Buffs Head To Pacific Northwest, Face Washington Friday
THE GAME: The University of Colorado heads to the Pacific Northwest to face the University of Washington on Friday, Jan. 23, at 8 p.m. MT, at Alaska Airlines Arena in Seattle.
BROADCAST: Friday's game is scheduled to air live on the Pac-12 Mountain and Washington Networks. Ann Schatz will have the play-by-play with Elise Woodward with the color commentary. Friday'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: Washington and Colorado rank No. 1 and 2 in free throws made and percentage through six Pac-12 games. Washington is first in both hitting 80.7 percent (88-of-109). The Buffaloes are a close second at 76.6 percent (82-of-107). Colorado is 54-of-65 from the free throw line over the last three games (.831).
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado jumped back over .500, entering the weekend at 9-8 overall and 2-4 in the Pac-12 Conference after sweeping its season series with Utah last week. The Buffaloes claimed a 77-72 overtime win at the Coors Events Center on Jan. 14 before cruising to a 73-54 triumph in the rematch in Salt Lake City on Jan. 18. The wins halted a five-game skid and also allowed Colorado to avoid the slowest conference start in team history. The Buffaloes' 19-point win over Utah marked their largest conference road margin of victory since defeating Kansas 70-51, exactly 12 years earlier on Jan. 18, 2003. Current head coach Linda Lappe was a senior on that 2003 squad.
Colorado is averaging 72.2 points per game on 43.3 percent shooting. After putting up just 57.8 points an outing over a four game span dating back to Long Beach State, Colorado's offense has rebounded to the tune of 78.0 points over the last three. Colorado has hit the 80-point mark five times this season, most recently against UCLA where its 84 points against the Bruins was the most against a conference opponent since putting up a similar number against Oregon on Feb. 10, 2013.
Defensively, Colorado has allowed 69.6 points per game on 38.3 percent from the field. The Buffaloes are coming off their best performance of the Pac-12 season, limiting Utah to just 54 points after giving up 76 per game over the first five. Colorado is second in the Pac-12 in rebounding (43.9 rpg), defensive rebounds (30.2 drpg) and blocked shots (5.3 bpg), while ranking third in rebounding margin (+6.4), free throw percentage (.728), 3-point percentage (.386) and 3-point defense (.279).
Senior Jen Reese leads Colorado in scoring (14.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg) while ranking second in free throw percentage (.828) and field goal percentage (.481). She scored a career and team season-high 30 points in the loss to UCLA which put her over the 1,000-point mark in her career. She made 14-of-19 from the field and also dished out five assists, all career-highs. The 30 points are the most by a CU player since Chucky Jeffery had 30 against Idaho on Dec. 4, 2011. Reese is hitting 55.9 percent during Pac-12 games (33-of-59).
Reese has scored in double figures in 12 of 17 games and has three double-doubles. She has four games of 20 or more points this season. On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Reese is fifth in free throw percentage, seventh in overall rebounding and defensive boards (5.5 drpg) and 11th in scoring.
Junior forward Jamee Swan tops Colorado in blocked shots (1.9 bpg) and free throws made and attempted (58-of-83) while ranking second in scoring (12.9 ppg), rebounding (7.5 rpg) and steals (17). Swan has led Colorado in scoring in eight games including a 14-point effort in the Jan. 9 loss against USC where she also tied a career and team season best with five blocked shots. She scored 21 at Cal, hitting 20 points for the third time this season and the fifth time in her career. 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.
In the Pac-12 Swan ranks second in blocks, seventh in offensive rebounds (2.8 orpg), eighth in overall rebounding, 15th in defensive rebounds (4.7 drpg), and 16th in scoring.
Senior guard Lexy Kresl is averaging 11.1 points and 5.0 rebounds while leading the Buffaloes at 5.0 assists and 1.2 steals per game. Kresl scored a career-high 26 points in the overtime win over Utah hitting 6-of-8 from the field and setting personal bests with 11-of-16 from the foul line. In Sunday's rematch she once again led Colorado with 18 points on 6-of-13 shooting. She leads Colorado in 3-pointers with 29 and has made 9 of her last 13 spanning the last three games.
Kresl is averaging 19 points over the last three games and jumps to second on the team in scoring during Pac-12 play at 11.8 per contest hitting 45 percent from 3-point range. She is fourth in the Pac-12 in assists and also ranks seventh in 3-pointers made (1.9 3mpg), 10th in 3-point percentage (.397), 11th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3), 14th in free throw percentage (.756) and 27th in scoring.
Sophomore guard Haley Smith leads the team in field goal (.487) and free throw percentage (.872) while ranking third in rebounding (6.3 rpg) and fourth in scoring (11.0 ppg). She has averaged 15 points over the last three games and in that span has made 16 straight free throws including a monster 11-for-11 effort in the home win over Utah that ties for the fourth best single-game performance in team history. Smith scored a personal Pac-12 high 19 points on 7-of-10 shooting against UCLA. 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 third in free throw percentage, 12th in field goal percentage, 20th in rebounding and 29th in scoring.
Senior guard Jasmine Sborov is averaging 6.4 points and 5.2 rebounds and ranks second on the team in assists with 43. She scored in double figures for the fourth time this season with 10 points against USC on 5-of-10 from the field. Her 10 points marked just her third Pac-12 game scoring in double-digits and just one off her league best of 11 set at UCLA last season. Her five field goals made were a Pac-12 best. 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 wing Lauren Huggins is second on the team with 26 3-pointers and has hit 37.7 percent from long range ranking 13th in the Pac-12. She made 3-of-6 in the road win at Utah after making just 3-of-20 over the previous seven contests. Huggins is tied for 15th in the Pac-12 at 1.5 3-pointers made per game.
Sophomore forward Zoe Beard-Fails earned a starting role for the Buffaloes front court for a recent five-game stretch. Overall on the season she has averaged 4.5 points and 3.6 rebounds. Against Long Beach State she had career highs in points (14), rebounds (8) and field goals made and attempted (7-of-13).
Colorado's freshmen have steadily increased their productivity as the Pac-12 season gets into full swing. Wing Alina Hartmann scored a career-best eight points in the win at Utah, hitting a pair of 3-pointers. Brecca Thomas is averaging 5.5 points during Pac-12 play, hitting 50 percent from the field including a league best 67 percent (6-of-9) from 3-point range during that span. Zoe Correal logged double-digit minutes in both wins over Utah pitching in 2.0 points and 2.5 rebounds. She had a personal best six points on 3-of-6 shooting at Stanford.
ABOUT WASHINGTON: Washington, receiving votes in both Associated Press and USA Today Sports Coaches' polls, is 14-4 overall and 3-3 in the Pac-12. The Huskies' three Pac-12 losses have come to the top three teams in the league standings, with a combined conference record of 17-1. Washington boasts the top scoring offense in the Pac-12 at 78.8 points per game. The Huskies shoot 44 percent from the field and a conference-best 77.2 percent from the free throw line. From beyond the arc, Washington ranks second in 3-pointers made (7.9 3mpg), hitting 35 percent. Defensively the Huskies allow 65.4 points per game on 38 percent from the field.
Sophomore guard Kelsey Plum leads the Pac-12 and ranks third in the nation in scoring at 24.5 points per game. She also tops the Pac-12 in free throw accuracy at 90.2 percent, making 120 of 133 attempts. Senior guard Jazmine Davis leads Washington in assists (4.9 apg) while ranking second in scoring (15.0 ppg) and steals (1.6 spg). Senior forward Aminah Williams tops Washington in ranks second in the Pac-12 in both rebounding (10.2 rpg) and field goal percentage (.590). Junior forward Talia Walton paces the Huskies in blocks (1.8 bpg) while ranking third in scoring (13.1 ppg).
Mike Neighbors is in his second season as Washington's head coach with a record of 34-18.
THE SERIES: This will be the 14th meeting between Colorado and Washington with the Buffaloes holding an 8-5 series lead. Washington swept the season series in 2014 and has won three of five meetings since Colorado joined the Pac-12 in 2011-12. The Huskies took an 81-71 win in Seattle on Jan. 19, 2014, and followed it up with an 87-80 win in Boulder on Feb. 14, 2014. Washington has won three of five all-time meetings in Seattle including the last two.
Linda Lappe is 2-3 against Washington as a head coach. Mike Neighbors is 2-0 against Colorado as a head coach.
CONNECTIONS: Sophomore wing Haley Smith is a graduate of Skyline High School in Sammamish, Wash., located east of Seattle. Washington head coach Mike Neighbors was a CU assistant coach in 2005-06 under Kathy McConnell-Miller.
SMITH PERFECT FROM FREE THROW LINE: Sophomore Haley Smith was a perfect 11-for-11 from the free throw line in the home win over Utah. Both numbers represent career highs for Smith with the 11 free throws made tying for the team season high along with Jen Reese (11-of-13) and Lexy Kresl (11-of-16).
Smith's 11-for-11 outing also ties for Colorado's fourth best single game performance for free throws made with out a miss. She has made 16 straight free throws over the last three games and currently ranks third in the Pac-12 at 87.2 percent. She has made 17-of-18 in Pac-12 play (.944), the second best league mark during that span.
MOST FREE THROWS WITHOUT A MISS:
13-of-13, Gretchen DeWitte vs. Nebraska, Feb. 7, 1987
12-of-12, Jackie McFarland vs. Missouri, Mar. 5, 2008
12-of-12, Mandy Nightingale vs. Florida, Dec. 22, 2000
11-of-11, Haley Smith vs. Utah, Jan. 14, 2015
11-of-11, Shelley Sheetz vs. Kansas, Feb. 12, 1992.
REESE'S TOP FIELD GOAL NIGHT: Senior forward Jen Reese had a career night with 30 points against UCLA. She made 14-of-19 from the field and the 14 field goals made tie for the third-best single-game total in team history. Reese joins 10 others who have had 14 field goals in a game, most recently by CU's all-time leading scorer Brittany Spears against California in the first round of the 2011 Postseason WNIT.
MOST FIELD GOALS IN ONE GAME:
17, Tracy Tripp at Oklahoma State, Feb. 4, 1987
15, Jean Raikes vs. Temple Junior College, Nov. 20, 1976
14, Jen Reese vs. UCLA, Jan. 11, 2015
14, 10 others, most recently Brittany Spears vs. Cal, Mar. 21, 2011
BACK TO THE BOARDS: Colorado has outrebounded, or been even, with 14 of its 17 opponents this season by an average of 6.4 per game. The Buffaloes are second the Pac-12 in overall rebounds (43.9 rpg) and defensive rebounds (30.2 drpg) and ranked fourth in offensive boards (13.8 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 came over an eight-game span 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. Senior Jen Reese is seventh at 7.7 per game while junior Jamee Swan is eighth at 7.5 per contest.
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 has played in four overtime games, the most in one season in team history. As of January 20, it's tied for the second-most in NCAA Division I for the 2014-15 campaign (DePaul, Norfolk State), trailing only Hofstra which has played in five. The NCAA I record for overtimes in one season is seven set by Wisconsin in 1998-99.
Colorado's 77-72 overtime win over Utah moved the Buffaloes to 3-1 on the season with the extra session and above .500 all-time at 24-23.
2014-15 OVERTIME GAMES
Nov. 17 vs. Western Kentucky (68-68) L, 78-79
Nov. 29 vs. Colorado State (64-64/74-74) W, 87-81
Dec. 5 vs. San Jose State (85-85) W, 97-89
Jan. 11 vs. Utah (63-63) W, 77-72
The Buffaloes had played three overtime games in one season on four other occasions, most recently in 1995-96. Colorado played in overtime in three of its first seven games marking the first time the Buffaloes had played three during the nonconference schedule. Overall it's the 14 time Colorado has played multiple overtime games in one season.
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. The Buffaloes are 3-3 overall in double overtime games.
TAKING CARE OF BUSINESS: Colorado has a record of 53-30 since the beginning of the 2012-13 season. Of those 30 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 50 of their last 66 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 is the 15th player in team history to reach 1,000 points and 500 rebounds in a career.
She reached the 1,000-point milestone during her career-high 30-point effort against UCLA on Jan. 11 and is the 26th player to reach that mark. She is currently 26th on CU's career scoring list with 1,025 points, 20 away from cracking the top 25.
Reese became the 21st player to reach 500 career rebounds during the Missouri State game. She is currently 15th on Colorado's all-time list with 595.
With 411 career field goals made, she is three away from reaching the career top 20.
KRESL SOLID FROM ARC, LINE: Senior guard Lexy Kresl ranks seventh in career 3-pointers made at 153 and is sixth in attempts with 492. She has made 9-of-13 over her last three outings.
She has made a 3-pointer in 80 of 110 career games and has 41 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 82.1 (160-of-195) would rank sixth on the Buffs' all-time list (minimum of 100 attempts).
She 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 is also closing in on the 1,000 point mark, entering Friday's game with 905. Maintaining her 8.2 points per game career average would put her at 1,000 points near the end of the regular season.
HUGGINS SHOOTS UP LIST: With 19 3-pointers over the last 13 games, sophomore Lauren Huggins has put herself among the Buffaloes' career leaders. She is currently 17th in career 3-pointers made with 66 and 19th in attempts at 179.
SWAN'S SWATS: Junior forward Jamee Swan ranks second in the Pac-12 in blocked shots at 1.9 per game. She has 16 blocked shots over the last seven games (2.3 bpg) a number that includes a pair of career and team-season high five block efforts (Long Beach State, USC).
Swan has 97 career blocks ranking ninth 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.
STRONG SCHEDULE: Colorado currently holds down the 27th toughest schedule in the nation (through games of Jan. 20) as its opponents have a combined record of 154-98 (.611). The Buffaloes are fifth in the Pac-12 trailing UCLA (2nd, .679), Arizona State (20th, .624), California (23rd, .622) and Washington (26th, .611).
Taking into account the records of future opposition, Colorado jumps to 19th as its cummulative opponent record is 226-129 (.637), trailing only UCLA in the Pac-12 (1st, .687).
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).
HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 401-139 all-time record at the Coors Events Center (.743). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CEC in 25 of 36 years. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CEC.
Colorado is 7-4 at the Coors Events Center in 2014-15 and has won 25 of its last 36 and 36 of its last 50 at home.
BUFFS ON TV: Colorado women's basketball will be televised to a regional or national audience at least 13 times during the regular season, including 12 games on the Pac-12 Networks during league play. This marks the third consecutive year the Buffaloes will have double-digit regional or national television appearances.
Colorado made its television debut on ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain on Nov. 25, defeating Denver 77-49. Colorado's first eight Pac-12 games will be televised on the Pac-12 Networks as will five of the Buffaloes' nine home conference games. All remaining home games, and conference road games, that aren't televised will be scheduled to be streamed live through Colorado's Pac-12.com video portal. In addition, CU's game at Missouri on Friday, Dec. 12, aired on SEC Network +, the SEC's online video streaming option.
Entering this season, Colorado has tipped off on 127 national or regional telecasts since the fall of 2001, and 28 since the advent of the Pac-12 Networks in 2012.