Colorado Renews Rivalry With USC Thursday

THE GAME: The University of Colorado returns home to host the University of Southern California on Thursday, Jan. 26, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.

BROADCAST: Due to a conflict with the CU men's game, Thursday's radio broadcast will be carried on KVCU AM 1190 with Mike Rice handling play by play duties and Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary. Live video of Thursday's game can be seen on BuffsTV, a subscription service through CUBuffs.com. Live audio is available at CUBuffs.com through BuffsTV and the BuffsRadio free subscription.

OPENING TIP: Colorado is looking for its 15th win of the season, which would equal its 2010-11 regular season total. The Buffaloes would go on to win three postseason WNIT games to finish off a successful campaign at 18-16.

ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 14-4 overall, and 3-4 in Pac-12 play. The Buffaloes are tied with Washington State and UCLA for fifth in the Pac-12 standings, and just one game out of fourth place. CU snapped a three-game skid with a thrilling 56-54 win at Arizona on Jan. 22. The win over Arizona gives CU three conference road wins this season, its most since the 2003-04 NCAA Tournament squad won five league games away from Boulder.

Colorado now returns home for five of the next seven after beginning the Pac-12 season with five of its first seven on the road. The Buffaloes dropped their lone two home Pac-12 games so far, those coming to the top two teams in the league standings, No. 4 ranked Stanford and California. Colorado is 7-2 overall at home this season.

Colorado has shown balance with five players averaging between eight and 15 points per game and six averaging at least five per contest. Overall the Buffaloes are averaging 64.1 points per game and shooting 42.4 percent from the field, but they're looking to rebound from a cold Pac-12 start. CU is at 37.3 percent through seven Pac-12 games averaging 55.7 points per contest. CU's defense has held its opponents to 56.6 points per game, ranking fourth in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes also rank third in field-goal percentage, rebounding defense (34.3 rpg) and rebounding margin (+6.8).

Junior guard Chucky Jeffery leads the Buffaloes at 15.3 points, 7.7 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game. She is prominent on the Pac-12 leader board ranking third in defensive rebounds (6.2 drpg), fourth in scoring, assists and steals (2.2 spg), sixth in free-throw percentage (.772), eighth in blocked shots (1.1 bpg), ninth in overall rebounding, 12th in field-goal percentage (.476) and 15th in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9).

Jeffery has scored in double-figures in 15 of Colorado's 18 games. She hit the decisive basket against Arizona, breaking a 54-54 tie with just 17.7 seconds remaining. She has a team-best five double-doubles on the season, tied for seventh in the Pac-12. She was the MVP of CU's Omni Hotels Classic and was named Pac-12 Women's Basketball Player of the Week on Dec. 4.

Senior forward Julie Seabrook leads Colorado and ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in field goal accuracy at 57.5 percent while also ranking 13th in offensive rebounds (2.3 orpg). She is averaging 10.4 points and 4.7 rebounds in Pac-12 play ranking second in the league in shooting at 58 percent during that span. Seabrook, who scored in double-figures for three straight games for the first time in her career during the league season-opening road trip, has made 8-of-15 from 3-point range during conference action, topping the Pac-12 in that category.

Freshman guard Lexy Kresl is second on the team in scoring at 9.6 per game and leads the Buffaloes in both 3-point field goals (31) and free-throw percentage at 84 percent. She has hit at least one 3-pointer in 16 of 18 games. Kresl ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in 3-pointers made (1.7 3mpg) and 25th in scoring.

Sophomore guard Brittany Wilson is third on the team in scoring at 9.1 points per game and is second on the team in assists (40) and steals (24). She earned her second straight start in the Arizona game and responded with a team-high 15 points to go along with four steals and four assists, including the dish on Jeffery's game-winning basket. On the Pac-12 charts Wilson ranks 14th in 3-pointers made (1.3 3mpg).

Brittany's twin sister Ashley Wilson is hitting 52 percent from the floor (25-of-48) while averaging 3.5 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. Wilson had nine points on 4-of-5 shooting off the bench against Stanford, a personal best during league competition. She established an overall career high scoring 13 points in the win over Weber State.

Freshman forward Jen Reese made her first career start in the win over Arizona, responding with 12 points and a team-high seven rebounds. Reese is averaging 8.2 points per contest and shooting 50 percent from the field (59-of-118), ranking 10th in the Pac-12. She recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in the win at Washington State. Reese has also been hitting the boards, ranking second on the team with 6.0 per game, improving to 6.6 during Pac-12 games. She earned UTSA Holiday Classic All-Tournament honors by averaging 12.5 points and 4.5 rebounds while shooting 66.7 percent over the two games (10-of-15).

Junior forward Meagan Malcolm-Peck is averaging 4.8 points and 4.7 rebounds per game. She had season-highs of nine rebounds and three blocked shots in the UTSA Holiday Classic win over Texas-Pan American. Malcolm-Peck is second on the team in offensive rebounds (36) and third in assists (28).

Sophomore Rachel Hargis, who averages 4.4 points and 3.8 rebounds per contest, had a solid game against California scoring 10 points while grabbing five rebounds and blocking three shots. This was the second double-figure scoring game for Hargis, the other also served as her first career double-double netting 12 points and 11 rebounds against Texas Pan-American.

Freshman guard Jasmine Sborov has seen extended minutes over the last three games, scoring 11 of her 21 season points and playing 38 of her 149 total minutes during that span.

Colorado's bench has been outstanding, accounting for 33 percent of the team's scoring (21.3 ppg) and 42 percent of its rebounding (17.2 rpg). In addition to Reese, came off the bench for the first 17 games, the Wilson twins and Kresl have been consistent in scoring whether coming off the bench or starting (Kresl has 12 starts, Brittany Wilson has six while Ashley has four), combining for 27.8 points in a reserve role. Against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi the Buffaloes had a season-high 43 bench points (Jeffery 19, Reese 13, Kresl 11).

HISTORIC START: Colorado started the season 12-0 for just the third time in team history and first since the 1992-93 squad won a school record 15 games to begin the season. The 12-0 start ties for the second best start in school history. Here is a break down of CU's best starts:

Year Start Final Record Other
1992-93 15-0 27-4 NCAA Elite 8
2011-12 12-0 ?? Best Start Since 1992-93
1980-81 12-0 28-5 *AIAW National Tourn. First Round
1993-94 7-0 27-5 NCAA Sweet 16
1982-83 7-0 21-8 #Big Eight Semifinals
1988-89 6-0 27-4 NCAA First Round

*-CU's first national tournament appearance; #-First year of Big Eight Conference round-robin play.

NUMBERS ON 12 STRAIGHT: Colorado won 12 straight games for the seventh time and this season's streak is tied for the fifth longest in team history. It was also CU's longest win streak since its school-record 25-game streak in 1994-95. Here are the Buffs' all-time best win streaks:

Wins Season Record Notable
1. 25 1994-95 30-3 NCAA Elite Eight, 14-0 in Big Eight
2. 20 1988-89 27-4 NCAA 1st Round, 14-0 in Big Eight
3. 15 1992-93 27-4 NCAA Elite Eight, 15-0 season start
4. 14 1991-92 22-9 NCAA 1st Rd, Big Eight Tourney Champs
5. 12 2011-12 ?? 12-0 Tied Second Best Season Start
12 1981-82 28-8 AIAW National 1st Round
12 1980-81 28-5 First of two 9-plus winning streaks in '81
8. 11 2007-08 19-15 WNIT Semifinalist
9. 9 2003-04 22-8 NCAA 1st Round
9 1993-94 27-5 NCAA Sweet 16
9 1992-93 27-4 NCAA Elite Eight, Big Eight Champs
9 1980-81 28-5 First AIAW National Appearance
9 1978-79 22-9 3rd place in AIAW Regional

ABOUT THE TROJANS: Southern California is 10-7 overall and in third place in the Pac-12 at 5-2, just one-half game behind California, which is second at 6-2. The Trojans have played one of the toughest schedules in the nation with three of their losses coming to Top 10 ranked teams. USC averages 65.1 points per game while hitting 38 percent from the field and 68 percent from the free-throw line. The Trojans are one of the better 3-point shooting teams in the Pac-12, ranking second in percentage (.340) and third in 3-pointers made per game (5.9) on the league charts.

Senior guard Ashley Corral leads the Trojans in scoring (12.6 ppg) and assists (3.2 apg). Corral also tops the Pac-12 in 3-pointers made (49) and percentage (.412). Senior guard Briana Gilbreath is second on the team in scoring (11.8 ppg) and has a team best 33 blocked shots, ranking third in the Pac-12. Junior forward Christina Marinacci leads the Trojans in rebounding (7.3) while pitching in 7.9 points per game. Sophomore forward Cassie Harberts averages 11.6 points per game.

SERIES RECORDS: This will be the seventh meeting between Colorado and USC, with the Trojans holding a 4-2 lead, winning the last four. All six prior meetings have come in the last nine years, including two wins by USC in 2010-11, a 68-54 decision in Los Angeles in the first round of the Trojans' Women of Troy Tournament and an 87-70 win in Boulder in the quarterfinals of the 2011 Postseason WNIT. The Buffaloes won the first two games, taking both ends of a home-and-home series in 2002 and 2003.

Colorado head coach Linda Lappe is 0-2 against USC. Trojans' head coach Michael Cooper is 2-0 against the Buffaloes.

CONNECTIONS: Colorado sports three players from California on its roster and all three from the greater Los Angeles area. The Wilson twins, Ashley and Brittany, hail from Long Beach while freshman guard Esther Lee is from L.A. The Wilson's were high school teammates with USC redshirt sophomore Thaddesia Southall and freshman guard Ariya Cook at Long Beach Poly. USC head coach Michael Cooper was assistant coach for the NBA's Denver Nuggets in 2004-05 and was actually the interim head coach for 14 games following former CU men's coach Jeff Bzdelik. Cooper played 12 years and won five NBA titles with the Los Angeles Lakers from 1979-90.

ROAD WARRIORS: Colorado has won seven of its last nine road games and also seven of its last nine away from home (both encompassing a slightly different set of games). Prior to the Washington game, the Buffaloes had won six-straight both in true road games and games away from Boulder, each being the program's best such streaks since the 2003-04 squad won six in a row in true road contests.

Additionally, Colorado has won five of its last seven conference road games after only winning four of the previous 30 dating back to the 2007-08 Big 12 season.

Colorado began the Pac-12 season with three straight on the road finishing 2-1. It was CU's first three-game conference road stand since 1997, the inaugural season of the Big 12. In that string, the Buffaloes lost at Kansas State on Feb. 19, but bounced back to win games at Missouri on Feb. 23 and No. 12 ranked Texas on Feb. 26, sparking an eight-game win streak that carried Colorado through the first Big 12 Tournament Championship and an appearance in the 1997 NCAA Sweet 16.

Colorado returned home for California and Stanford after nearly a month away from home, spanning five games, which hadn't happened since the end of the 2001 season with a final regular season road game and then four neutral site Big 12 and NCAA Tournament games. The five away from home hadn't been done entirely in the regular season since the 1993-94 team played seven in a row away from Boulder in the late preseason (5) and early Big Eight Conference schedule (2).

FOR OPENERS, CONFERENCE VERSION: Colorado improved to 22-16 in all-time in conference openers with its 58-52 win over Utah. The win snapped a three-game losing streak in road conference openers for the Buffaloes.

DEFENDING THE HOOP: Colorado allowed just 51.7 points in the 11 nonconference games, limiting the opponent to just 33.2 percent shooting overall (34.6 percent on two-point attempts and 29.7 from three-point range). The Buffaloes held five nonconference opponents under 50 points. CU has held its opponent under 50 points 11 times in CU head coach Linda Lappe's 52-game tenure.

REBOUNDING WOWS: Colorado has been even or outrebounded its opponent in 13 of 18 games, including 11 in a row prior to the Washington game. CU's margin of plus-6.8 on the season, ranks third in the Pac-12. CU had a big night on the glass against San Francisco, ending with a margin of plus-33 (53-20). That plus-33 margin overall is tied for the ninth best margin in team history and tied for the fourth best since the NCAA/Big Eight Conference era began with the 1982-83 season. It's also the widest margin since the Buffaloes put up a similar plus-33 margin against Bowling Green (59-26) on Nov. 23, 2001. Those two games are the best since CU outrebounded Northern Arizona by 34 (56-22) on Dec. 18, 1993.

Rebounding Margins Since 1982-83 Season
Team Date CUR OppR Margin
Northern Arizona 12/18/1993 56 22 +34
Oklahoma 2/18/1990 67 33 +34
Texas El-Paso 11/19/1982 67 33 +34
San Francisco 11/30/2011 53 20 +33
Bowling Green 11/23/2001 59 26 +33
at Colorado State 12/1/2007 58 26 +32
Northern Colorado 2/13/2006 53 22 +31

Colorado has grabbed 50 or more rebounds four times this season, including a high of 54 against Texas-Pan American. It's the most 50-plus rebound games for the Buffaloes since they also had four during the 1994-95 season.

On the other end of the spectrum, CU's 20 rebounds allowed to San Francisco tied for the second-lowest in team history. The Buffaloes held a team at 20 on three other occasions, most recently against Loyola Chicago in a 65-34 win on Nov. 27, 2010. The record low is 19, set against Northern Arizona on Feb. 7, 1981.

PLAYER OF THE WEEK: Chucky Jeffery earned Colorado's first ever Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week honor on Dec. 4. Her award was the fourth overall for the Buffaloes in their inaugural Pac-12 season, joining three football winners from earlier this fall. The league Player of the Week honor is also the first for women's basketball since Brittany Spears was named Big 12 Conference Player of the Week on Nov. 23, 2009. For Jeffery, it's her second similar honor, as she was the Big 12 Freshman of the Week winner on Jan. 11, 2010.

Jeffery averaged 28 points and 11 rebounds while shooting 64.5 percent from the floor, leading the Buffaloes to wins over San Francisco (84-66) and Idaho (68-59).

CHUCKY DOUBLES: Chucky Jeffery has five double-doubles on the season, tied for seventh in the Pac-12, including a string of three-straight (Wisconsin-San Francisco-Idaho). It was the first time a CU player had double-doubles in three-straight games since Jackie McFarland had two separate strings of three during the 2006-07 season. She joins Bridget Turner as the only other guard in team history with three-straight double-doubles. Turner pulled the trifecta during the 1988-89 season, with one of her doubles the points-assists variety.

Overall she is the seventh player to achieve three straight double-doubles. CU Athletic Hall of Famer Lisa Van Goor holds the consecutive mark of six during the 1980-81 season.

LEXY AMONG ELITE COMPANY: Freshman guard Lexy Kresl scored in double-digits in the first six games of her career, tying CU Athletic Hall of Fame member and All-American Shelley Sheetz for the second-most in team history. Current CU Director of Basketball Operations Tracy Tripp holds the mark of 10, set during the 1985-86 season.

CHUCKY REBOUNDS: Junior guard Chucky Jeffery became the 20th player in team history to reach 500 rebounds in the win over Washington State and now sits at 525, 18th on CU's all-time list. She has a career average of 6.8 per game which jumps to 7.8 since the beginning of her sophomore year (48 games). She had a career night on the glass at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, grabbing 16 rebounds in the win over the Islanders. Her 16 rebounds were the most by a CU player since Jackie McFarland recorded 18 at Kansas on Feb. 6, 2007.

LEXY'S RECORD NIGHT: Freshman guard Lexy Kresl had a memorable collegiate debut making 5-of-6 3-point attempts in the first half of CU's 84-60 win over Northern Arizona. She tied a school record for 3-pointers made in one half, a feat that had happened five previous times by three players. Bianca Smith, who was the last person to hit five in one half (vs. Nebraska on Jan. 31, 2009), did it three times. Kate Fagan and CU Athletic Hall of Famer and All-American Shelly Sheetz are the other two.

STEALING THE SHOW: Colorado recorded 16 steals against Northern Arizona in the season opener, its most in a single game since swiping 18 against Texas Southern on Dec. 14, 2007. It's just the third time since the 2003-04 season that the Buffaloes have had 16 or more steals in one contest (16 vs. Pacific on Dec. 8, 2005).

Seven different Buffaloes registered steals against Northern Arizona, led by sophomore Brittany Wilson who had a career high with five. Freshmen Jasmine Sborov and Jen Reese each had three in their collegiate debuts.

MALCOLM-PECK CLIMBING IN 3-POINTERS, BLOCKS: Junior Meagan Malcolm-Peck ranks 13th on CU's all-time list for 3-pointers with 73 and needs one to catch Sabrina Scott (1999-03) for 12th. She is 14th in career blocked shots with 61.

JEFFERY MOVING UP CAREER LADDERS, 1,000 POINTS ON THE HORIZON: Junior guard Chucky Jeffery recorded her 300th career assist at Arizona, and is tied with De Celle Thomas (1992-96) for 15th on CU's all-time list with 301. She is also tied with current Director of Operations Tracy Tripp (1985-88) for 11th in all-time steals at 174. In addition she is 16th in blocked shots (51) and 18th in rebounds (525).

Jeffery has 953 career points, needing just 47 to become the 24th player in team history to reach 1,000. She is on pace to be just the 10th player to reach that milestone before her senior year.

HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 362-122 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.748). 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 will feature at least nine regionally or nationally televised games in 2011-12. CU made its first appearance on The Mtn in the win over Colorado State on Nov. 20. Colorado will have eight games air on ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain. The first was the San Francisco game on Nov. 30, followed by Idaho (Dec. 4), Denver (Dec. 8), Stanford (Jan. 14) and at Arizona (Jan. 22). Also scheduled for ROOT Sports are UCLA (Jan. 29), Utah (Feb. 18) and Oregon (Mar. 1). All ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain games are available nationally on DIRECTV and DISH Network.

The games with Arizona and UCLA are part of the Pac-12's FSN national package. In addition, CU's home game against Arizona State on Saturday, Feb. 11, is part of the Pac-12's FSN Wildcard Weekend. One of the five league contests scheduled for that date will be picked up for national broadcast, but that determination won't be made until the last week in January. If the CU-Arizona State game is selected for FSN the game time will change from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. MST, per conference guidelines.

CU has appeared on 91 regional or national telecasts over the last 10 seasons.

Colorado University Athletics