Quick Turnaround Pits Buffs Vs. Bears Sunday
THE GAME: No. 20 (AP)/25 (USAT) ranked University of Colorado hosts No. 7 (AP & USAT) ranked University of California in a Pac-12 Conference game on Sunday, Jan. 6, 2013, at 12 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.
BROADCAST: Sunday's game will be televised nationally on the Pac-12 Network. Anne Marie Anderson will handle play-by-play duties with Rosalyn Gold-Owunde providing the color commentary. Sunday's game will be broadcast live on KKZN AM 760. Mike Rice will have the play-by-play with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary.
OPENING TIP: California and Colorado rank 1-2 in the Pac-12 in rebounding defense and 1-3 in scoring offense and rebound margin.
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado dropped a 57-40 decision in its Pac-12 Conference opener to No. 4 (AP)/3 (USAT) Stanford on Friday. The loss snapped CU's 11-game winning streak to begin the season. The Buffaloes 11-0 start was the fourth-best in team history and ties for their eighth best overall winning streak. Colorado's loss drops the remaining undefeated teams in NCAA Division I to two: No. 1 UConn and No. 3/4 Duke.
Colorado finished the nonconference regular season with an 84-39 win over New Mexico on Dec. 29. The win clinched the Buffaloes' second consecutive perfect nonconference season, and third in school history (1992-93). Colorado will continue a string of 24 nonconference regular season wins into next season. The Buffaloes are 31-4 in the nonconference season under head coach Linda Lappe.
Despite a season-low 40-point output against Stanford, Colorado's offense has played well overall, averaging 71.4 points per game, ranking third in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes have hit the 80-point barrier in three of the last five contests. CU is shooting 43 percent from the field, and 47 percent inside the 3-point arc. Colorado has shared the ball well averaging 14.5 assists per game, and it has come from a multitude of players. Seven Buffaloes are already in double-figures for assists through 12 games. Colorado also has held a sizeable advantage in rebounds, and ranked sixth in NCAA Division I through games of Dec. 30.
Defensively, the Buffaloes are holding teams to 54.8 points per game on 35.2 percent from the field. Colorado ranks in the top five of the Pac-12 in 16 of 21 statistical categories, including second in rebounding defense (31.6 rpg) and turnover margin (+3.1).
Redshirt freshman forward Arielle Roberson leads Colorado and ranks eighth in the Pac-12 in scoring at 15.3 points per game. A three-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week, Roberson also ranks second on the team in rebounding (5.8 rpg) and field-goal percentage (.500). She scored 10 points in the loss to Stanford, extending her school record for consecutive games scoring in double-figures to begin her a CU career to 12. Along with her scoring success, Roberson ranks 11th in offensive rebounds (2.8 orpg), 12th in field-goal percentage and 20th in overall rebounds on the Pac-12 leaderboard.
All-Pac-12 guard Chucky Jeffery leads the team in assists (4.5 apg), rebounds (8.0 rpg) and steals (2.5 spg), while ranking second in scoring (12.6 ppg). She has dished out 16 assists over the last three games (5.3 apg), recording a team-season high eight against New Mexico. Jeffery ranks third in the Pac-12 in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.4), and is also fifth in assists, sixth in steals, seventh in overall rebounding and defensive rebounds (5.6 drpg), 11th in free-throw percentage (.750) and 16th in scoring.
Junior guard Brittany Wilson, who came off the bench for this first time this season against Stanford, ranks second on the team in steals (1.8 spg) and assists (2.4 apg) while coming in at fourth in scoring at 8.7 points per contest. She had a season-high 19 points at Denver. Wilson ranks 12th in 3-point field-goals made (1.3 3mpg) and 14th in 3-point percentage (.333) and steals on the Pac-12 leaderboard.
Sophomore forward Jen Reese has made a successful return from an eye injury that kept her out of the final nine games of 2011-12. She is third on the team in scoring (9.9 ppg) and second in rebounding (5.8 rpg) while hitting 50 percent from the field. She set a career-high with 16 points in the win over Utah Valley. Reese has scored in double-figures in seven of the last nine contests. On the Pac-12 charts Reese is 12th in field-goal percentage and 20th in rebounding.
Junior center Rachel Hargis is the only Buffalo to start all 12 games. A career 33 percent shooter entering the season, Hargis has made the most of her opportunity hitting 52 percent (29-of-56) through 12 games. Hargis netted season-best totals with nine points and seven rebounds against Utah Valley. She also has 14 assists on the year, after registering just 17 in 35 games as a sophomore, and a team-best 14 blocked shots, ranking 14th in the Pac-12 (1.1 bpg). Hargis had a career- and team-season high seven blocked shots against Louisville, just one off the school single-game record.
Sophomore guard Lexy Kresl tied a career-high with 20 points in the win over New Mexico. She hit a perfect 5-of-5 from the 3-point arc which tied a school record for 3's made without a miss, matching Jenny Roulier who also hit 5-of-5 against Missouri on Feb. 13, 2002. She made her only attempt in the Utah Valley game, giving her a 6-of-6 streak over those two games.
Colorado has seven players averaging between four and 12 points per game. Five different Buffaloes have led the team in scoring through the first 12 games.
ABOUT THE GOLDEN BEARS: No. 7 (AP & USAT) ranked California is 11-1 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12 after claiming a 55-50 win over Utah in its league opener Friday. Cal's lone loss on the season was a 77-63 decision at No. 4 ranked Duke on Dec. 2. The Golden Bears are the Pac-12's top scoring team at 76.1 points per game and also rank second in field-goal accuracy at 47 percent. Cal owns the top rebounding margin in the Pac-12 (+13.5 rpg) and holds its opponent to a league low 30.0 boards a contest.
California features an attack with four players scoring in double-figures, led by junior forward Gennifer Brandon who averages 13.4 points and 10.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Brittany Boyd is second in scoring at 13.5 points while averaging 4.8 assists per contest. Senior guard Layshia Clarendon tops the Bears in scoring at averages 13.7 points per game while hitting 46 percent from the floor. Clarendon had a game-high 18 points to pace the Bears over Utah. Senior center Talia Caldwell tops the Pac-12 in shooting at 67 percent (55-of-82) while averaging 10.3 points an outing.
Lindsay Gottlieb is in her second season as the head coach at California with a record of 36-11. She is 92-50 in her fifth season as a collegiate head coach.
THE SERIES: This will be the ninth meeting between Colorado and California with the Buffaloes holding a 5-3 series lead. All three of Cal's wins in the series came last season; Colorado's first year in the Pac-12. The Golden Bears swept the regular season series (68-55 in Boulder, 64-43 in Berkeley) and then claimed a 68-59 decision in the quarterfinals of the Pac-12 Tournament. Colorado has won three of the four all-time meetings in Boulder, the last Buffs win coming in the second round of the 2011 Postseason WNIT (81-65).
Linda Lappe is 1-3 against California as a head coach. Lindsay Gottlieb is 3-0 against Colorado as a head coach.
NATIONALLY RANKED: Colorado debuted at No. 25 in the USA Today Sports Top 25 women's basketball coaches poll released on Tuesday.
Colorado is ranked in the coaches' poll for the first time since coming in at No. 24 in the final poll of the 2003-04 season (April 2004). That was also the last time the Buffaloes were ranked in both major women's basketball polls, finishing 17th in the final Associated Press poll that year.
Colorado moved up three spots to No. 20 in the latest AP poll released Monday.
The Buffaloes had received votes in the previous two coaches polls, finally cracking the top 25 Tuesday with 60 votes. This week's ranking marks the 152nd time Colorado has appeared in the coaches' poll dating back to the 1988-89 campaign.
In the AP poll, Colorado received 224 votes - up from 156 last week - to make its third-straight appearance and highest ranking since that No. 17 showing in the final AP poll of the 2003-04 season (March 15, 2004).
The Buffaloes have a long history of rankings in the AP poll, dating back to the 1980-81 season. This week's ranking marks the 161st time Colorado has appeared in the AP poll, trailing only Stanford, USC and UCLA among Pac-12 Conference schools. The current three-week run in the poll is the Buffaloes longest since a four-week stretch from Dec. 24, 2007-Jan. 14, 2008.
LAPPE AND COLORADO IN THE POLLS: Head coach Linda Lappe joined some elite company when the Buffaloes received their first AP ranking in five years. She is only one of eight NCAA Division I women's head coaches to have played for an AP ranked team, and then return to lead that same program into the AP poll. Overall she is the 31st person to play for and coach an AP ranked program.
The Buffaloes were ranked for 29 weeks during Lappe's playing career (1998-03) including 27 straight from Jan. 22, 2001 through the end of her junior year (March 11, 2002). CU's highest AP ranking during that span was No. 10, on March 4, 2002.
JEFFERY'S HEADLINER WEEK: Senior guard Chucky Jeffery led the Buffaloes to their first Associated Press ranking in five seasons and their first top-10 win in over 10 years, and as a result picked up some well-deserved conference and national recognition.
On Dec. 17, Jeffery was named the espnW National Player of the Week and Pac-12 Conference Player of the Week for the week of Dec 10-16. She also received national and Pac-12 Player of the Week honors from collegesportsmadness.com.
On Dec. 18, the U.S. Basketball Writers Association (USBWA) named Jeffery its Ann Meyers Drysdale Women's National Player of the Week.
Jeffery averaged 18 points, 9.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field and 80 percent from the free-throw line in wins over Denver and No. 8 ranked Louisville.
Against Louisville she had a game-high and personal season-best 22 points along with seven rebounds, four assists and one steal as the Buffaloes claimed their first win over a top-10 opponent since defeating No. 5 Stanford in the 2002 NCAA Sweet 16. Jeffery recorded season highs from the 3-point line (2-of-5) and the foul line (8-10) as she became the 16th player in team history to reach 1,300 career points.
Jeffery had 14 points, 11 rebounds, five assists and two steals in the road win over Denver on Dec. 11. She notched her second double-double of the season, and 22nd of her career, tying Sandy Bean (1978-82) for fifth on CU's all-time list.
Jeffery's Pac-12 Player of the Week honor is her second, as she received the same award on Dec. 5, 2011.
FAST OUT OF THE GATE: Colorado began the season with 11-straight wins for the second straight year; its fourth start of 11-0. The Buffaloes began last season 12-0, tying the second-best mark in team history. CU's best start was a 15-0 mark to begin the 1992-93 season.
MORE ON THE BOARDS: Colorado ranked sixth in NCAA Division I in rebounding margin at +14.3 through games of Dec. 30, the second best mark in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes have either tied or led the rebounding battle in 11 of 12 games this season, coming up on the short end for the first time in the Stanford loss. The Buffaloes have enjoyed double-digit margins in seven games.
The Buffaloes grabbed a season-high 59 rebounds in the win over Colorado State, their most since also recording 59 against Bowling Green on Nov. 23, 2001. CU had 24 offensive rebounds, nearly matching Colorado State's overall total (26). Colorado's 24 offensive rebounds were its most since it had 24 at Iowa State on Feb. 18, 1996.
Colorado's +33 advantage against the Rams tied for the ninth largest single-game margin in team history, most recently achieved against San Francisco on Nov. 30, 2011 (53-20).
Colorado had 50 rebounds against Denver, hitting the 50 mark for the second straight game for the first time since grabbing 50 against UC Irvine and 52 against Illinois-Chicago in the first two games of the 2009-10 season.
CU's 109 rebounds over a two-game span are its most since hitting the same number during the 2001 Coors Classic (59 vs. Bowling Green, 50 vs. Houston). The Buffaloes 46 offensive rebounds during that stretch are their most since grabbing 48 in back-to-back games in December 1994 (25 vs. Montana State, 23 vs. Notre Dame).
STRONG FINISHES: Colorado has benefitted from strong second half finishes, averaging 40 points per game while shooting 45 percent from the field. In first half action during that same stretch Colorado is averaging 33 points on 42 percent shooting. The Buffaloes are outscoring their opponent by 9.2 points per game in the second 20 minutes.
Colorado has scored at least 34 points in 11 of 12 second periods this season and have hit 40 five times with a high of 46 at UMKC. The Buffaloes scored 26 against Stanford, have having a string of 30 or more second half points snapped at 16 games.
SUCCESS ON THE ROAD: Colorado is 3-0 away from Boulder this season and is 12-7 in its last 19 true road contests since the tail end of the 2010-11 campaign. Prior to the start of this run, The Buffaloes had just five wins in their previous 37 road games dating back to the 2008 Big 12 Conference schedule.
The Buffaloes are averaging 76.7 points on 45 percent shooting in those three road contests. CU has also held its opponent to 60 points per game and enjoys a plus-14 rebound margin.
Colorado scored an overall season-high 83 points at Denver, the most in a true road contest since scoring 83 in a 3-point loss at Colorado State on Nov. 30, 2005. CU's 10-point halftime lead was its largest on the road since leading Colorado State 38-22 on Nov. 20, 2011
Colorado's win at Illinois was its first road win against a major conference opponent in a nonconference regular season game since defeating No. 20/17 ranked Vanderbilt, 62-51, on Dec. 9, 2007. The Buffaloes trailed by six at halftime against the Illini, allowing Colorado to claim its largest halftime deficit overcome to win on the road since defeating Missouri 80-79 in overtime on Feb. 23, 2010 after trailing by seven at the break (43-36).
Colorado's 23-point win at UMKC, was its biggest on the road since an 82-47 win at Colorado State on Dec. 1, 2007.
ROBERSON AMONG ELITE COMPANY: Freshman guard Arielle Roberson has scored in double-digits in the first 12 games of her career setting a new school record. She passed Tracy Tripp's previous mark of 10, set during the 1985-86 season.
BENCH PRODUCTION: Colorado is getting good production from its bench to the tune of 23.9 points (33 percent) and 20.8 rebounds (48 percent) per game. Sophomore forward Jen Reese has headed the bench effort averaging 9.9 points and 5.8 rebounds, tying for second overall on the team in both categories.
Colorado scored a season-high 42 bench points in the win over UMKC. The bulk of those came from freshman forward Arielle Roberson who scored 23 points in 19 minutes on 9-of-12 from the field in her lone game off the bench this season. Her 23 bench points are tied for the second most in the past 10 years and her nine field goals are the most. Only Bianca Smith, with 25 points off the bench against San Jose State on Dec. 22, 1999, had a bigger bench game in the last 10 years.
ROBERSON DOMINATES PAC-12 HONORS: Forward Arielle Roberson has won the Pac-12 Freshman of the Week award three times this season. The Pac-12 has added Freshman of the Week to its weekly honors for the first time this season.
In her most recent award on Dec. 2, Roberson averaged 19.5 points on 72 percent from the field (13-of-18) and 71 percent from the foul line (12-of-17) in wins over Wyoming and Illinois. She scored a career and team season-high 25 points, including a critical, late, 3-point basket, to lead Colorado to a 69-62 road win at Illinois as the Buffaloes claimed their 19th straight regular season nonconference victory.
She hit 7-of-8 from the field against the Illini and sank a team season-high 10 free throws on 14 attempts. Roberson also had five rebounds, three steals and an assist against Illinois. Earlier in the week, Roberson netted 14 points on 6-of-10 from the field in the home win over Wyoming.
Roberson earned the inaugural Pac-12 Freshman of the Week award on Nov. 12 after scoring 16 points on 7-of-13 shooting with six rebounds, five steals, two assists and two blocks in her collegiate debut - a 70-65 win over Idaho on Nov. 11. Her second citation came on Nov. 26 after averaging 16.5 points and 7.5 rebounds en route to Omni Hotels Classic MVP honors.
Her three weekly conference awards in one season are the most since Brittany Spears won four Big 12 Conference Rookie of the Week honors in 2007-08.
ARIELLE & ANDRE: The Roberson's are the only brother/sister tandem on the 2012-13 basketball rosters from the same school in the Pac-12 Conference. They're one of five brother/sister tandems on 2012-13 basketball rosters in Division I. The Big Ten has two tandems, followed by one each in the ACC, Mountain West and the Pac-12 Conferences. CU has another brother/sister pair on the ski team with freshmen Maria and Gustav Nordstrom from Sweden.
Colorado (Pac-12): Arielle (Fr.) and Andre Roberson (Jr.)
Air Force (Mountain West): Alicia (Sr.) and Marshall Leipprandt (Fr.)
Indiana (Big Ten): Kaila (Fr.) and Jordan Hulls (Sr.)
Ohio State (Big Ten): Caite (Fr.) and Aaron Craft (Jr.)
Virginia (ACC): Sarah Beth (So.) and Tayor Barnette (Fr.)
SEEING DOUBLE: Colorado is used to getting double takes from fans and opponents, as the Buffaloes once again sport two pairs of identical twins on its roster.
Brenna and Meagan Malcolm-Peck are senior wing players while Ashley and Brittany Wilson are junior guards. Brenna is the older of the two Malcolm-Pecks by 27 minutes. Ashley is the older of the Wilson twins, by only five minutes.
BUFFS EXPERIENCED FROM DEEP: While Colorado looks to continue an inside-outside balance on its 2012-13 squad, there is no questioning its experience from shooting from the perimeter. The Buffaloes have four players with at least 50 career 3-point field goals, and all four rank among CU's career Top 20. Senior Meagan Malcolm-Peck tops current Buffs with 86 and ranks 11th on CU's all-time list. Junior Brittany Wilson is right behind Malcolm-Peck in 12th with 85. Lexy Kresl, who set CU's single-season freshman record in 2011-12 at 63 is 14th with 78. Senior Chucky Jeffery rounds out the current Buffs at 17th with 57.
JEFFERY MOVING UP CAREER LADDERS: Junior guard Chucky Jeffery is within eight assists and six steals of moving into the career top five in both categories. She is currently sixth in assists at 407 needing eight to catch Laurie Welch (1978-82) for fifth. Jeffery is sixth in career steals at 243 needing seven to catch Amy Mathern (1989-93).
On CU's career charts Jeffery also ranks seventh in rebounds (755), 14th in scoring (1,357) and free-throws made (278), 15th in field-goals made (511), 16th and blocks (60) and 17th in 3-point field goals (57).
In other miscellaneous categories Jeffery is also tied with Sandy Bean (1978-82) for fifth in double-doubles (22), is seventh in double-figure rebounding games (24) and 11th in double-figure scoring games (74).
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado picked up its 14th all-time win over a top-10 ranked opponent with its 70-66 win over No. 8 Louisville on Dec. 14. The win marked the Buffaloes' first over a top-10 opponent since defeating No. 5 Stanford in the 2002 NCAA Sweet 16. It was the first top-10 win as an unranked team since knocking off No. 7 Texas Tech 63-49 on Jan. 11, 1997.
The win snapped a three-game slide against ranked teams and, at 1-1 on the season, the Buffaloes are 3-6 against ranked opponents under Linda Lappe. CU is 62-143 all-time against ranked opponents, including a 38-46 mark at home.
The Buffaloes played just two games against ranked teams in 2011-12, both against Stanford. Colorado is on track to at least triple that number this year as Pac-12 rivals California, UCLA and Stanford have solid footing in both polls.
HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 375-127 all-time record at the Coors Events Center (.747). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CEC in 23 of the previous 34 years. The Buffaloes have enjoyed fi ve undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CEC.
BUFFS ON TV: Colorado's regular season schedule will feature at least 11 regionally or nationally televised games in 2012-13. Colorado will play nine regular season games on the Pac-12 Networks, and a guaranteed one, and potentially more, during the Pac-12 Tournament, March 7-10, in Seattle.
A program-best six regular season games will be televised nationally while three more will be on one of the regional networks. CU's first Pac-12 Tournament game will also be televised nationally, as would any ensuing round through the championship game, which will air Sunday, March 10, on ESPN2.
CU made its first television appearance on Dec. 11 at Denver on ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain. The Buffaloes made their Pac-12 Network on Jan. 4 against defending league champion Stanford; their first of four straight televised games on the network. Colorado will have five straight road games televised beginning with Utah on Jan. 13, through a Super Bowl Sunday matchup at USC on Feb. 3. CU's final regular season televised game will be Feb. 8 at home against Oregon State.
Entering the 2012-13 season, CU has appeared on 99 regional or national telecasts over the previous 11 seasons.