach Deb Patterson, in her 15th season, is one of five Big 12 coaches that were at their current position when CU head coach Linda Lappe played for the Buffaloes from 1998-2003. Colorado assistant coach Jennie Baranczyk began her professional career under Patterson as KSU's Director of Basketball Operations in 2004-05 and was a full time assistant coach for one season (2005-06) before moving on to Marquette. Buffs' assistant Johnna Pointer grew up about 10 minutes from KSU associate head coach Kamie Ethridge in west Texas, with both eventually starring at the University of Texas. Ethridge led Texas to the 1986 NCAA title as a senior while Pointer was an All-Southwest Conference performer, helping Texas to four NCAA apperances from 1988-92.
BUFFS REBOUNDING: One of Colorado's biggest improvements as a team this year is rebounding. The Buffaloes are currently averaging 39.9 rebounds per game while allowing just 34.4 per contest. CU's rebounding margin of +5.5 ranks sixth in the Big 12 and 39th in NCAA Division I. In 2009-10 the Buffaloes averaged just 35.1 per contest while allowing opponents 36.9 a game.
Colorado has equaled or outrebounded 18-of-23 opponents this season, and three of those games where CU was outrebounded, it was by two or fewer boards. Colorado has equaled or outrebounded seven Big 12 opponents this year compared to just four of 16 Big 12 games in 2010.
CU pulled down a season high 53 rebounds in the win over Missouri, tying for the most ever by the Buffaloes in a Big 12 game. CU also had 53 in a 69-40 win at Texas A&M on Feb. 8, 1997. Colorado's 20 offensive rebounds were its most in a Big 12 game since grabbing 20 in a 67-53 win over Texas on Feb. 16, 2008. Colorado's plus-18 rebound margin against Nebraska (45-27) was its most in a Big 12 game since out dueling Texas 50-29 (+21) on the boards on Feb. 16, 2008.
CU DOUBLES: Colorado is the only school in the Big 12 with two players sporting seven or more double-doubles this season. Senior Brittany Spears is tied with Baylor's Brittney Griner for third in the Big 12 with eight double-doubles, while sophomore Chucky Jeffery is in a three-way tie for fifth with seven.
Big 12
Double-Double Leaders
11 Toni Young,
Oklahoma State
10 Danielle Adams, Texas
A&M
8
Brittany Spears,
Colorado
8 Brittney Griner,
Baylor
7 Chucky Jeffery,
Colorado
7 Kierra Mallard, Texas
Tech
7
Kathleen Nash, Texas
Spears has 30 career double-doubles after her 12-point, 11-rebound performance against Texas Tech. Jeffery's career total is eight in her young career.
JEFFERY, SPEARS BEST REBOUNDING DUO IN BIG 12: Chucky Jeffery ranks second in the Big 12 in rebounding at 8.5 per game, just a fraction behind Texas A&M's Danielle Adams for the league lead. Brittany Spears ranks fourth in the same category at 8.1 per contest. The CU duo's 16.6 boards per outing is the best mark for a pair of teammates in the Big 12:
1. Chucky Jeffery
(8.5), Brittany Spears (8.1), Colorado
16.6
2.
Kathleen Nash (8.3), Ashley Gayle (7.7),
Texas
16.0
3. Aishah
Sutherland (7.9), Carolyn Davis (7.3),
Kansas
15.2
4. Brittney
Griner (8.1), Melissa Jones (6.9),
Baylor
15.0
5.
Danielle Adams (8.5), Adaora Elonu (6.0), Texas
A&M 14.5
Jeffery and Spears also rank 1-2 overall on the league charts in defensive rebounds. Jeffery tops the Big 12 with 6.2 defensive boards per contest with Spears right behind at 5.9.
BLYTHE PROTECTS THE ROCK: Senior guard Britney Blythe not only routinely takes on the task of guarding the opponents best offensive back court player, but she's among the best in the Big 12 this season in protecting the ball on the other end.
Blythe has just 25 turnovers this season, seven of which came in the first two games. She has turned the ball over only 18 times in the last 21 games had a string of four straight games without a turnover snapped against Texas.
Blythe is second in the Big 12 in fewest turnovers over a 40 minute stretch and is eighth for straight up turnovers per game (minimums are 75 percent of games played and 350 minutes played):
Big 12 Turnovers
Per 40 Minutes
Name,
School
MP
TO TO/40
Min
1.
Jordan Barncastle, Texas
Tech
467 18
1.54
2.
Britney Blythe,
Colorado
617 25
1.62
3.
Melissa Jones,
Baylor
751 32
1.70
4. Maryann
Baker, Texas
A&M
439 19
1.73
5. Kaitlyn
Burke,
Nebraska
715 31
1.73
Big 12 Turnovers
Per Game
Name,
School
GP
TO
TOPG
1.
Jordan Barncastle, Texas
Tech
24
18
0.75
2. Maryann Baker, Texas
A&M
24
19 0.79
2. Kelsey Harris, Iowa
State
24
19 0.79
4. Carol Blair-Mobley, Oklahoma
State
23
22 0.96
5. Jessica Periago,
Nebraska
24
23
0.96
Also
8. Britney Blythe,
Colorado
23
25 1.09
NOTING THE NEBRASKA GAME: Colorado's 25-point margin of victory over Nebraska (70-45) was its largest in a Big 12 game since defeating Kansas 73-42 in Boulder on Feb. 5, 2003. This was Colorado's largest margin of victory against Nebraska since a 95-60 home win on Feb. 6, 2002, nine years ago to the date. Colorado's 39 first half points were its most in a Big 12 game since scoring 40 against Kansas State on Feb. 23, 2008, a 73-68 CU win. Colorado's 18 assists were its most in a Big 12 games since dishing out 21 in an 82-71 loss to Iowa State on Feb. 7, 2009. The 45 points allowed to Nebraska was CU's lowest in Big 12 play since a 59-41 win over Kansas on Jan. 22, 2008.
BUFFS BREAK RANKING STREAK: Colorado's 66-60 overtime win over Iowa State broke a string of 24-straight losses to ranked teams and 21-game skid against teams ranked in both AP and WBCA Coaches polls (Iowa State was ranked only in the WBCA poll in one meeting last season as was Kansas State in two meetings in 2008-09). Prior to the upset, CU's last win over a ranked opponent was a 73-68 decision over No. 15/15 Kansas State on Feb. 23, 2008.
The last time the Buffaloes beat a ranked ISU team was on Jan. 23, 2002, in an 86-73 win at home. At that time, Colorado was ranked 20/19 as ISU secured a 14/10 position in the polls. The win marked the first time in history that a non-ranked Colorado team has beaten a ranked ISU squad.
SPEARS' STARTING STREAK: Senior Brittany Spears has started a school record 116 straight games. She passed the previous mark of Amy Mathern (1989-93) with her 113th straight start in the Texas game on Jan. 30. Spears' mark is also the record for consecutive starts at the beginning of a career as she passed Lisa Van Goor (1980-85) when she started her 101st game against Illinois on Dec. 4. With her scheduled 117th start coming up on Wednesday, she will move into tie for third place with CU Athletic Hall of Fame guard Bridget Turner and current CU Director of Basketball Operations Tracy Tripp who both started 117 games from 1985-89.
JEFFERY 'STEALS' THE SHOW: Sophomore Chucky Jeffery had a career and team season-high seven steals in the win over Colgate. It's the 21st time a Buff has registered seven or more steals in a game, but the first since Damietta Velicica had seven vs. Tulane on December 6, 1997. Jeffery, leads the Big 12 at 3.0 steals per game, has had six steals in three other games this season (Regis, Evansville and Kansas) and has at least three steals in 12 of 20 games.
SPEARS CLIMBING CAREER LADDERS: Senior guard/forward Brittany Spears scored 18 points at Kansas, becoming the third player in team history to reach 1,900 career points, now at 1,942 Spears also ranks second in field-goals made (710) and attempted (1,677), fourth in rebounds (907), double-doubles (30), blocked shots (140) and 3-point field-goals made (206) and attempted (610), fifth in games started (116), seventh in minutes (3,851), eighth in steals (216), and 11th in free-throws made (316) on CU's all-time charts.
Spears is now just 15 points behind Jackie McFarland (2004-08) for second place on CU's all-time scoring list, 58 from becoming the second player in team history to score 2,000 and 125 behind all-time leading scorer Lisa Van Goor (1980-85). Based on a minimum seven games remaining (six regular season, one Big 12 Championship), Spears needs to average 8.3 points per game to reach 2,000 and 17.9 per game to catch Van Goor.
HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 352-118 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.749). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 22 of the previous 33 years. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CECC.
BUFFS ON TV: Colorado's regular season schedule features nine games televised either regionally or nationally, seven of which are at home. CU's season opener against Regis on Nov. 12 was the first FSN Rocky Mountain televised followed by Colorado State (Dec. 8), North Dakota (Jan. 4), Kansas (Jan. 12), Kansas State (Jan. 26) and Nebraska (Feb. 6). FSN Rocky Mountain will also televise home games against Oklahoma (Feb. 23) and road games at Kansas State (Feb. 16) and Nebraska (Mar 2). The home game against Nebraska was televised nationally on FSN as part of the network's Big 12 package.
CU has appeared on 81 regional or national telecasts over the last nine seasons.