Colorado Hosts Annual Play4Kay Game Friday
THE GAME: The University of Colorado opens a season-long four-game home stand by hosting Washington State University on Friday, Feb. 13, at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.
BROADCAST: Friday's game will air live on KKZN 760 AM. Cory Lopez will have the call with KDVR Fox 31 Denver sports reporter and former Colorado women's basketball player Kami Carmann providing the color commentary. A free live video stream will be available through Colorado's Pac-12.com video player. All CU women's basketball home games that are not televised will be available through Pac-12.com at this link:
http://pac-12.com/videos/university-colorado
PLAY4KAY: Friday is Colorado's annual Play4Kay Pink Game to help in the fight against breast cancer. Colorado has officially partnered with the Play4Kay organization, a leader in the women's basketball and breast cancer awareness community, to raise money. Fans and supporters can donate money online by visiting Play4Kay.org/CUBuffsWBB.
At the game Colorado will be handing out pink T-shirts to the first 1,000 fans in attendance and during halftime the Buffs will be honoring breast cancer survivors. Breast cancer survivors can sign up to be a part of the recognition at CUBuffs.com/pink.
All fans can get discounted $5 general admission tickets by visiting CUBuffs.com/promo and using the code GÇÿPINK' or by wearing pink to the game and purchasing tickets at the door.
OPENING TIP: Colorado struggled with turnovers last weekend with 50 total over the two-game Southern California road trip, but the Buffaloes have protected the ball better at home recently averaging only 12.3 per game over the last three at the Coors Events Center.
ABOUT THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 10-13 overall and in 10th place in the Pac-12 at 3-9. The Buffaloes are just one game out of eighth place and will host the two teams directly ahead of them in the standings over the next two weeks, including Washington State on Friday. Colorado is only two games out of seventh and three out of sixth with six regular season contests remaining. Last weekend the Buffaloes were swept on their Southern California trip falling to UCLA, 72-65 on Feb. 6, and 66-51 to USC on Feb. 8. The 10 losses since the end of the nonconference season have come by a margin of only 9.3 points per game.
Colorado is averaging 71.1 points per game on 43 percent shooting. The Buffaloes' scoring has dipped slightly during Pac-12 play, as is the norm with stiffer competition, but still checks in at a solid 68.0 points per game. CU has shot 42.9 percent during Pac-12 play, including a Pac-12 best 38.4 percent from 3-point range.
Defensively, Colorado has allowed 70.3 points per game on 38.0 percent from the field. Colorado is second in the Pac-12 in rebounding (43.0 rpg), rebounding margin (+5.9). blocked shots (5.0 bpg) and 3-point defense (.288) while ranking third in offensive rebounds (13.7 orpg), defensive rebounds (29.3 drpg), 3-point percentage (.379) and free throw percentage (.744).
Junior forward Jamee Swan paces Colorado at 13.7 points, 8.0 rebounds and 2.1 blocks per game while shooting 49.2 percent from the field. She averaged 15.5 points, 9.5 rebounds, 2.5 blocks and 2.5 assists on the Southern California weekend. Swan recorded her team best sixth double-double of the season, and eighth of her career, with 14 points and 10 rebounds at USC. She had a strong weekend in the first go around with the Washington schools averaging 25 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks and 3.5 assists while shooting 66 percent from the field in the two games which included a career-high 28 points at Washington State. She has 27 blocked shots over the last 10 contests (2.7 bpg).
In the Pac-12 Swan ranks second in blocks, third in offensive rebounds (3.3 orpg), sixth in overall rebounding, eighth in field goal percentage, 12th in scoring and 15th in defensive rebounds (4.7 drpg).
Senior guard Lexy Kresl is second on the team in overall scoring at 12.9 points per game and leads the Buffaloes during conference play at 14.5 per contest. She paces Colorado at 4.5 assists and 1.3 steals per game, and is also the team's top 3-point shooter at 42 percent (46-of-110). Kresl has scored in double-digits in nine straight games, the longest such streak of her career, averaging 17.8 points during that span. She has made 26 of her last 50 from 3-point range (.520). During Pac-12 play she has hit 45.6 percent from beyond the arc, the third best mark among league competitors.
On the overall Pac-12 charts Kresl ranks fourth in 3-pointers made (2.2 3mpg) and assists, fifth in 3-point percentage (.418), 10th in free throw percentage (.781), 14th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.1) and 17th in scoring.
Senior forward Jen Reese is second on the team in rebounding (7.2 rpg) and free throw percentage (.848) while ranking third in scoring (12.8 ppg) and field goal percentage (.461). She had 19 points on 8-of-14 shooting with eight rebounds and three assists in the win over Arizona. In the first meeting with UCLA, she scored a career and team season-high 30 points 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 has scored in double figures in 14 of 23 games - scoring nine in three others - and has three double-doubles. She has four games of 20 or more points this season. On the Pac-12 leaderboard, Reese is fourth in free throw percentage, seventh in defensive boards (5.4 drpg), 10th in overall rebounding and 18th in scoring.
Sophomore guard Haley Smith leads the team in free throw percentage (.875) while ranking second in field goal percentage (.462), third in rebounding (6.0 rpg) and fourth in scoring (9.7 ppg). She has made 25-of-27 (.926) from the free throw line during league play, the best mark in the Pac-12 during that span. Smith has also been one of Colorado's most consistent rebounders, registering at least five rebounds in 12 of the last 14 games. On the overall Pac-12 leaderboard Smith ranks 19th in field goal percentage and falling just short of the minimum number of attempts to be ranked among the league leaders in overall free throw percentage.
Senior guard Jasmine Sborov is averaging 6.5 points and 5.1 rebounds and ranks second on the team in assists with 62. She has stepped up play in the last three, averaging 10.3 points, 6.7 rebounds and 4.0 assists. Against UCLA, she scored 11 points and had five rebounds, recording her first consecutive double-digit scoring efforts of the season and first ever in Pac-12 play. She had one of her best all-around games of her career scoring 14 points with 11 rebounds and seven assists against Arizona. It was her third career double-double, the second this season and first ever against a conference opponent. In fact all three numbers, points-rebounds-assists, are personal bests in a Pac-12 game.
Sophomore wing Lauren Huggins is second on the team with 32 3-pointers and has hit 36.0 percent from long range. She hit 3-of-5 at UCLA, making three consecutive shots during Colorado's second half run that chipped away at the Bruins' double-digit lead. Prior to the UCLA game she had made just 3-of-15 over the previous four games. Huggins had seven points and a career-high seven rebounds against Arizona. Her seven rebounds were more than the total of her first nine Pac-12 games combined (five).
Sophomore forward Zoe Beard-Fails is averaging 4.5 points and 3.3 rebounds and pitched in at least four points in each of the last four games. Against Long Beach State she had career highs in points (14), rebounds (8) and field goals made and attempted (7-of-13).
ABOUT WASHINGTON STATE: Washington State is 13-10 overall and tied with Oregon for eighth place in the Pac-12 Conference at 4-8. The Cougars have lost their last four and haven't won since their 73-68 win over Colorado on Jan. 25. Washington State averages 70.6 points on 38.5 percent shooting and 74.4 percent from the foul line. Defensively, the Cougars allow 65.7 points per game and allow 42.3 percent from the field which ranks 11th in the Pac-12. WSU gives up the most rebounds in the league at 41.3 per game and has the lowest rebounding margin (-3.4) in the conference. The Cougars counter that by creating the most turnovers among league competitors at nearly 21 per game while also leading the Pac-12 in steals at 10.5 per contest.
Washington State is led by the prolific backcourt of junior Lia Galdeira and senior Tia Presley who account for 53 percent of the team's scoring. Galdeira ranks second in the Pac-12 in scoring at 20.1 points per game. She leads the conference in steals (3.5 spg) and is the Cougars' second-best rebounder at nearly six per game. Presley averages 17.2 points per contest leading Washington State with 40 3-pointers. Freshman Louise Brown stepped into a starting role for injured center Shalie Dheensaw and has responded by averaging 3.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Dawnyelle Awa paces the Cougars in assists (2.6 apg) and field goal percentage (.506)
June Daugherty is in her eighth year at Washington State with a record of 86-156. She is in her 26th year overall as a collegiate head coach with a record of 399-370.
THE SERIES: This will be just the eighth meeting between Colorado and Washington State tied with Oregon State as the least played series for the Buffaloes in their fourth year in the Pac-12. The Cougars hold a 4-3 lead after their win over Colorado earlier this season and have won three straight. The Buffaloes have won two of three all-time meetings in Boulder with WSU's lone win coming in an 80-77 decision on Feb. 16, 2014.
Linda Lappe is 2-3 against Washington State as a head coach. June Daugherty is 3-4 against Colorado, 3-2 with Washington State and 0-2 while she was head coach at Washington.
CONNECTIONS: Sophomore guard/forward Haley Smith is a graduate of Skyline High School in Sammamish, Wash., located east of Seattle.
KRESL ON ACADEMIC ALL-DISTRICT TEAM: Senior Lexy Kresl has been named to the Capital One Academic All-District 7 Women's Basketball team as selected by the College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA).
Kresl is one of nine players selected to the all-district team made up of NCAA Division I schools from 14 Midwestern states: Colorado, Idaho, Iowa, Kansas, Minnesota, Missouri, Montana, Nebraska, New Mexico, North Dakota, South Dakota, Oklahoma, Texas and Wyoming. She now moves onto the Capital One Academic All-America ballot to be voted on later this month.
A native of Paradise Valley, Ariz., Kresl is an integrative physiology major carrying a 3.56 overall GPA. She aspires to attend Physician Assistant school after graduating in May and to work in pediatrics. Kresl is a two-time Pac-12 Conference All-Academic Women's Basketball selection, and vying for a third, earning first team honors as a junior and second team accolades as a sophomore.
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 had a string of 20 straight free throws made end with her only attempt at Washington State. Smith has made 25-of-27 in Pac-12 play (.926), the league's best 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 in the home loss to UCLA on Jan. 11. 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
TWO 1,000 POINT SCORERS: Senior guard Lexy Kresl became the 27th player in team history to reach 1,000 points during her 14-point performance at USC. With classmate Jen Reese hitting the 1,000-point milestone earlier in the season, it marks the first time since 2006-07 that two Buffaloes reached the 1,000-point milestone in the same season: Jackie McFarland (3rd 1,957) and Jasmina Ilic (23rd 1,093).
Reese is currently 24th in career scoring at 1,081 while Kresl enters the weekend at 27th with 1,008.
OFFENSIVE ATTACK: Colorado's offensive attack is enjoying one of its best seasons in over a decade. The Buffaloes are averaging 71.1 points per game, their best over the course of a season since the 2001-02 team put up 76.1 points per outing.
Colorado registered its seventh 80-point game of the season in the win over Arizona and third during Pac-12 play. CU scored 82 at Washington, the most for the Buffaloes in a conference road game since an 84-60 win at Nebraska on Feb. 26, 2002. Colorado's 84 points in the first meeting against UCLA are the most against a conference opponent since putting up a similar number against Oregon on Feb. 10, 2013.
Colorado is hovering around a pair of Top 10 single-season percentage numbers in the team annals. The Buffaloes' nationally No. 9 ranked 3-point shooting percentage of 37.9 would rank as the fifth best single-season mark in team history if the season ended today. Colorado's 74.4 percent showing from the free throw line would rank in the eighth spot. CU's current overall pace of 43.0 percent from the field would be the team's best since 2003-04 (.435).
BACK TO THE BOARDS: Colorado has outrebounded, or been even, with 19 of its 23 opponents this season by an average of 5.9 per game. The Buffaloes are second the Pac-12 in overall rebounds (43.0 rpg) while ranking third in offensive rebounds (13.7 orpg) defensive boards (29.3 drpg).
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 has two players in the Top 10 of the Pac-12 rebounding. Junior Jamee Swan is sixth at 8.0 per game while senior Jen Reese is 10th at 7.2 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 "GÇ£"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 Feb. 11, it's tied for the fourth-most in NCAA Division I for the 2014-15 campaign (DePaul, San Jose State, Southern Mississippi), trailing only Hofstra, Norfolk State and Purdue who have each 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 54-35 since the beginning of the 2012-13 season. Of those 35 losses, 15 have been to ranked teams and 14 of those ranked higher than Colorado at the time the game was played. The Buffaloes have won 51 of their last 71 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 13th player in team history to reach 1,000 points and 600 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 24th on CU's career scoring list with 1,081 points.
Reese reached 600 at Washington State and is currently 14th on CU's all-time list at 629. She is 18th in career field goals made with 431.
KRESL SOLID FROM ARC, LINE: Senior guard Lexy Kresl ranks seventh in career 3-pointers made at 170 and is fifth in attempts with 529. She has made 26-of-50 over her last nine outings. Her current 41.8 percent status from 3-point range this season would rank eighth on Colorado's all-time single-season list.
She has made a 3-pointer in 86 of 116 career games and has 47 contests with two or more buckets from long range. Kresl hit five at Washington, tying a season high and also marking her seventh 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 82.2 (176-of-214) 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.
HUGGINS SHOOTS UP LIST: With 25 3-pointers over the last 19 games, sophomore Lauren Huggins has put herself among the Buffaloes' career leaders. She is currently 17th in career 3-pointers made with 72 and 16th in attempts at 200.
SWAN'S SWATS: Junior forward Jamee Swan ranks second in the Pac-12 in blocked shots at 2.1 per game. She has 27 blocked shots over the last 10 games (2.7 bpg).
She has three games with five blocks this season, standing as both career and team season highs (Long Beach State, USC and Washington State). Her 49 blocked shots on the season rank eighth on CU's single-season list and her current 2.1 per game pace would rank fourth on the Buffaloes' all-time charts.
Swan has 42 percent of Colorado's blocked shots this season. The Buffaloes total of 116 blocks currently ranks ninth on the team's single-season record book.
Swan has 112 career blocks ranking eighth on CU's all-time list.
AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 0-3 against ranked teams this season after dropping a 68-60 decision to No. 11/11 Arizona State on Jan. 30. The Buffaloes have dropped their last 15 against ranked opponents. Colorado is 62-157 all-time against ranked opponents.
STRONG SCHEDULE: Colorado currently holds down the 22nd toughest schedule in the nation (through games of Feb. 11) as its opponents have a combined record of 262-169 (.608). The Buffaloes are second in the Pac-12 trailing only UCLA (2nd, .657).
Taking into account the records of future opposition, Colorado jumps to 15th as its cumulative opponent record is 293-183 (.616), trailing only UCLA in the Pac-12 (2nd, .656).
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).