No. 21 Nebraska Shuts Down Colorado Offense

BOULDER – Kiera Hardy had 16 points and Chelsea Aubry pitched in 11 to lead No. 21-ranked University of Nebraska over the University of Colorado 54-44 in a Big 12 Conference contest Saturday afternoon at the Coors Events Conference Center.

Colorado (10-13, 4-7 Big 12) was held to its lowest point total of the season and the lowest at home since scoring just 41 against Texas Tech on Jan. 15, 2005. Nebraska (21-4, 9-2 Big 12) wins its fourth straight over the Buffaloes and maintains a tie for first place in the league standings with Texas A&M University.

Junior Jackie McFarland led Colorado with nine points and 13 rebounds. Despite seeing her streak of 38 straight double-digit scoring games come to an end, McFarland became just the 16th player in team history to reach 1,200 points finishing at 1,203.

Senior Jasmina Ilic, junior Susie Powers and freshman Whitney Houston each had eight points for Colorado, who did not have a player score in double-digits for the first time in 77 games (vs. No. 2 LSU, Nov. 27, 2004).

Nebraska, which never trailed in the game, used a 12-2 run mid-way through the first half to open up a 10-point lead. Colorado shot 31 percent in the first half and scored just 20 points in the period, the Buffs' lowest at home this season.

Colorado opened the second half on a 13-4 run to cut the Nebraska lead down to one. McFarland and sophomore Kara Richards each scored a pair of baskets and Powers hit a 3-pointer during the stretch as CU was within 34-33 with 14:25 left in the game.

Nebraska answered with a 9-0 run to lead 43-33 with 10:35 remaining. Ilic and Bianca Smith hit consecutive 3-pointers to bring the Buffaloes back to within four at 43-39, but the Huskers would hold CU to just two field goals over the final 8:18 of the game.

Colorado will travel to play Kansas State University on Wednesday, Feb. 14, at 6 p.m. MST in Manhattan, Kan.