Buffs Unbeaten Record On The Line In Pacific NW
THE GAME: The University of Colorado travels to the Pacific Northwest to play Washington on Thursday, Jan. 5, at 8 p.m. MST at the Bank of America Arena in Seattle. The Buffaloes will then play at Washington State on Saturday, Jan. 7, at 2 p.m. MST at Friel Court in Pullman, Wash.
BROADCAST: Due to a conflict with the CU men's game, Thursday's game will air on KVCU AM 1190. Saturday's game will air on KKZN AM 760. Mike Rice will handle the play-by-play and Carol Callan of USA Basketball will have the color commentary. Live audio is available through BuffsTV through the BuffsRadio free subscription.
OPENING TIP: Colorado is allowing its opponents just 52.2 points per game and 33.9 percent shooting (95-of-280) in its five games away from Boulder this season.
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 12-0, tying its second best record to start a season in team history (1980-81) and best since the 1992-93 squad won a school record 15 games to begin the season. The Buffaloes, who finished the nonconference regular season unbeaten for the second time in team history (12-0 in 1992-93), tipped off the Pac-12 Conference era in fine fashion by defeating Utah 58-52 in the league opener for both schools on Dec. 31. Colorado is 18-3 in its last 21 games and finished 22-12 in the 2011 calendar year. The Buffaloes are one of just six unbeaten teams left in NCAA Division I joining Baylor, Texas Tech, Ohio State, Maryland and Wisconsin-Green Bay.
Colorado has shown balance with five players averaging between seven and 18 points per game and seven averaging at least five per contest. The Buffaloes are averaging 68.5 points per game and shooting 45 percent from the field. CU's defense has held its opponents to 51.8 points per game, ranking second in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes also rank second in rebounding defense (31.3 rpg), field-goal percentage (.450) and 3-point percentage (.355) and third in scoring margin (+16.8), defensive rebounds (29.8) and rebounding margin (+11.8).
Junior guard Chucky Jeffery leads the Buffaloes at 17.1 points, 8.4 rebounds and 4.6 assists per game. She is third in the Pac-12 in scoring, assists and defensive rebounds (6.8 drpg) and also ranks sixth in overall rebounding and minutes (32.8 mpg), eighth in free-throw percentage (.737), ninth in field-goal percentage (.529) and blocked shots (1.2 bpg), 10th in steals (1.9 spg) and 14th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0).
Jeffery has scored in double-figures in each of Colorado's first 12 games and has a team-best five double-doubles on the season, also tied for third 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. One main reason for her early success, is her percentage numbers have skyrocketed. Jeffery is enjoying career best shooting numbers and over the last seven games she has shot 56 percent from the field (54-of-97), 63 percent from 3-point range (10-of-16) and 75 percent from the free-throw line (15-of-20).
Freshman guard Lexy Kresl is second on the team in scoring at 11.8 points per game and leads the Buffaloes in both 3-point field goals (26) and free-throw percentage at 83 percent. Kresl earned All-Tournament honors at the UTSA Holiday Classic averaging 14.5 points over the two games while shooting 55 percent from the field (11-of-20). She hit a career-best six field goals in the second game against Creighton, including her game-winner as time expired. Kresl ranks third in the Pac-12 in 3-pointers made (2.2 3mpg), sixth in 3-point percentage (.394) and 15th in scoring.
Sophomore guard Brittany Wilson is third on the team in scoring at 9.5 points per game and is second on the team in assists (30) and steals (15). She has dished out 24 of her 30 assists over the last seven games (3.4 apg). On the Pac-12 charts Wilson ranks 12th in 3-pointers made (1.4 3mpg).
Brittany's twin sister Ashley Wilson has enjoyed a solid start to her sophomore season. She is hitting 47 percent from the floor (17-of-36) including a career-best 13 point performance against Weber State. Wilson averaged 11 points and 4.5 rebounds in the final two games of CU's recent home stand while shooting 69 percent from the floor (9-of-13). Wilson averages three rebounds per game, and is the only player on the team with more offensive rebounds (17) than defensive boards (16).
Junior Meagan Malcolm-Peck has played well defensively, averaging 5.3 points and 5.0 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 has 26 offensive rebounds and her 2.4 per game average ranks 13th in the Pac-12.
Colorado's front court duo of senior Julie Seabrook and sophomore Rachel Hargis are the only two players to start all 12 games. Seabrook leads Colorado in field-goal percentage at 58.5 percent (38-of-65), ranking sixth in the Pac-12. Seabrook, who also ranks 12th in the league in offensive rebounds (2.4 orpg), had an impressive start to the Pac-12 season, scoring 17 points, including a career-best four 3-pointers in the win at Utah. Hargis, who averages 5.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per contest, had her season's best performance against Texas-Pan American, registering her first career double-double. She had personal bests of 12 points and 11 rebounds against the Broncs while shooting 5-of-10 from the field.
Freshman Jen Reese has also been a major producer off the bench. Reese is averaging 7.9 points per contest and shooting 49 percent from the field (35-of-72). Reese has also been hitting the boards, ranking third on the team at 5.7 per game. 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).
Colorado's bench has been outstanding, accounting for 34 percent of the team's scoring (23.3 ppg) and 41 percent of its rebounding (17.7 rpg). In addition to Reese, who has come off the bench for each game, the Wilson twins and Kresl have been consistent in scoring whether coming off the bench or starting (Kresl has seven starts, Brittany Wilson has four while Ashley has three), combining for 30.9 points in a reserve role. In fact the Wilson sisters provided a major spark off the bench in a very twin-like performance over Weber State, each producing identical numbers of 13 points on 6-of-10 from the field. Against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi the Buffaloes had a season-high 43 bench points (Jeffery 19, Reese 13, Kresl 11).
HISTORIC START: Colorado is 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. A win Thursday would allow the 2011-12 Buffaloes sole possession of 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 has won 12 straight games for the seventh time and its current streak is tied for the fifth longest in team history. It's 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 Ties 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 HUSKIES: Washington is 8-4 overall and 0-2 in league play, after dropping road games at Oregon State (60-55) and Oregon (88-86) to begin the Pac-12 schedule. The Huskies average 67.2 points per game while shooting 41 percent from the field. Washington has the second best field-goal percentage defense in the Pac-12, holding its opponents to 33.5 percent. UW's foes are also only averaging 58.1 points per game. Washington has won six of seven at home this season, its lone loss coming in the season-opener against UC Davis.
Senior center Regina Rogers averages 17 points per game and ranks second in the nation in shooting at 67 percent. Freshman guard Jazmine Davis is second on the team in scoring at 11.4 points per game and tops the Huskies in assists (39) and 3-point field goals (20). Senior forward Mackenzie Argens is UW's third double-digit scorer at an even 10 per game while averaging 7.8 rebounds an outing.
ABOUT THE COUGARS: Washington State is 8-6 overall and 2-0 in the Pac-12 after sweeping Oregon (75-47) and Oregon State (61-54, 2OT) on the road to open league play. The Cougars, who have already matched last year's win total of eight, enjoyed their first Pac-12 road trip sweep since the 1994-95 season. WSU averages 66 points per game while hitting 42 percent from the field. The Cougars are second in the Pac-12 in turnover margin at plus-2.6 and fourth in steals at 10.8 per game. Washington State hosts Utah on Thursday before CU visits on Saturday.
Washington State doesn't have a player averaging double-digits, but are as balanced as they come with five players averaging between seven and nine points per game and eight averaging at least five. Reigning Pac-12 Player of the Week Jazmine Perkins leads the Cougars at 9.4 points, 8.0 rebounds and a league-best 3.0 steals per game. Junior center Carly Noyes averages 8.5 points and 3.9 rebounds while shooting a team-best 59 percent from the field.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the ninth meeting between Colorado and Washington with the Buffaloes holding a 6-2 edge. Colorado has won the last five in the series, including a 76-74 overtime win in Seattle on Dec. 21, 2004, in the last meeting between the two programs.
This will be just the third meeting between Colorado and Washington State with the series tied at 1-1. Colorado's win was a 84-70 triumph at home on Jan. 8, 1985. Washington State's win came in Pullman, 81-76, on Dec. 5, 1998.
Colorado head coach Linda Lappe has never faced Washington or Washington State as a head coach. Washington head coach Kevin McGuff has never faced Colorado as a head coach. Washington State head coach June Daugherty is 0-2 against Colorado, both games coming while she was head coach at Washington.
CONNECTIONS: First-year Washington assistant coach Mike Neighbors was a CU assistant coach in 2005-06 under Kathy McConnell-Miller.
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.
ROAD WARRIORS: Colorado has won six straight games away from Boulder and also six straight true road games (both streaks encompass a slightly different set of games). Colorado won its last three road games of 2010-11 and is 3-0 in road contests in 2011-12. The Buffaloes are 5-0 away from Boulder this season, adding a sixth with the 2011 Postseason WNIT win at Wyoming. Both streaks are the program's best since the 2003-04 won six in a row on the road.
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 46-game tenure.
REBOUNDING WOWS: Colorado has outrebounded its opponent in 11 straight games and overall by a margin of plus-11.8 on the season, ranking third in the Pac-12 and 11th in the nation through games of Jan. 1. 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.
Additionally, 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 third in the Pac-12, including a string of three-straight (Wisconsin-San Francisco-Idaho). It was the first time a CU player has 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 had a career night on the glass at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, grabbing 16 rebounds in the win over the Islanders. Her total surpassed her previous personal best of 13, which she had achieved three other times, most recently in the win over CSU last year in Boulder. 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 AMONG BEST FROM 3-POINT RANGE: Junior Meagan Malcolm-Peck was 2-of-5 from 3-point range against Utah, becoming the 13th player in team history with 70 3-pointers. Her career .323 average (70-of-217) would rank 18th in school history.
JEFFERY MOVING UP IN STEALS, ASSISTS, MORE ON THE HORIZON: Junior guard Chucky Jeffery had one steal at Utah, moving her career total to 157. She is the 13th player in team history with 150 career steals. Jeffery is 17th on CU's all-time list for assists at 280 She is also just two blocks and six rebounds from cracking the career Top 20 in those respective categories.
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) and Denver (Dec. 8). Also scheduled for ROOT Sports are Stanford (Jan. 14), at Arizona (Jan. 22), 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.