Buffs Continue Bay Area Swing At California Monday

THE GAME: The University of Colorado completes its Bay Area swing by playing at the University of California on Monday, Jan. 5, at 8 p.m. MST, at Haas Pavilion in Berkeley, Calif.

BROADCAST: Monday's game is scheduled to air live on the Pac-12 Network Mountain and Bay Area Channels. Krista Blunk will have the play-by-play with Mary Murphy with the color commentary. Monday's game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with Carol Callan of USA Basketball providing the color commentary. 

OPENING TIP: There have been 10 triple-doubles in NCAA Division I through games of Jan. 2, three of them by two players in Monday's game - Colorado's Lexy Kresl (1) and Cal's Brittany Boyd (2).

ABOUT THE BUFFS: Colorado is 7-5 overall after dropping its Pac-12 Conference opener at No. 15 (AP)/ 15 (USAT) Stanford, 62-55, on Jan. 3. The Buffaloes have lost four of their last five, three of those contests on the road and two of them to ranked teams. Colorado beings Pac-12 play with five of its first eight on the road beginning with this weekend's swing through the Bay Area.

Colorado is averaging 72.8 points per game on 42.4 percent shooting. The Buffaloes have been held under 60 points in back-to-back games for the first time this season, but at the same time have been close to their opponents allowing just 62 a piece in that same span.
Colorado has hit 80 points four times this season and the 97 points scored against San Jose State are the most in the coach Linda Lappe era and most since scoring 100 against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 18, 2005.

Defensively, Colorado has allowed 67.6 points per game on 35.8 percent from the field. The Buffaloes are the Pac-12's top rebounding team, pulling down 46.8 per game and also top the conference in blocked shots at just under six per game. The Buffaloes rank second in rebounding margin (+8.2) and field goal percentage defense.

Senior forward Jen Reese leads Colorado in scoring at 14.0 points per game while hitting 45 percent from the field and ranking second on the team in rebounding at 7.8 an outing. Reese has scored in double figures in nine of 12 games including 10 points at Stanford. She scored a career and team-season high 26 points in the win over Colorado State. She also matched a personal-best with 14 rebounds for her sixth career double-double and third of the season. Her 26-point performance also marked the third time this season she's hit the 20-point mark and sixth of her career.

On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Reese is fifth in free throw percentage (.808), eighth in overall rebounding, ninth in defensive boards (5.3 drpg), 10th in scoring and 12th in offensive rebounding (2.5 orpg).

Senior guard Lexy Kresl is averaging 10.4 points per game, leads Colorado in assists (5.5 apg) and steals per game (1.2 spg) and is tied for the top spot in 3-pointers with 20. She returned to the lineup for the Stanford game after missing the last two. In her first action in a little over three weeks, Kresl knocked the rust off early with eight points, six rebounds and five assists against the Cardinal. She was MVP of the Omni Classic averaging 14.5 points, 9.0 rebounds and 7.5 assists in the two-game classic. During that stretch, not only did she record her first career double-double, she topped that with just the fourth triple-double in program history in the win over Colorado State (12 points-11 rebounds-11 assists).

Kresl is third in the Pac-12 in assists and also ranks seventh in 3-pointers made (2.0 3mpg), 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.5) and 12th in defensive rebounds (4.9 drpg).

Junior forward Jamee Swan, who has come off the bench the last three games, tops Colorado in rebounding (8.3 rpg) and blocked shots (1.8 bpg). She is second on the team in scoring at 13.5 points per game hitting 49 percent from the field. Swan is averaging 14.3 points and 9.7 rebounds over the past three games and has registered back-to-back double-doubles. She led Colorado against Stanford with 12 points and a game-high 10 rebounds. The double-double was her third of the season and fifth of her career.

She led Colorado with 15 points and a career-high 15 rebounds against Long Beach State. Swan also registered a personal best five blocked shots against the 49ers. Her blocked shot and rebounding numbers from the LBSU game are both team season highs. In the Pac-12 Swan ranks third in blocked shots and offensive boards (3.5 orpg), sixth in overall rebounding, 13th in field goal percentage, scoring and defensive boards (4.8 drpg).

Sophomore guard Haley Smith leads Colorado in field-goal accuracy at 51 percent while averaging 10.9 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. She recorded her first career double-double with 24 points and 12 rebounds against San Jose State; both numbers marking personal bests. She hit 10-of-14 from the field during her career-best day against the Spartans.

On the Pac-12 leaderboard Smith ranks 10th in field goal percentage, 17th in overall rebounding and 27th in scoring.

Senior guard Jasmine Sborov is averaging 6.8 points and 5.3 rebounds and ranks second on the team in assists with 32. She had a solid line against Wyoming with 11 points, six rebounds and three assists. Against Iowa, Sborov led Colorado with career-highs in points (17) and rebounds (12) for her second career double-double. Sborov also dished out a career-high nine assists against San Jose State.

Sophomore forward Zoe Beard-Fails has picked up her play and earned a starting role for the Buffaloes front court the last three games. Overall on the season she has averaged 5.3 points and 4.1 rebounds, but in her three starts she's increased those numbers to 8.3 points and 5.0 rebounds. Against Long Beach State she had career highs in points (14), rebounds (8) and field goals made and attempted (7-of-13).

Sophomore wing Lauren Huggins is averaging 5.2 points per game and leads the team in 3-point shooting, connecting on 20-of-52 from long range (.385). Huggins was 4-of-7 from long range against Colorado State, hitting three of her four in the overtime sessions. Two of those came in the final minute of the first overtime, including one with 1.7 seconds remaining to send the game into the second extra period. Huggins ranks 15th in the Pac-12 in 3-pointers made (1.7).

Freshmen Brecca Thomas and Alina Hartmann have been increasing their productivity. Thomas started two games while Kresl was absent from the lineup scoring a career-best nine points in the win over Wyoming. Hartmann had a career-high seven points against the Cowgirls. Classmate Zoe Correal had a personal best six points on 3-of-6 shooting at Stanford.

ABOUT THE GOLDEN BEARS: California is 9-3 overall and 1-0 in the Pac-12 after opening conference play with a 67-49 win over Utah on Jan. 3. The Golden Bears, receiving votes in both AP and USA Today Sports WBCA Polls, have won their last two after dropping three tough contests. California is averaging 77.5 points on 46 percent from the field, the second best mark in the Pac-12. The Bears give up 67.3 points per game and allow opponents to shoot 36.5 percent from the field.

Senior forward Rashanda Gray leads Cal in scoring at 18.3 points per game while ranking third in the Pac-12 at 62.7 percent from the floor. Senior guard Brittany Boyd leads the nation at 8.5 assists per game while averaging 14.0 points and 8.0 rebounds an outing. Sophomore forward Courtney Range is Cal's leading rebounder (8.1 rpg) and second leading scorer (14.3 ppg), but has missed the last four games with a knee injury. Freshman guard Gabby Green is averaging 6.9 points and 7.3 rebounds per contest.

Lindsay Gottlieb is in her fourth season at California with a record of 88-27. Gottlieb, who is 144-66 overall in her seventh year as a collegiate head coach, led the Golden Bears to a share of the 2013 Pac-12 title and the NCAA Women's Final Four.

THE SERIES: This will be the 12th meeting between Colorado and California with the Golden Bears holding a 6-5 edge in the series. Cal has won the last six, all since Colorado joined the Pac-12 for the 2011-12 season. The Golden Bears won the only meeting last season, a 57-55 decision in Boulder on Jan. 10, 2014. Colorado's last win over Cal came in Boulder, 81-65, in the second round of the 2011 Postseason WNIT.

Linda Lappe is 1-6 against California as a head coach. Lindsay Gottlieb is 6-0 against Colorado as a head coach.

BACK TO THE BOARDS: Colorado has outrebounded, or been even, with 10 of its 12 opponents this season by an average of 8.2 per game ranking second in the Pac-12. The Buffaloes lead the Pac-12 in overall rebounds (46.8 rpg) and defensive rebounds (31.7 drpg) while ranking second in offensive boards (15.2 orpg).

Colorado has five games with 50 or more rebounds, including the Long Beach State contest where the Buffaloes dominated the 49ers 50-26, the largest margin of the season and biggest since holding a plus-25 margin against Arizona (51-26) on Jan. 20, 2013. All five of Colorado's 50-plus rebounding games have come over the last eight outings including a season-high 60 against San Jose State the program's most since pulling down 60 against Marquette in the first round of the 1994 NCAA Tournament.

Colorado sports two of the top eight rebounders in the Pac-12. Junior Jamee Swan ranks sixth at 8.3 rpg while senior Jen Reese is eighth at 7.8 rpg.

KRESL'S DISH: Lexy Kresl recorded the fourth triple-double in team history by scoring 12 points, grabbing 11 rebounds and dishing out 11 assists in the double overtime win over Colorado State on Nov. 29.

Her triple-double was the team's first since Chucky Jeffery recorded the second of her two triple-doubles at Oklahoma State on Mar. 25, 2012 during the Postseason WNIT. Sandy Bean achieved the program's first triple-double against Utah State on Feb. 16, 1979.

For Kresl, both the rebounds and assists figures were career-highs. It was actually her second "double" of the week. Kresl put together her first career double-double in the win over Denver with 10 points and 10 assists. 

Nine of her assists in the Denver game came in the first 20 minutes, tying a school record for assists in one half originally set by Whitney Law against Cal State Fullerton on Nov. 18, 2005.

Counting Colorado's prior three triple-doubles, Kresl's points-assists double-double was the 14th in team history and first since Jeffery's triple at OSU (12 points, 12 rebounds, 10 assists).

WORKING OVERTIME: Colorado played in overtime in three of its first seven games. The Buffaloes won the last two, defeating San Jose State 97-89 on Dec. 5 and Colorado State 87-81 in double overtime on Nov. 29, after dropping a 79-78 decision to Western Kentucky on Nov. 17.

Colorado played back-to-back overtime games for the first time in team history with the San Jose State and CSU contests. The Buffaloes had two overtimes in a three-game span in February 1988.

The double overtime game with CSU was just the sixth in team history and first since an 84-77 setback to Iowa State on Jan. 13, 2008. Lexy Kresl set a school single game record by playing in 49 minutes against Colorado State.

Colorado's win over San Jose State improved its all-time record to 23-23 all-time in overtime. The Buffaloes are 3-3 in double overtime games.

It's the fifth time Colorado has played three overtime games in one season and first since 1995-96; the most in any one campaign. This is the first instance where all three games have happened during the nonconference schedule. Overall it's the 14 time Colorado has played multiple overtime games in one season.

TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Colorado has a record of 51-27 since the beginning of the 2012-13 season. Of those 27 losses, 14 have been to ranked teams and 13 of those ranked higher than Colorado at the time the game was played. The Buffaloes have won 48 of their last 61 games against unranked opponents.

The Buffaloes have been dominant in regular season nonconference games under Linda Lappe. Colorado is 48-9 in that stretch since the beginning of the 2010-11 season. The Buffaloes have won 41 of their last 46 regular season nonconference contests. The Buffaloes  put together 33 straight nonconference wins from Dec. 30, 2010 through Dec. 12, 2013.

REESE'S PIECES: Senior forward Jen Reese has joined one elite group in Colorado history and is well on her way to join another.  Reese became the 21st player to reach 500 career rebounds during the Missouri State game. She is currently 18th on Colorado's all-time list with 558.

The 6-2 shooter is also Colorado's active leading scorer with 955 career points, putting her well within range to become the 26th player in team history to reach 1,000.

Hitting both marks would make her just the 15th player in team history to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds.

KRESL SOLID FROM ARC, LINE: Senior guard Lexy Kresl ranks  seventh in career 3-pointers attempted (475) and is eighth in 3-pointers made (144)

She has made a 3-pointer in 77 of 105 career games and has 38 contests with two or more buckets from long range. Kresl hit five against Missouri, tying a season high and also marking her sixth career game with five or more 3-pointers.

Kresl has also been one of Colorado's most reliable free throw shooters over the past three seasons. Her career percentage of 83.2 (144-of-173) would rank fourth on the Buffs' all-time list (minimum of 100 attempts).

Kresl hit 84.1 percent from the line in 2013-14 (69-of-82) ranking third in the Pac-12 Conference. Her mark was also good for 19th on Colorado's single-season list.

Kresl has a shot at reaching 1,000 career points entering Monday's game at 840.

HUGGINS SHOOTS UP LIST: With 13 3-pointers over the last eight games, sophomore Lauren Huggins has put herself among  the Buffaloes' career leaders. She is currently 18th in career 3-pointers made with 60 and 20th in attempts at 162.

SWAN'S SWATS: Junior forward Jamee Swan ranks second in the Pac-12 in blocked shots at two per game. She has 26 blocks over the last 14 games dating back to last season.

Swan has 86 career blocks ranking 10th CU's all-time list.

AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 0-2 against ranked teams this season after dropping a 62-55 decision at No. 15/15 Stanford on Jan. 3. The Buffaloes have dropped their last 14 against ranked opponents. Colorado is 62-156 all-time against ranked opponents.

OMNI HOTELS CHAMPS: Colorado won its Omni Hotels Classic championship for the 18th time by defeating Missouri State and Colorado State. The Buffaloes improved to 46-10 all-time in their home holiday classic and won their sixth straight title.

CHALLENGING START: Colorado opened a season with two teams that made the NCAA Tournament the previous year (North Dakota & Western Kentucky) for the first time since 2003-04 when the Buffaloes hosted Old Dominion and Notre Dame in the WBCA Classic. Only twice since then had the Buffaloes even played one team in their first two coming off a trip to the big dance, Loyola-Marymount in 2004-05 (Game 1) and Vanderbilt in 2006-07 (Game 2).

Two of Colorado's three opening opponents, North Dakota and Arkansas State, are their respective conference's top preseason pick and Western Kentucky was selected second. The Buffaloes have also faced two conference preseason players of the year in Western Kentucky's Chastity Gooch and Arkansas State's Aundrea Gamble.