Buffs Outrun Roadrunners

BOULDER – Jackie McFarland had 22 points and Anna Nedovic had a season-high 10 points and 10 rebounds to lead the University of Colorado past Cal State University Bakersfield, 76-61, Thursday night at the Coors Events/Conference Center.

Colorado snaps a four-game losing streak and improves to 6-6 overall. Cal State Bakersfield, in its first year of a four-year transition from NCAA Division II to Division I, falls to 6-4.

McFarland made her first seven shots of the game en route to a team season- high 9-of-10 from the field while adding nine rebounds, four assists, four steals and two blocked shots. The Buffaloes shot 51.4 percent in the first half (18-of-35), building a 15-point halftime lead (45-30).

Nedovic recorded her seventh career double-double and her first since a 15- point, 13-rebound performance against the University of Northern Colorado on Feb. 13, 2006. She was 2-of-3 from 3-point range after hitting just two 3- point field goals in her previous 10 games this season.

Colorado used its size advantage to double up the Roadrunners on the boards 50-25. The Buffaloes benefited from 20 offensive rebounds, five from Nedovic alone, scoring 36 points in the paint and outscoring the Roadrunners 19-7 in second chance points.

Freshman Bianca Smith scored 12 points, hitting 4-of-8 from 3-point range. She missed her first two from downtown, but hit three straight in the final 4:21 of the first half as the Buffaloes ended the period on a 22-8 run to take a 45-30 lead.

Thursday's game marked the return of sophomore center Kara Richards who had missed the last seven games with a fracture in her left foot. Richards started strong scoring eight of the Buffs first 10 points and ended the evening with 10 points and three rebounds in 15 minutes. Freshman Aija Putnina, who had missed the last two games with a foot injury of her own, had four rebounds, one block and one assist in 10 minutes.

Colorado is scheduled to host the University of Houston in its final nonconference game of the season on Saturday, Dec. 30, at 7 p.m. at the CECC.