Buffs Begin "Rematch" Season, Host Arizona Thursday
THE GAME: The University of Colorado continues Pac-12 Conference play by hosting the University of Arizona on Thursday, Feb. 9, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.
BROADCAST: Due to a conflict with the CU men's game, Thursday's radio broadcast will be carried on KVCU AM 1190 with Mike Rice handling play by play duties and Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary. Live video of Thursday's game can be seen on BuffsTV, a subscription service through CUBuffs.com. Live audio is available at CUBuffs.com through BuffsTV and the BuffsRadio free subscription.
OPENING TIP: Colorado faces its first rematch game of the season as Arizona will be the first Pac-12 opponent the Buffaloes see for a second time. CU clipped the Wildcats 56-54 on Jan. 22, in Tucson.
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 15-7 overall, and tied with Washington and Washington State, for eighth in the Pac-12 standings at 4-7. The Buffaloes' 15 wins equal their regular season total from 2010-11, before moving on to the quarterfinals of the 2011 Postseason WNIT, finishing at 18-16. Colorado has lost three straight and six of its last eight after a 67-62 setback at Oregon on Feb. 4. The three game skid equals CU's longest this season, with its last slide snapped with the win at Thursday's opponent, Arizona. Colorado will close out the Pac-12 regular season schedule with five of seven at home, including the next three.
Colorado has shown balance with five players averaging between eight and 15 points per game. Overall the Buffaloes are averaging 63 points per game and shooting 41 percent from the field. In Pac-12 play, the Buffaloes are trying to find their rhythm. During the league schedule, Colorado is averaging 56 points and shooting 36 percent. The Buffaloes rank third in the Pac-12 in rebounding margin (+6.3) and rebounding defense (34.8) and fourth in field-goal percentage.
Junior guard Chucky Jeffery leads the Buffaloes at 15.1 points, 7.1 rebounds and 4.1 assists per game. She is prominent on the Pac-12 leader board, ranking fourth in assists and steals (2.5 spg), sixth in defensive rebounds (5.6 drpg), seventh in scoring and free-throw percentage (.743), eighth in blocked shots (1.1 bpg), 10th in overall rebounding, 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9) and 15th in field-goal percentage (.455).
Jeffery has scored in double-figures in 18 of Colorado's 22 games. She became the 24th player in team history to reach 1,000 points during her 18-point performance against Oregon. She has a team-best five double-doubles on the season, tied for 10th 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.
Senior forward Julie Seabrook leads Colorado and ranks fourth in the Pac-12 in field goal accuracy at 56.5 percent while also ranking 14th in offensive rebounds (2.2 orpg). She is averaging 9.0 points and 5.5 rebounds in Pac-12 play, ranking second in the league in shooting at 55.9 percent during that span. Seabrook led Colorado in the loss to Oregon State with 10 points and seven rebounds. She made six free throws, tying a single-game career high that stretched all the way back to December of her freshman season (Idaho State). Seabrook has made 82 percent from the line (14-of-17) during conference play, tops among the Buffaloes.
Sophomore guard Brittany Wilson is second on the team in assists (47) and steals (26) and third in scoring at 9.3 points per contest. She has started the last six games, averaging 10 points, 3.2 rebounds, 2.0 assists and 1.7 steals during that span. Wilson had a game-high 21 points against USC, her third career game with 20 or more points. On the Pac-12 charts Wilson ranks 15th in 3-pointers made (1.3 3mpg).
Brittany's twin sister Ashley Wilson is hitting 49 percent from the floor (26-of-53) while averaging 3.0 points and 2.6 rebounds per game. Wilson had nine points on 4-of-5 shooting off the bench against Stanford, a personal best during league competition. She established an overall career high scoring 13 points in the win over Weber State.
Freshman guard Lexy Kresl averages 9.7 points per game and leads the Buffaloes in both 3-point field goals (41) and free-throw accuracy at 87.5 percent. Kresl scored a career-high 17 points in the loss to Oregon, matching a personal best and her own team season-high with five 3-point field goals. She is averaging 12.7 points over the last three games and has made 10 of her last 27 from 3-point range.
Kresl has hit at least one 3-pointer in 19 of 22 games. She ranks fifth in the Pac-12 in 3-pointers made (1.9 3mpg) and 15th in 3-point percentage (.320).
Freshman forward Jen Reese has moved into the starting lineup the last five games and is averaging 8.6 points and 7.4 rebounds during that span. She logged a career-best 14 rebounds in the loss to UCLA, the second best on the team this season (Jeffery had 16 at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi). Reese has led the Buffaloes, or shared the lead, in rebounding five of the last six games and eight total this season. Overall she is averaging 8.1 points and 6.3 rebounds while shooting 46.3 percent from the field. On the Pac-12 charts she is 14th in field-goal percentage and 19th in overall rebounding. She recorded her first career double-double with 12 points and 12 rebounds in the win at Washington State. Reese 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).
Junior forward Meagan Malcolm-Peck is averaging 4.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game. She matched a season high with nine rebounds against UCLA. Malcolm-Peck is second on the team in offensive rebounds (46) and tied for third in assists (28). She ranks 15th in the Pac-12 in offensive rebounds at 2.2 per game.
Sophomore Rachel Hargis, who averages 4.2 points and 3.5 rebounds per contest, tied her season best in blocked shots with three at Oregon State. Twelve of her 21 blocked shots have come during conference play ranking seventh in the Pac-12 during that span (1.1 bpg).
Freshman guard Jasmine Sborov has seen extended minutes over the last seven games, scoring 20 of her 30 season points. She played a career-best 26 minutes off the bench against USC.
Colorado's bench has been outstanding, accounting for 32 percent of the team's scoring (20.4 ppg) and 40 percent of its rebounding (16.5 rpg). In addition to Reese, who came off the bench for the first 17 games, the Wilson twins and Kresl have been consistent in scoring whether coming off the bench or starting (Kresl has 12 starts, Brittany Wilson has 10 while Ashley has four), combining for 27.8 points in a reserve role. Against Texas A&M-Corpus Christi the Buffaloes had a season-high 43 bench points (Jeffery 19, Reese 13, Kresl 11).
HISTORIC START: Colorado started the season 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. The 12-0 start ties for 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 won 12 straight games for the seventh time and this season's streak is tied for the fifth longest in team history. It was 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 Tied 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 WILDCATS: Arizona is 13-10 overall and 12th in the Pac-12 standings at 2-9. The Wildcats have lost six straight, two of which came in overtime. Arizona averages 67.4 points per game and is one of the top 3-point shooting teams in the Pac-12. The Wildcats lead the conference in long-range accuracy at 35.4 percent and rank second behind Oregon in 3-pointers made at 6.3 per game.
Junior guard Davellyn Whyte leads Arizona and ranks second in the Pac-12 in scoring at 17.4 points per game. A two-time all-Pac 10 performer, Whyte also ranks second in the Pac-12 in both steals (2.6 spg) and 3-pointers made (2.3 3mpg). Sophomore forward Erica Barnes tops the Wildcats in rebounding at 9.0 per game while also averaging 12.3 points. She has seven double-doubles on the season, ranking fourth in the Pac-12, but has missed the last four games due to injury. Senior guard Shanita Arnold leads Arizona and ranks second in the Pac-12 in assists at 4.7 per game.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be 11th meeting between Colorado and Arizona with the Buffaloes holding a 7-3 series edge. The two teams meet for the first time in Boulder since a 74-53 Colorado win on Nov. 24, 1991. Colorado is 4-1 against the Wildcats in Boulder. The lone Arizona win at Colorado was a 75-36 decision on Feb. 21, 1975, the series' first meeting and just the 10th overall women's basketball game in CU history. The first five meetings in this series came while the two teams were members of the Intermountain Conference (1975-79).
Colorado head coach Linda Lappe is 1-0 against Arizona as a head coach. Arizona head coach Niya Butts is 0-1 against Colorado as a head coach.
CONNECTIONS: Colorado freshman Lexy Kresl is a native of Paradise Valley, Ariz., a Phoenix suburb. Arizona assistant coach Sue Darling has Colorado ties, spending three seasons as the head women's coach at the Air Force Academy (1998-01) and prior to rejoining her alma mater, Arizona, in 2008, she was the head girls coach at Denver's Mullen High School.
CHUCKY REACHES 1,000: Junior guard Chucky Jeffery became the 24th player in team history to reach 1,000 career points (now 1,010) during the loss to Oregon. She is the 10th player to achieve 1,000 before her senior year. Surpassing 1,000 in her 81st career game, she tied Tera Bjorklund (2000-04) for the ninth fastest to reach 1,000. Jeffery remains 24th on CU's all-time scoring list, needing 35 to catch Raegan Scott (1993-97) for 23rd and 88 to crack the Top 20.
THANKS BUFF FANS, KEEP COMING OUT!: Colorado had a season-high 5,885 fans witness the nail biting overtime loss to UCLA on Jan. 29. The attendance number is the second highest for a Pac-12 league game this season, trailing only the California at No. 4 ranked Stanford rivalry game played the night before which drew 6,075. Overall the UCLA-Colorado attendance figure is the third best at a Pac-12 venue this season. Stanford had 7,329 for a nonconference game against national power Tennessee on Dec. 20.
The Buffaloes are averaging 2,832 for 11 home dates this season and 3,958 in four Pac-12 home games, both figures trailing only Stanford (4,341 overall, 4,444 league) in the Pac-12. CU is on pace for its best home attendance average since the 2003-04 team drew 3,092 over 16 home games.
PERFORMANCE UNDER PRESSURE: Colorado's 67-62 loss to Oregon snapped a seven-game winning streak in games decided by five points or less. The Buffaloes are 4-1 with that narrow margin this season. Five of those seven wins have come away from Boulder. The Buffaloes are 8-3 under Linda Lappe in games decided by five points or less.
...AND IN EVEN TIGHTER CIRCLES: Three of Colorado's four Pac-12 wins have been by one or two points, including back-to-back wins over Arizona (56-54) and USC (69-67). Colorado hadn't been involved in back-to-back one or two point games since the final two contests of the 2004-05 season when the Buffaloes beat Nebraska in the home finale, 78-76, and then fell to Iowa State, 64-62, in the first round of the Big 12 Championship, which was also Ceal Barry's last game as head coach. Colorado hadn't won back-to-back games with that little margin since the 1983-84 campaign, squeaking out road wins at Northern Arizona, 62-60, and at Wyoming, 57-56.
ROAD WARRIORS: Colorado has won seven of its last 11 road games and also seven of its last 11 away from home (both encompassing a slightly different set of games). Prior to the Washington game, the Buffaloes had won six-straight both in true road games and games away from Boulder, each being the program's best such streaks since the 2003-04 squad won six in a row in true road contests.
Additionally, Colorado has won five of its last nine conference road games after only winning four of the previous 30 dating back to the 2007-08 Big 12 season. CU has three conference road wins this season, its most since the 2003-04 NCAA Tournament squad won five league games away from Boulder.
Colorado began the Pac-12 season with three straight on the road finishing 2-1. It was CU's first three-game conference road stand since 1997, the inaugural season of the Big 12. In that string, the Buffaloes lost at Kansas State on Feb. 19, but bounced back to win games at Missouri on Feb. 23 and No. 12 ranked Texas on Feb. 26, sparking an eight-game win streak that carried Colorado through the first Big 12 Tournament Championship and an appearance in the 1997 NCAA Sweet 16.
Colorado returned home for California and Stanford after nearly a month away from home, spanning five games, which hadn't happened since the end of the 2001 season with a final regular season road game and then four neutral site Big 12 and NCAA Tournament games. The five away from home hadn't been done entirely in the regular season since the 1993-94 team played seven in a row away from Boulder in the late preseason (5) and early Big Eight Conference schedule (2).
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.
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 56-game tenure.
REBOUNDING WOWS: Colorado has been even or outrebounded its opponent in 17 of 22 games, including 11 in a row prior to the Washington game. CU's margin of plus-6.3 on the season, ranks third in the Pac-12. 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.
Colorado has grabbed 50 or more rebounds five times this season, including a high of 54 against Texas-Pan American. It's the most 50-plus rebound games for the Buffaloes since they had nine such outputs during the 1993-94 season.
On the other end of the spectrum, 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 10th in the Pac-12, including a string of three-straight (Wisconsin-San Francisco-Idaho). It was the first time a CU player 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 became the 20th player in team history to reach 500 rebounds in the win over Washington State and now sits at 544, 17th on CU's all-time list. She has a career average of 6.7 per game which jumps to 7.6 since the beginning of her sophomore year (52 games). She had a career night on the glass at Texas A&M-Corpus Christi, grabbing 16 rebounds in the win over the Islanders. 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: Chucky Jeffery has been frustrating offenses her entire career, but one of the top defensive players in the Pac-12 is on a tear as of late.
Jeffery ranks fourth overall in the Pac-12 at 2.5 steals per game, but her production has risen to 3.7 over the last six games (22) and 4.3 over the last three (13). She has six or more steals three times this season, two of which have come in the last three contests (UCLA, Oregon). Jeffery leads the Pac-12 in steals at 3.1 during league only games. She has 31 career games with three or more steals, including 10 this season.
As a team, 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.
In Pac-12 play, Colorado had a season high 12 steals at Oregon.
MALCOLM-PECK CLIMBING IN 3-POINTERS, BLOCKS: Junior Meagan Malcolm-Peck drilled her 75th career 3-pointer in the Oregon State game to move into sole possession of 12th place on CU's all-time list. She is also 12th in blocked shots with 64.
JEFFERY MOVING UP CAREER LADDERS: In addition to joining the 1,000 point club, junior guard Chucky Jeffery ranks among Colorado's all-time leaders in several categories. She has moved into a tie for 9th in steals at 190 with Julie Hoehing (1980-84). Jeffery is also tied for 14th in assists with Stephanie Mack (1989-83) with 316, and she is 16th in blocks (55) and 17th in rebounds (544).
HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 363-123 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.747). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 22 of the previous 33 years. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CECC.
BUFFS ON TV: Colorado's regular season schedule features nine regionally or nationally televised games. 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), Denver (Dec. 8), Stanford (Jan. 14). at Arizona (Jan. 22) and UCLA (Jan. 29). Also scheduled for ROOT Sports are 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 were part of the Pac-12's FSN national package. CU has appeared on 91 regional or national telecasts over the last 10 seasons.