Colorado University Athletics
No. 19 Colorado Ventures To Oregon Friday
THE GAME: No. 19 (AP & USA Today Sports/Coaches) ranked University of Colorado begins its final regular season weekend at the University of Oregon on Friday, March 1, at 8 p.m. MT, at the Matthew Knight Arena in Eugene, Ore.
BROADCAST: Friday's game will be broadcast live on KKZN AM 760. Mike Rice will have the play-by-play with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary. A live video stream will be available on the Pac-12 Digital platform at Pac-12.com at this link: http://pac-12.com/live/goducks.aspx. The live stream is free to the public and not tied to a Pac-12 Network carrier.
OPENING TIP: Colorado is out for its 12th conference win which would be its most since the 1996-97 squad finished 12-4 in the first year of the Big 12. A win would also be CU's 23rd on the season, the most since the Buffaloes were 24-8 in 2002-03, head coach Linda Lappe's senior season.
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 22-5 overall and tied with Washington for fourth place in the Pac-12 at 11-5. By virtue of its win over Washington on Feb. 24, Colorado has the inside track for the No. 4 seed and a first round bye in next week's Pac-12 Tournament in Seattle. The Buffaloes have a 20-win season for the 19th time in team history and have their most wins in the regular season since the 2003-04 team also won 22 (finished 22-8). CU also has double-digit conference wins for the first time since 2003-04 (11-5 in the Big 12). The Buffaloes are just one game out of third place trailing UCLA (12-4) which visits the Arizona schools this weekend.
Colorado has won seven straight, its longest win streak within conference games since the 2001-02 squad won eight in a row during Big 12 play. All five of Colorado's losses have come to ranked teams, four against Stanford and California, ranked No. 7 or better at the time. The combined record of the three teams the Buffaloes have lost to this year is 72-10 with six of those losses coming against each other. UCLA was swept by Cal and Stanford. The Bay Area schools split their series earlier this season.
Colorado averages 66.1 points per game on 40.9 percent shooting from the field. Defensively, CU allows 53.6 points and has held opponents to 34.6 percent shooting for the year. Colorado ranks second in the Pac-12 and 10th in the nation in rebounding margin at +9.2, and 19th in the nation in field-goal percentage defense.
All-Pac-12 guard Chucky Jeffery leads the team in scoring (13.2 ppg), assists (4.1 apg), rebounds (8.6 rpg) and steals (2.3 spg). She recorded her ninth double-double of the season, and 29th of her career with 11 points and 13 rebounds in the win over Washington. Seven of her double-doubles have come during conference games. On the Pac-12 leaderboard Jeffery ranks fifth in assists, assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3), overall rebounding and defensive rebounds, sixth in steals, 12th in scoring and 15th in free-throw percentage.
Redshirt freshman forward Arielle Roberson is second on the team and ranks 17th in the Pac-12 in scoring at 12.3 points per game. She recorded her record fourth Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honor Monday after averaging 16.5 points and 8.0 rebounds to lead Colorado to a home sweep of the Washington schools. Roberson tops the Buffaloes in free-throws made and attempted (84-of-126) and also ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.7 rpg). Roberson ranks ninth in offensive rebounds (2.8 orpg) on the Pac-12 leaderboard.
Junior guard Brittany Wilson ranks second on the team in steals (1.4 spg) and assists (2.3 apg) while coming in fourth in scoring at 8.6 points per contest. She scored 13 points in the win over Washington and had a solid weekend overall from the field, hitting 60 percent (9-of-15). Wilson is second on the team in 3-pointers made (27) and has hit 80.6 percent from the free-throw line, ranking third on the league leaderboard.
Sophomore forward Jen Reese has made a successful return from an eye injury that kept her out of the final nine games of 2011-12. She is third on the team in scoring (9.0 ppg) and rebounding (4.9 rpg) while hitting 44.2 percent from the field and a team-best 81.4 percent from the foul line. Reese is averaging 14.5 points over the last four contests, including a career-high 22 in the win at Arizona State. She is 15th in field-goal percentage and 30th in scoring in the Pac-12.
Junior center Rachel Hargis is the only Buffalo to start all 27 games. A career 33 percent shooter entering the season, Hargis has made the most of her opportunity hitting 45.5 percent. She tied a season-best with seven rebounds at Arizona State and has picked up the pace defensively. Hargis has 12 steals in the last seven games and she leads CU in blocked shots with 29, ranking 11th in the Pac-12 at 1.1 per outing.
Sophomore Lexy Kresl leads Colorado in 3-pointers with 31 and is averaging 6.2 points and 2.8 rebounds per game. She scored in double figures for the fourth time this year with 12 points against Oregon. Kresl has been solid on the defensive side as well, recording 12 steals over the last six contests. She ranks 11th in the Pac-12 in 3-pointers made (1.2 3mpg).
Colorado's balance has served them well this season. Aside from Roberson and Jeffery averaging in double figures, six others average between three and nine points per game. In the home win over Arizona, nine different Buffaloes scored between six and 12 points. At California, nine different Buffs also scored, with seven netting between five and 11 points. Against Oregon eight players scored at least six points. With freshman Jamee Swan leading the team at Stanford with 14 points, she became the sixth different player to lead CU in scoring in a game this year.
ABOUT THE DUCKS: Oregon is 4-24 overall and in last place in the Pac-12 at 2-14. Three of Oregon's four wins have come at home, including a 65-60 decision against Washington State on Feb. 17. Oregon averages 61.5 points per game while shooting a league-low 33.6 percent from the field. The Ducks lead the Pac-12 in rebounding offense, grabbing 45.2 per game. Oregon is also the second-best 3-point team in the Pac-12, hitting nearly six per contest.
Freshman forward Jillian Alleyne is averaging a double-double on the season, scoring 13.1 points and pulling down 12.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Amanda Delgado is the top 3-point shooter on a 3-point shooting team with 57 on the season, ranking third in the Pac-12 on a per game basis (2.5 3mpg). Junior guard Ariel Thomas averages 10.6 points while dishing out 4.1 assists per game. Liz Brenner averages 7.7 points and 7.4 rebounds per game.
Paul Westhead is in his fourth season as head coach at Oregon with a record of 50-73.
THE SERIES: This will be the 15th meeting between Colorado and Oregon with the Ducks holding a 10-4 edge in the series. The Buffaloes snapped a six-game Oregon win streak in the series with an 84-59 win in Boulder on Feb. 10. Colorado is winless against the Ducks in Eugene (0-4), including a 67-62 decision on Feb. 4, 2012 in the first Pac-12 meeting between the two schools.
Colorado head coach Linda Lappe is 1-2 against Oregon. Paul Westhead is 2-1 against Colorado.
CONNECTIONS: Colorado sports one Oregon native on its roster, sophomore forward Jen Reese hails from Clackamas, and was a two-time Oregon Gatorade Player of the Year. Oregon has one Colorado native on its roster. Sophomore center Megan Carpenter is from Longmont. Oregon head coach Paul Westhead spent two years as head coach of the NBA's Denver Nuggets (1990-92).
ROBERSON PAC-12 HONORS: Arielle Roberson was named the Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Freshman of the Week for the week of Feb. 18-24, the league office announced on Monday.It is the fourth Pac-12 Freshman of the Week honor for Roberson, and her first during league play.
Roberson averaged 16.5 points and 8.0 rebounds to lead Colorado to a home sweep of the Washington schools last week. She shot 67 percent from 3-point range and 78 from the foul line as the No. 19 ranked Buffaloes extended their win streak to seven.
Roberson recorded her first career double-double with 17 points and a career-best 13 rebounds in the win over Washington State. Her eight offensive rebounds alone were also a career-best and a team season-high. She added two blocks and two steals with one assist.
She scored 16 points to lead CU in the win over Washington. Roberson made 2-of-3 from 3-point range for the second consecutive game and has made nine of her last 15 from downtown (.600). She was a perfect 6-of-6 from the line, a personal-high for free throws attempted without a miss.
Roberson earned the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week award three times during the nonconference schedule, and was the inaugural recipient of that honor on Nov. 12 after scoring 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting with six rebounds, five steals, two assists and two blocks in her collegiate debut - a 70-65 win over Idaho on Nov. 11.
The Pac-12 added Freshman of the Week to its weekly honors for the first time this season, joining the standard Player of the Week honor which this week went to Arizona's Davellyn Whyte. Roberson has won Freshman of the Week more than any other player, passing three others with three (Jillian Alleyne, Oregon; Lia Galdeira, Washington State; Talia Walton, Washington)
Roberson's honor is CU's seventh weekly award in the Pac-12 since the Buffaloes joined the conference in 2011, and sixth this season alone. Chucky Jeffery has earned two Pac-12 Player of the Week honors this season. Roberson's four weekly conference awards in one season are the most since Brittany Spears won four Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week honors in 2007-08.
ROBERSON ON THE OFFENSIVE GLASS: Freshman Arielle Roberson grabbed a career-high 13 rebounds against Washington State including eight on the offensive glass. Her eight offensive rebounds tie for eighth-best single-game performance in team history. Crystal Ford owns the school record with 10 against Eastern Illinois on March 16, 1988. CU players have had nine in a game six times, most recently by Randie Wirt vs. Colorado State on Dec. 6, 2000. Roberson's game is the 12th instance of eight offensive boards, most recently achieved by Julie Seabrook against Missouri on Jan. 22, 2011. Roberson is the 14th different player to have eight or more offensive rebounds in one game.
MORE ON THE DEFENSE: Colorado ranks second in the Pac-12 in scoring defense, just behind Stanford in both overall (53.6 ppg) and conference games (52.8 ppg).
Colorado is on pace to set team records in scoring defense and opponent field goal percentage. CU's overall 53.6 points per game allowed average is over three below the school record of 56.8 set in 1996-97. The Buffaloes have held opponents to 34.6 percent from the field, a pace that would exceed the 35.8 percent allowed in 1980-81.
Colorado has held 11 teams under 50 points, the most in any one season in team history. The Buffaloes had held nine under 50 in five other seasons, most recently occurring in 2002-03, head coach Linda Lappe's senior season. Colorado has held seven under 50 in Pac-12 play, including four of the last five.
Colorado has allowed just seven teams in the 60's all season and set a school-record by holding nine straight opponents under the 60-point mark.
Colorado has yet to allow 70 points in a game this year. This is the longest the Buffaloes have gone into any one season without allowing 70. The previous best was the 2011-12 team, that didn't allow 70 until game No. 13, a 75-67 loss at Washington.
CU held three straight conference opponents (Utah, Arizona State & Arizona) to 43 points or less, the first time the Buffaloes have held three straight opponents at 43 or under in conference play since 1980-81. It is also the eighth time in school history the Buffs have held their opponents under 50 in three consecutive outings.
Colorado had held its opponents to 24.6 percent shooting (49-of-199) over a 140 minute span (3 1/2 games) from the Utah game in Salt Lake City on Jan. 13 through the first half the game at California.
Colorado allowed just 36 points to Arizona, the fewest in a conference game since a 70-35 win at Kansas on Jan. 16, 2002. Arizona State was held to 17 points on 4-of-30 from the field in the second half of the Jan. 18 game. The four field goals were one shy of a school record (3 vs. Texas State 12/1/10 and Kansas State 3/7/92). The 13.3 percent allowed was just a fraction off the all-time opponent low for a half, 13.0 (3-of-23) vs. Kansas State on 3/7/92). That weekend Arizona State and Arizona combined for 79 points (39.2 ppg) and 24 percent from the field (26-of-107). The Buffaloes scored 79 points in their win over Arizona alone.
NATIONALLY RANKED: Riding a seven-game winning streak, CU moved up one spot to No. 19 in the Associated Press Women's Basketball Top 25 poll and four spots to No. 19 in the USA Today Sports Coaches poll this week.
CU's No. 19 ranking is its highest in nearly nine years in either poll.
It's the program's best since the week of March 15, 2004, when the Buffaloes were ranked No. 17 by the AP and No. 16 in the coaches' poll.
Colorado, 22-5 overall and 11-5 in the Pac-12, received 288 points in the AP poll, up from 253 last week. The Buffaloes have resided in the AP poll for the last 11 weeks, its longest run since appearing in all 19 polls of the 2003-04 season. The Buffaloes have a long history of rankings in the AP poll, dating back to the 1980-81 season. This week's ranking marks the 169th time Colorado has appeared in the AP poll, trailing only Stanford, USC and UCLA among Pac-12 schools.
In the coaches' poll, Colorado received 182 points, nearly doubling last week's total of 98. The Buffaloes have been in the coaches' poll for seven-straight weeks and eight overall this season. This week's ranking marks the 159th time Colorado has appeared in the coaches' poll dating back to the 1988-89 campaign.
All five of Colorado's losses have been to ranked teams, including two each to Stanford and California ranked No. 7 or better at the time. After last weekend's games, Stanford remained at No. 4 AP and No. 5 coaches, and California stayed at No. 6 in both polls. UCLA held steady at No. 17 in the AP and No. 16 in the coaches' poll. The Buffaloes do have one top 10 win on their resume, a 70-66 win over then-No. 8 Louisville on Dec. 14. The Cardinals are currently ranked No. 16 by the AP and No. 14 by the coaches.
LAPPE AND COLORADO IN THE POLLS: Head coach Linda Lappe joined some elite company when the Buffaloes received their first AP ranking in five years. She is only one of eight NCAA Division I women's head coaches to have played for an AP ranked team, and then return to lead that same program into the AP poll. Overall she is the 31st person to play for and coach an AP ranked program.
The Buffaloes were ranked for 29 weeks during Lappe's playing career (1998-03) including 27 straight from Jan. 22, 2001 through the end of her junior year (March 11, 2002). CU's highest AP ranking during that span was No. 10, on March 4, 2002.
SUCCESS ON THE ROAD: Colorado is 7-3 away from Boulder this season and is 16-10 in its last 26 true road contests since the tail end of the 2010-11 campaign. Prior to the start of this run, The Buffaloes had just five wins in their previous 37 road games dating back to the 2008 Big 12 Conference schedule.
Colorado's last road win was one of its most dramatic during its recent success. The Buffaloes erased an eight-point halftime deficit at Arizona State on Feb. 17 (35-29), and actually trailed by 12 early in the final period, before storming back for a 71-63 win. The comeback was its largest since defeating Nebraska 75-73 at home on Jan. 31, 2009 after trailing by eight at the half (42-34). It was CU's largest comeback on the road since a 56-51 win at Missouri on Jan. 18, 2004 after trailing by eight at the break (28-20).
This comeback wasn't CU's first on the road this season. The Buffaloes trailed Illinois by six at halftime (36-30) before claiming a 69-62 win. Colorado's win at Illinois was its first road win against a major conference opponent in a nonconference regular season game since defeating No. 20/17 ranked Vanderbilt, 62-51, on Dec. 9, 2007.
In other road highlights this season, Colorado held Utah to 43 points in Salt Lake City on Jan. 13, its fewest allowed in a true road game since a 45-42 win at Pacific on Dec. 18, 2004
Colorado scored 83 points at Denver, the most in a true road contest since scoring 83 in a 3-point loss at Colorado State on Nov. 30, 2005. CU's 10-point halftime lead was its largest on the road since leading Colorado State 38-22 on Nov. 20, 2011.
Colorado's 23-point win at UMKC, was its biggest on the road since an 82-47 win at Colorado State on Dec. 1, 2007.
JEFFERY PAC-12 AWARD: On the heels of consecutive double-double performances, senior guard Chucky Jeffery was named the Pac-12 Conference Women's Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 3-10. She averaged 18.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in leading CU to wins over Oregon State and Oregon.
She had 22 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high three blocked shots against Oregon State. Jeffery's scoring total put her over the 1,500 point milestone and also moved her into 10th on CU's all-time scoring list. Friday's double-double marked the 10th 20-10 double of her career and third this season. Jeffery hit 8-of-12 free throw attempts and drained 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
Against Oregon, Jeffery scored 15 points, grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and dished out three assists in 29 minutes. She hit a season-high three 3-pointers, finishing at 62.5 percent from long range on the week (5-of-8). It was Jeffery's fourth career double-double with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds. Her three assists also moved her into fourth place on CU's all-time list with 445.
Remarkably, Jeffery's overall Player of the Week award is Colorado's first during a conference schedule since Reagan Scott earned Big 12 Conference honors on Feb. 24, 1997. The Buffaloes had several Rookie of the Week winners over the years during Big 12 league play, including Jeffery in 2010, and current head coach Linda Lappe in 1999.
The Pac-12 Player of the Week honor is Jeffery's second of the season and third of her career. She was also recognized on Dec. 17, 2012, after guiding the Buffaloes to wins over Denver and then-No. 8 ranked Louisville, and as a junior on Dec. 5, 2011.
The Dec. 17 honor came with some national recognition as well Jeffery was named the espnW National Player of the Week. The U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) named Jeffery its Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week and she also received national and Pac-12 Player of the Week honors from collegesportsmadness.com.
Jeffery averaged 18 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line in wins over Denver and No. 8 ranked Louisville. Against Louisville she had a game-high 22 points along with seven rebounds, four assists and one steal as the Buffaloes claimed their first win over a top-10 opponent since defeating No. 5 Stanford in the 2002 NCAA Sweet 16. Jeffery had 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals in the road win over Denver.
BUFFS EXPERIENCED FROM DEEP: While Colorado looks to continue an inside-outside balance on its 2012-13 squad, there is no questioning its experience from shooting from the perimeter. The Buffaloes have four players with at least 50 career 3-point field goals, and all four rank among CU's career Top 20. Junior Brittany Wilson tops the Buffaloes' effort with 97, tied for 10th on CU's all-time list. Sophomore Lexy Kresl, who a freshman record last year with 63, is 12th with 94. Senior Meagan Malcolm-Peck is 13th at 87 and Chucky Jeffery rounds out the current Buffs at 16th with 70.
JEFFERY MOVING UP CAREER LADDERS: Senior guard Chucky Jeffery is 10th in career scoring at 1,561, just 13 points away from moving into ninth place. She is the only player in team history with 1,500 points, 800 rebounds and 400 assists.
Jeffery has an outside shot at Colorado's career steals record. She is currently in fourth with 277, just 10 out of second place and 26 behind Laurie Welch's school record of 303 set from 1978-82.
She also ranks fourth in assists (465), sixth in rebounds (891), eighth in minutes (3,791), 10th in field-goals made (587) and starts (103), 12th in free-throws made (317), 13th in blocks (68) and 16th in 3-point field goals (70).
In other miscellaneous categories Jeffery is also fifth in double-doubles (29), fourth in double-figure rebounding games (32) and eighth in double-figure scoring games (87).
HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 382-128 all-time record at the Coors Events Center (.749). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CEC in 24 of 35 years. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CEC.
BUFFS ON TV: Colorado's regular season schedule featured 10 regionally or nationally televised games. CU played nine regular season games on the Pac-12 Networks, and added a 10th on ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain at Denver on Dec. 11.
A program-best seven regular season games were televised nationally while two others aired on regional networks. CU's first Pac-12 Tournament game will also be televised nationally, as would any ensuing round through the championship game, which will air Sunday, March 10, on ESPN2.
The Buffaloes made their Pac-12 Network debut on Jan. 4 against defending league champion Stanford; their first of four straight televised games on the network. Colorado had five straight road games televised beginning with Utah on Jan. 13, through a Super Bowl Sunday matchup at USC on Feb. 3.
CU has appeared on 109 regional or national telecasts since 2001.