Colorado University Athletics

Front Range Showdown Brings Cowgirls To Coors

Front Range Showdown Brings Cowgirls To Coors

THE GAME: The University of Colorado hosts the University of Wyoming on Sunday, Dec. 21, at 2 p.m. at the Coors Events Center in Boulder.

UGLY SWEATER DAY: Sunday the Buffaloes will host Ugly Holiday Sweater Day at the Coors Events Center.  The first 500 fans will receive a special CU Ugly Holiday Sweater T-shirt. In addition, fans who wear their holiday sweaters to the game will receive general admission tickets for just $5. Be sure to show off your holiday best during the game because the fans with the ugliest sweaters will win prizes.

Click here to read more about Colorado's holiday themes for its final two nonconference games.

BROADCAST: SundayGÇÖs game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary.  A free live video stream will be available through ColoradoGÇÖs Pac-12.com video player. All CU womenGÇÖs basketball home games that are not televised will be available through Pac-12.com at this link
http://pac-12.com/videos/university-colorado

OPENING TIP: Colorado is looking for its 400th win at the Coors Events Center. The Buffaloes are currently 399-136 (.746) in their 36th season at the Coors Events Center.

ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 6-3 after dropping back-to-back road games at No. 22/19 Iowa and Missouri. The Buffaloes return to the friendly confines of the Coors Events Center where they have won five of six this season.

The Buffaloes have been solid offensively overall averaging 76.3 points per game while shooting 43 percent from the field and 71 percent from the free throw line. Colorado has hit 80 points four times this season and the 97 points scored against San Jose State are the most in the Linda Lappe era and most since scoring 100 against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 18, 2005.

Defensively, Colorado has allowed 68.4 points per game on 35.0 percent from the field. The Buffaloes are the Pac-12GÇÖs top rebounding team, pulling down 48.7 per game. Colorado is second in field goal percentage defense (.350), rebounding margin (+8.4) and blocked shots (6.0 bpg).

Senior forward Jen Reese leads Colorado by averaging 14.9 points and 8.9 rebounds per game while hitting 46 percent from the field and 82 percent from the free throw line. Reese scored a career and team-season high 26 points in the win over Colorado State. She also matched a personal-best with 14 rebounds for her sixth career double-double and third of the season. Her 26-point performance also marked the third time this season sheGÇÖs hit the 20-point mark and sixth of her career. Reese was named to the Omni Hotels Classic All-Tournament team.

On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Reese is sixth in overall rebounding, seventh in free throw percentage, eighth in defensive rebounds (6.1 drpg) and 10th in scoring and offensive rebounds (2.8 orpg).

Senior guard Lexy Kresl is averaging 10.7 points per game, leads Colorado in assists (5.6 apg) and steals (1.3 spg) and tied for the top spot in 3-pointers with 20. Kresl led all players with 17 points on 5-of-11 from 3-point range in the loss to Missouri. She was MVP of the Omni Classic averaging 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists in the two-game classic. During that stretch, not only did she record her first career double-double, she topped that with just the fourth triple-double in program history in the win over Colorado State (12 points-11 rebounds-11 assists).

Kresl is third in the Pac-12 in assists and also ranks sixth in 3-pointers made (2.2 3mpg) and 15th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4) and defensive rebounds (4.9 drpg).

Junior forward Jamee Swan is averaging 13.2 points and 7.9 rebounds while hitting 48 percent from the field; ranking second in the team in all three categories. She scored a career best, and matched a team season high with 26 points in the win over San Jose State. Swan also had 11 rebounds to record her third career double-double and first of the season.

Swan tops Colorado and ranks second in the Pac-12 in blocked shots (1.8 bpg) while ranking third in offensive boards (3.4 orpg), 10th in rebounding and 17th in scoring.

Sophomore guard Haley Smith leads Colorado in field-goal accuracy at 53.6 percent while averaging 12.0 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. She recorded her first career double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds against San Jose State; both numbers marking personal bests. She hit 10-of-14 from the field during her career-best day against the Spartans.

On the Pac-12 leaderboard Smith ranks ninth in field goal percentage, 12th in overall rebounding, 15th in defensive rebounds (4.8 drpg) and 19th in scoring.

Senior guard Jasmine Sborov is averaging 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds and ranks second on the team in assists with 25. Against Iowa, Sborov led Colorado with career-highs in points (17) and rebounds (12) for her second career double-double. Sborov also dished out a career-high nine assists against San Jose State. She had a pair of blocked shots in the game at Missouri which put her in 13th on the Pac-12 leaderboard at just under one per game.

Sophomore wing Lauren Huggins is averaging 6.9 points per game and leads the team in 3-point shooting, connecting on 20-of-43 from long range for an impressive 46.5 percent. She has hit 10 of her last 19 (.526). Huggins was 4-of-7 from ling range against Colorado State, hitting three of her four in the overtime sessions. Two of those came in the final minute of the first overtime, including one with 1.7 seconds remaining to send the game into the second extra period. Huggins ranks sixth in the Pac-12 in 3-pointers made and is seventh in 3-point percentage.

Forward Zoe Beard-Fails has provided a nice spark off the bench averaging 4.3 points and 3.8 rebounds.  Beard-Fails had eight points and three rebounds in 21 minutes at Missouri. She has shown the knack of getting to the foul line ranking third on the team in attempts, hitting 19-of-28. She had a career-high seven rebounds in the win at Denver.

ABOUT WYOMING: Wyoming is 5-4 overall having dropped two of its last three. The Cowgirls are coming off a 70-56 home loss to Gonzaga on Dec. 12. Wyoming averages nearly 70 points per game while hitting 40 percent from the field and 69 percent from the foul line. The Cowgirls are very good in protecting the rock, limiting their turnovers to just under 11 per game, ranking fifth nationally. Opponents are averaging 58.7 points per game shooting 37 percent from the field. Wyoming opponents have a slightly better rebounding edge than the Cowgirls, pulling in one more per game.

Junior guard Marquelle Dent leads Wyoming at 17.7 points and 5.7 assists per game. The Denver native also shoots 44 percent from the field while pulling in nearly five rebounds an outing. Senior forward Kayla Woodward, a 2014 All-Mountain West Conference selection, tops the Cowgirls in rebounding at 7.7 per game while ranking second in scoring at 14.2 points per contest. Senior guard Kaitlyn Mileto averages 10.4 points per game and is WyomingGÇÖs top 3-point shooter with 26 and is hitting 42 percent beyond the arc.

Joe Legerski is in his 12th season as WyomingGÇÖs head coach with a record of 221-130.

THE SERIES: This will be the 46th meeting between Colorado and Wyoming with the Buffaloes holding a commanding 36-9 lead in the series. This will tie the Colorado State series as the most played nonconference match up in team history and the 36 wins are the fourth most against any one team. Colorado has won the last four meetings including a 63-59 decision in Laramie on Dec. 4, 2013. The Buffaloes are 21-2 all-time against Wyoming in Boulder and have won the last two.

ColoradoGÇÖs Linda Lappe is 3-0 against Wyoming as a head coach. Joe Legerski is 3-5 against Colorado as a head coach.

BACK TO THE BOARDS: Colorado has outrebounded eight of its nine opponents this season by an average of 8.4 per game. The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 in overall rebounds (48.7 rpg) and offensive boards (16.1 orpg) while ranking second on the defensive end (32.6 drpg).

Colorado recorded 60 rebounds in the San Jose State game hitting that mark for the first time since pulling down 60 against Marquette in the first round of the 1994 NCAA Tournament.

The Buffaloes have two players ranking in the top 10 in rebounding in the Pac-12. Jen Reese leads the effort in sixth at 8.9 per game while Jamee Swan is 10th (7.9 rpg).

KRESLGÇÖS DISH: Lexy Kresl recorded the fourth triple-double in team history by scoring 12 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists in the double overtime win over Colorado State on Nov. 29.

Her triple-double was the teamGÇÖs first since Chucky Jeffery recorded the second of her two triple-doubles at Oklahoma State on Mar. 25, 2012 during the Postseason WNIT. Sandy Bean achieved the programGÇÖs first triple-double against Utah State on Feb. 16, 1979.

For Kresl, both the rebounds and assists figures were career-highs. It was actually her second GÇ£doubleGÇ¥ of the week. Kresl put together her first career double-double in the win over Denver with 10 points and 10 assists. 

Nine of her assists in the Denver game came in the first 20 minutes, tying a school record for assists in one half originally set by Whitney Law against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 18, 2005.

Counting ColoradoGÇÖs prior three triple-doubles, KreslGÇÖs points-assists double-double was the 14th in team history and first since JefferyGÇÖs triple at OSU (12 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists).

WORKING OVERTIME: Colorado played in overtime in three of its first seven games. The Buffaloes won the last two, defeating San Jose State 97-89 on Dec. 5 and Colorado State 87-81 in double overtime on Nov. 29, after dropping a 79-78 decision to Western Kentucky on Nov. 17.

Colorado played back-to-back overtime games for the first time in team history with the San Jose State and CSU contests. The Buffaloes had two overtimes in a three-game span in February 1988.

The double overtime game with CSU was just the sixth in team history and first since an 84-77 setback to Iowa State on Jan. 13, 2008. Lexy Kresl set a school single game record by playing in 49 minutes against Colorado State.

ColoradoGÇÖs win over San Jose State improved its all-time record to 23-23 all-time in overtime. The Buffaloes are 3-3 in double overtime games.

ItGÇÖs the fifth time Colorado has played three overtime games in one season and first since 1995-96; the most in any one campaign. This is the first instance where all three games have happened during the nonconference schedule. Overall itGÇÖs the 14 time Colorado has played multiple overtime games in one season.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Colorado has a record of 50-25 since the beginning of the 2012-13 season. Of those 25 losses, 13 have been to ranked teams and 12 of those ranked higher than Colorado at the time the game was played. The Buffaloes have won 47 of their last 59 games against unranked opponents.

The Buffaloes have been dominant in regular season nonconference games under Linda Lappe. Colorado is 47-8 in that stretch since the beginning of the 2010-11 season. The Buffaloes have won 40 of their last 44 regular season nonconference contests. The Buffaloes  put together 33 straight nonconference wins from Dec. 30, 2010 through Dec. 12, 2013.

REESEGÇÖS PIECES: Senior forward Jen Reese has joined one elite group in Colorado history and is well on her way to join another.  Reese became the 21st player to reach 500 career rebounds during the Missouri State game. She is currently 18th on ColoradoGÇÖs all-time list with 544.

The 6-2 shooter is also ColoradoGÇÖs active leading scorer with 921 career points, putting her well within range to become the 26th player in team history to reach 1,000.

Hitting both marks would make her just the 15th player in team history to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

KRESL SOLID FROM ARC, LINE: Senior guard Lexy Kresl ranks  seventh in career 3-pointers attempted (472) and is eighth in 3-pointers made (144)

She has made a 3-pointer in 77 of 104 career games and has 38 contests with two or more buckets from long range. Kresl hit five against Missouri, tying a season high and also marking her sixth career game with five or more 3-pointers.

Kresl has also been one of ColoradoGÇÖs most reliable free throw shooters over the past three seasons. Her career percentage of 83.0 (142-of-171) would rank fourth on the BuffsGÇÖ all-time list (minimum of 100 attempts).

Kresl hit 84.1 percent from the line in 2013-14 (69-of-82) ranking third in the Pac-12 Conference. Her mark was also good for 19th on ColoradoGÇÖs single-season list.

Kresl has a shot at reaching 1,000 career points entering SundayGÇÖs game at 834.

HUGGINS SHOOTS UP LIST: With 13 3-pointers over the last five games, sophomore Lauren Huggins has put herself among  the BuffaloesGÇÖ career leaders. She is currently 18th on the all-time list with 60.

SWANGÇÖS SWATS: Junior forward Jamee Swan ranks second in the Pac-12 in blocked shots at 1.8 per game. She has 20 blocks over the last 11 games dating back to last season.

Swan has 80 career blocks ranking 10th CUGÇÖs all-time list.

AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 0-1 against ranked teams this season after dropping a 78-63 decision at No. 22/19 Iowa. The Hawkeyes are one of four teams on the BuffaloesGÇÖ schedule ranked in the Top 25 joining Stanford, California and Oregon State.

The Buffaloes have dropped their last 13 against ranked opponents. Colorado is 62-155 all-time against ranked opponents.

OMNI HOTELS CHAMPS: Colorado won its Omni Hotels Classic championship for the 18th time by defeating Missouri State and Colorado State. The Buffaloes improved to 46-10 all-time in their home holiday classic and won their sixth straight title.

CHALLENGING START: Colorado opened a season with two teams that made the NCAA Tournament the previous year (North Dakota & Western Kentucky) for the first time since 2003-04 when the Buffaloes hosted Old Dominion and Notre Dame in the WBCA Classic. Only twice since then had the Buffaloes even played one team in their first two coming off a trip to the big dance, Loyola-Marymount in 2004-05 (Game 1) and Vanderbilt in 2006-07 (Game 2).

Two of ColoradoGÇÖs three opening opponents, North Dakota and Arkansas State, are their respective conferenceGÇÖs top preseason pick and Western Kentucky was selected second. The Buffaloes have also faced two conference preseason players of the year in Western KentuckyGÇÖs Chastity Gooch and Arkansas StateGÇÖs Aundrea Gamble.

HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 399-136 all-time record at the Coors Events Center (.746). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CEC in 25 of 36 years. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CEC.

Colorado was 12-6 at Coors in 2013-14 and has won 23 of its last 31 and 34 of its last 45 at home.