Posts tagged Washington
Beemer, Torres and Mayden Lead Buffs On Day 1 Of Pac-12 Track and Field Championships
0May 6, 2013
LOS ANGELES – After the first day of competition at the Pac-12 Championships, University of Colorado senior Brianne Beemer is in third place in the heptathlon with 3,153 points.
Beemer leads a trio of Buffs in the heptathlon. She is 45 points in front of teammate, redshirt freshman Abrianna Torres, who is in fourth with 3,108 and junior Genny Mayden also had a good day and is sixth with 3,053 points. Arizona State’s Keia Pinnick is first overall with 3,441 points.
“The Buffs have kicked off the Pac-12 Championships in a big way,” Beemer said. “We hope to set the tone for tomorrow and the following weekend.”
Beemer had a solid effort on the first day, starting the day running 14.13 seconds in the 100-meter hurdles. The time is the fastest she has ever run in a heptathlon and ranks sixth all-time in CU heptathlon history. Beemer came close to her personal best in the high jump when she cleared 5-4.25 and was also close to her shot put PR with a toss of 35-1.75. She finished the day by running 25.45 in the 200.
Torres wasn’t far behind Beemer, finishing the 100-hurdles with a PR of 14.61. She cleared 5-1.25 in the high jump and then came out with a huge throw of 41-11.25 to win the shot put portion of the heptathlon. Torres is already the CU heptathlon shot put record holder (42-7), but this throw was good for second all-time. She finished her day by clocking 25.97 in the 200.
Mayden, who is just 55 points behind Torres and 43 points behind fifth place holder Kimberly Conner (UCLA), also had a nice day. She ran the 100-hurdles in 15.23 and cleared 5-4.25 in the high jump. Mayden, who is also a very good thrower, placed third in the meet with a PR of 40-5.50, which was good for sixth in CU’s heptathlon record book. Mayden ran 26.11 in the 200 to finish her day.
In the decathlon, Emory had a very nice start and currently sits tied for sixth with 3,680 points. He is tied with Arizona’s Keegan Cooke. Both are just 30 points from fifth place holder, Washington State’s Spencer Wordell (3,710). Washington’s Jeremy Taiwo is first with 4,200 points.
Emory ran to a PR, and the eighth best time in CU’s decathlon history, in the 100 at 11.11. His long jump was just short of his personal best, jumping 20-6.50. Emory did extremely well in the shot put and recorded a PR by almost three feet when he earned a mark of 41-9.75, improving from his previous toss of 38-8.75. The throw also ranks third amongst CU decathletes. In the high jump, Emory cleared 6-4.25 before finishing the 400 with a PR of 50.31.
Overall the Buffs are poised very well with one day of action remaining in the combined events.
“It’s truly amazing to have all four Buffs in scoring position going into day two,” Mayden said. “All three girls finished day one well over 3,000 points, so we all have a lot of momentum going into tomorrow. We are all looking forward to seeing the Buffs dominate the podium tomorrow.”
The second and final day of the combined events championships is Sunday. The remaining events will all be contested next weekend, May 11-12, at Katherine B. Locker Stadium on the campus of USC.
CU press release
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CU woman’s tennis loses to U of W
0April 8, 2013
Two CU Buffs earned wins in straight sets, but the No. 75 CU women’s tennis team lost to the University of Washington 5-2
“This is just another example of how tough the Pac-12 is,” CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said. “Washington came in and competed hard. I think we gave our best effort today. We have 10 days before our next match to regroup a little bit and get ready.”
CU falls to 7-12 overall, 2-7 Pac-12 Conference in just its second match playing as a ranked team this season. Washington, the seventh team the Buffs have faced this season that is ranked and boasts at least one ranked player or doubles team, improves to 11-9, 3-6 Pac-12 after falling to Utah on Friday.
The Buffs came out with a statement, with Julyette Steur and Erin Sanders knocking off No. 71 Douglas-Miron/Shimizu.
On a windy day that had Winde Janssens out of the singles lineup, freshman Dhany Quevedo stepped up in the No. 2 position, and sophomore Julyette Steur extended her Pac-12 winning streak to three.
“Obviously I’m really happy and proud for Dhany for getting a Pac-12 win and at No. 2 singles at that,” Kenneally said. “It’s fantastic. And Julyette continues to play strong.”
After Steur took down Washington State’s second winningest player in three sets on Friday, she had no problem getting another big win at the No. 1 singles position. Steur defeated Andjela Nemcevic 6-2, 6-2 for her 11th win of the spring and her third straight in the Pac-12.
Quevedo stood out against Elianne Douglas-Miron, winning key break points to take the match 6-4, 6-3. The victory was the 10th of her young career and her second in the Pac-12, having defeated Arizona State’s Leighann Sahagun in three sets.
Following an extended break, the Buffs conclude the regular season against Utah at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 20 at the CU South Campus Tennis Complex unless weather pushes play inside. The Buffs then head to the Pac-12 Championships in Ojai, Calif. from April 25-28.
CU Sports Information press release
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CU women’s tennis falls 6-1 to To Washington State U.
0April 5, 2013
BOULDER – In its first match this season competing as a ranked team, the No. 75 University of Colorado tennis team continued to be tested, falling 6-1 to No. 70 Washington State on Friday afternoon at the CU South Campus Tennis Complex.
“All credit to Washington State,” CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said. “They came out and they played a tough, competitive match. They did a great job of hustling. I think we as a team put a solid effort out there. Several of the players have had an adverse week. This match is an opportunity for us to learn to not let it happen again. Obviously this time of year, a lot of college students are coming down with sicknesses. It’s important for us to take precautions to minimize that. I think we had a solid fight and effort, but we just weren’t as sharp as we have been. Ultimately, we have the opportunity to come back on Sunday. There’s nothing like coming out and competing as quickly as possible after a loss.”
Juliet Steur had a good match against Washington State
The Buffs, ranked for the first time in the regular season since April 2010, fall to 7-12 overall, 2-6 Pac-12 Conference. Washington State improves to 13-9, 2-6 Pac-12. The Cougars boast one of their most impressive teams, with all three seniors, Liudmila Vasilieva, Ksenia Googe and Andjela Kankaras, ranked among the top six all-time in singles victories at WSU.
Though the Buffaloes are wrapping up the regular season, their stiff competition continues with their final home matches. All 10 of CU’s most recent opponents have either been ranked, had at least one ranked player or both (as is the case for six of the teams). Of the teams the Buffs have faced this season, 11 (nine from the Pac-12) are in the current ITA College Tennis Rankings, with five ranked in the top 25.
CU showed perseverance early despite dropping the doubles point. Julyette Steur and Erin Sanders had a resounding 8-5 win over Googe/Vasilieva in the No. 1 position for their eighth win, and second in the Pac-12, as a pair this season. Janssens/Manzi Tenorio and Quevedo/Watrous both fought, but eventually fell. Janssens/Manzi Tenorio battled for every point in their 6-8 defeat, and Quevedo/Watrous won three straight sets to fight back from down 1-6, but fell 4-8.
When singles play began, four Buffs were down a break at 3-4 in the first set. Julyette Steur and Winde Janssens both showed their strength in face of adversity in the top two positions. Both players battled back from 3-4 to claim 5-4 leads, then fell behind 5-6 but sent their first sets into tiebreakers.
Steur came out victorious with a 7-3 first set tiebreak win. With hopes of becoming WSU’s all-time winningest player, Liudmila Vasilieva came back with a vengeance, claiming the second set 6-4. With the overall match already decided, they were sent into a third set super-tiebreaker. But once again, Steur had the upper hand, winning 10-6. The victory was Steur’s 10th win of spring and second in the Pac-12 this season and put a halt in Vasilieva’s hunt to be the all-time leader. With 104 career wins, Vasilieva is still four wins away from the title.
Janssens fought in a tiebreaker of her own, but could never regain the lead, falling 7-5 and retiring after the first set.
Freshman Mazy Watrous had one of her best Pac-12 performances, winning five games in her 6-4, 6-1 loss to Charlotte Koning.
CU wraps up the regular season with two more home matches. The Buffs take on No. 45 Washington on Sunday, April 7. First serve is at 10 a.m. After an extended break, the Buffs conclude home play against Utah at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 20. Both matches will be held at the CU South Campus Tennis Complex unless weather pushes play inside.
CU SPORTS PRESS RELEASE (FOR THOSE OF YOU TOO SIMPLE MINDED TO FIGURE IT OUT ON YOUR OWN)
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CU tennis is building a head of steam with recent victories
0April 2, 2013
CU is in the ITA College Tennis Rankings for the first time in the regular season since April 2010.
The Buffaloes, ranked No. 75, join nine other Pac-12 Conference teams in the rankings. Colorado holds a 7-11 overall, 2-5 Pac-12 record, tying for sixth in conference standings. With three matches left in the season, the Buffs have already matched their 2011-12 win total. 
“It’s exciting for the program, and it’s exciting for the players,” CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said. “It’s been a few years since we’ve been included in the national rankings. I think it’s a testament to all the hard work the players have put in during the fall semester and in this spring semester. It shows their continued engagement in the process of learning and getting better in every match and every practice. I’m excited for the program.”
The most recently the Buffs have been ranked in the regular season was when they concluded the 2009-10 regular season against No. 19 Texas. The Buffs went into the match ranked No. 68 and finished the season with an 11-13 overall, 3-8 Big 12 record and a No. 72 ranking.
The Buffs have marked several milestones this year. They earned their first ever Pac-12 win on March 10 with a 4-2 win over Arizona, breaking a 26-match regular season conference losing streak. This season, the Buffs have taken down two out of eight ranked opponents. CU beat No. 62 Stephen F. Austin 6-1 on February 2, marking their first win over a ranked opponent since the then-ranked No. 55 Buffs defeated No. 71 Denver on February 1, 2010.
After facing a tough stretch versus ranked Pac-12 teams, the Buffs got a big win over No. 59 Oregon last weekend. The 5-2 victory over the Ducks marks the highest ranked opponent the Buffs have defeated since beating then-ranked No. 46 New Mexico on February 7, 2009. All nine of CU’s most recent opponents have either been ranked, had at least one ranked player or both (as is the case for six of the teams, including Oregon). Of the teams the Buffs have faced this season, 11 hold a place the current rankings, with five ranked in the top 25.
The Buffs conclude their regular season against stiff competition. CU takes on No. 70 Washington State at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 5 and No. 45 Washington at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 7. They end the season against No. 63 Utah at 11 a.m. on Saturday, April 20. All matches will be held at the CU South Campus Tennis Complex unless weather moves play indoors.
CU media release
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CU women’s tennis gets an historical win
0March 29, 2013
BOULDER – The CU women won their second game against a PAC 12 opponent in three years..
“I’m really proud of the players,” CU head coach Nicole Kenneally said. “We came out and competed. It’s been a tough couple of weeks of competition that we’ve had, playing the top four schools in our conference, who were really, really tough. I think we all learned from that, and it really helped us today. I think they really bounced back well. We’ve got three more teams coming into town over the next couple of weeks and we look forward to having those teams here.”
The Buffaloes pick up their first win over a ranked opponent since taking down No. 62 Stephen F. Austin 6-1 on February 2. This marks the highest ranked opponent the Buffs have defeated since beating then-ranked No. 46 New Mexico on February 7, 2009. All nine of CU’s most recent opponents have either been ranked, had at least one ranked player or both (as is the case for six of the teams, including Oregon). The Buffs are now 2-6 against ranked opponents this season, and an impressive 5-2 at home, opening home outdoor play against the Ducks.
“It means something when players don’t necessarily play their best and still win and find a way,” Kenneally said. “I think we did that in several positions today in singles and doubles. That’s what I’m most proud of because it just shows that mentally they’ve taken a step forward, which is great.”
Colorado improves to 7-11 overall, 2-5 Pac-12, matching last year’s overall win total, and marking the first time since the 2009-10 season that the Buffs won at least two conference matches. Oregon, having been ranked in the ITA top-75 in all but two matches this spring, falls to 11-5, 1-4 Pac-12. CU leads the overall series 10-6.
The Buffs sprang into action early, taking the doubles point. The freshman duo of Dhany Quevedo and Mazy Watrous got its first ever win as a pair, besting Hughes/Hager 8-1. Juniors Winde Janssens and Carla Manzi Tenorio continue to be a power for the Buffs, earning their 10th win together this season with an 8-5 win over Metzger/Neubert.
After facing seven straight ranked opponents, Julyette Steur claimed a win over the eighth, defeating No. 102 Nicole Long, who has lost only twice this spring, 6-1, 6-1 for her 14th win of the season. All but one of her wins this spring have been in straight sets. The victory was Steur’s first over a ranked opponent since she beat then-ranked No. 104 McCall Jones of UCLA on March 23, 2012.
Janssens and Manzi Tenorio each earned their 40th career singles win with victories in straight sets. Janssens bested Patricia Skowronski 6-1, 6-3. Janssens leads the Buffs with 16 wins this season, including four in-conference. Manzi Tenorio got her 14th win of the season and her second over a conference opponent with a solid 6-4, 7-6 win over Lana Buttner.
Senior Erin Sanders once again clinched the match for the Buffs, defeating Pascale Neubert 6-3, 6-3. Sanders now has seven wins this season, including two major conference victories.
The Buffs return to action next weekend as the season draws to a close. CU takes on Washington State at 11 a.m. on Friday, April 5 and Washington at 10 a.m. on Sunday, April 7.
from CU SPORTS PRESS RELEASE!!!
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CU women’s b-ball 25 – 5, facing #4 Stanford tonight in Pac-12 semifinals
0March 9, 2013
Freshman Jamie Swan’s late game baskets iced the win
Story by B.G. Brooks, CUBuffs.com
Overcoming a first half of near and sometimes bad misses, fourth-seeded CU finally took control in the final 20 minutes and ousted fifth-seeded Washington 70-59 at KeyArena.
The No. 18 Buffs (25-5) earned a Saturday night date with top-seeded Stanford (29-2) in the Pac-12 semifinals. The No. 4-ranked Cardinal, which defeated the Buffs twice during regular-season play, advanced by disposing of Washington State 79-60 in Friday night’s first game.
Jamee Swan had 15 points and 10 rebounds against Washinton
No. 2 seed California (28-2) and No. 3 seed UCLA (24-6) play in Saturday night’s first semifinal game. The CU-Stanford tip is scheduled for 9:30 p.m. MST (Pac-12 Network).
“There’s only one way to look at a matchup with Stanford, and that’s as an opportunity,” said CU coach Linda Lappe. “We’re going to look at it that way.”
Stanford’s two wins against CU were by 17 points (57-40) in Boulder on the opening weekend of Pac-12 play, then by three points (59-56) at Stanford on January’s last weekend. The Buffs believed they had improved at least that much from the first to the second meeting, and they believe they’re even better now.
They’ll probably need a better start than they had Friday night, when they were forced to overcome a first half that saw them miss 13 of their first 16 field goal attempts and go to their locker room to ponder their 28.9 percent (13-for-45) shooting.
“We knew we had to settle down, quit missing easy shots and quit fouling,” said senior guard Chucky Jeffery, who scored 12 of her game-high 19 points in the second half. “Now we know how the floor feels, the jitters are gone and the first (game) is out of the way. Now it’s about quick memory loss and going on to the next one – and it’s a big one. We want to come out and play better Saturday.”
Lappe used 11 players against UW (20-11) and not only did all of them score, all but one of them collected at least two rebounds and all but two contributed at least one assist. In addition to her 19 points, Jeffery also had a game-best four assists, while freshman forward Jamee Swan scored a career-high 15 points and hauled in 10 of CU’s 58 rebounds – UW had 36 – in her 19 minutes of court time.
“I feel like I played the best I ever played,” said Swan, who also blocked three shots. “It was really nice to be out there and not be afraid and have my teammates behind me.”
All of them were. CU’s bench outscored UW’s 33-18. The Buffs had 25 offensive rebounds to the Huskies’ 13, outscored them 40-18 in the paint and won the second-chance point duel 20-9.
“I like how we crashed the offensive glass,” Lappe said. “We needed to get a lot of extra shots in this game and we did. We showed a lot of resolve in chasing down loose balls to get us extra shots.”
Lappe applauded Swan and freshman guard Kyleesha Weston, who contributed two points and six rebounds in 21 minutes. “I’m really proud of our players,” Lappe said. “I thought we stepped up big at certain times . . . it seemed like whoever we brought into the game, we never missed a beat. That allowed us to get some rest so we could make a push at the end.”
In their 68-61 win over the Huskies last month in Boulder, the Buffs limited the Pac-12′s No. 2 scorer, Jazmine Davis, to nine points. Friday night, Davis got 17 – two below her average. She hit two of UW’s seven three-pointers, which were two more than CU allowed in Boulder and two above Friday night’s goal. U-Dub leads the conference in three-pointers made (8.2 a game). The Huskies’ final two treys Friday night came in the last two minutes when they were trying to cut into a 10-point Buffs lead.
UW got as close as four (63-59) before Jeffery scored five consecutive points – a jumper and three of four free throws – and Swan sank two free throws with 13 seconds left to account for a 7-0 run to close out the game.
The Buffs were up 29-26 at the half, but it took them almost 18 minutes to get their first lead. Blame that on shooting that was somewhere south of frigid. UW led by as many as six points (14-8) before the Buffs finally began finding their range – if they ever did.
Lappe said her team was “really excited to play. I think anytime that’s the case you miss some easy shots . . . but I like how we stayed with it.”
After a Jeffery three-pointer – her team’s only trey of the first half – tied the score at 23-23, she hit a pull-up jumper from the free throw line following a UW turnover to give CU its first lead, 25-23, with 2:41 before intermission.
The final 20 minutes would belong to whoever wanted them, and based on the first 21/2 it appeared that was CU. After scoring the first eight points the Buffs surged to a 37-26 lead and were threatening to rip this one open.
It didn’t happen. Talia Walton’s trey started an 8-0 UW run and Davis’ traditional three-point finished it, pulling the Huskies back to within three (37-34) with 16:09 remaining.
CU went back ahead by as many as seven points on an Ashley Wilson layup and maintained at least a four-point lead until a pair of free throws by Kristi Kingma pulled UW to 45-43 with 10:29 to play.
The Huskies could get no closer. Pulling ahead twice by 10 on a pair of layups by Swan in the final two minutes, the Buffs looked like they could begin making semifinal plans for Saturday.
But three-pointers by Heather Corral and Walton, who finished with 13, closed UW’s deficit to 63-59 with less than a minute left. Jeffery answered with a layup and three of four free throws, and when Swan sank a pair with 13 seconds remaining, those semifinal plans to face Stanford were complete.
“We’ll have to make sure we’re ready and playing really well together,” Lappe said. “They’re the giants of the Pac-12 and we’ve got a shot at them.”
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CU women’s b-ball team hits highest ranking in a decade–18th
0March 4, 2013
Colorado, 24-5 overall and 13-5 in the Pac-12 Conference, received a season-high 354 points, up from 288 last week. All five of Colorado’s losses have been to ranked teams, including two each to Stanford and California ranked No. 7 or better at the time. Stanford remained at No. 4, California moved up one to No. 5 and UCLA jumped up three to No. 14.
The Buffaloes do have one top 10 win on their resume, a 70-66 win over then-No. 8 Louisville on Dec. 14. The Cardinals are currently ranked No. 13.
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 170th time Colorado has appeared in the AP poll, trailing only Stanford, USC and UCLA among Pac-12 schools.
The USA Today Sports Coaches poll is scheduled to be released on Tuesday. Colorado was No. 19 in last week’s coaches’ poll.
Colorado is the No. 4 seed in the 2013 Pacific Life Pac-12 Tournament, March 7-10, at KeyArena in Seattle. The Buffaloes will have a first round bye and play the winner of No. 5 Washington and No. 12 Oregon on Friday, March 8, at 9:30 p.m. MST.
2012-13 Associated Press
Top 25 Poll – Mar. 4
Rk Team Rec Pts Last
1 Baylor (40) 28-1 1,000 1
2 Notre Dame 27-1 957 2
3 Connecticut 27-2 916 3
4 Stanford 28-2 881 4
5 California 27-2 840 6
6 Duke 27-2 797 5
7 Kentucky 25-4 742 10
8 Penn State 24-4 709 7
9 Tennessee 23-6 673 8
10 Maryland 23-6 622 9
11 Dayton 26-1 565 12
12 Georgia 24-5 499 11
13 Louisville 23-6 490 16
14 UCLA 23-6 484 17
15 North Carolina 26-5 436 15
16 Delaware 26-3 380 18
17 South Carolina 23-6 376 14
18 COLORADO 24-5 354 19
19 Texas A&M 21-9 305 13
20 Green Bay 24-2 223 21
21 Nebraska 22-7 213 20
22 LSU 19-10 122 NR
23 Florida State 21-8 93 24
24 Syracuse 22-6 70 22
25 Toledo 26-2 64 NR
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CU women in the biggest comeback of the season, down Oregon State by 3 points in overtime
0March 3, 2013
CORVALLIS, Ore. -
It was a wild ride: 18 points down in in the first half, three points up with seconds to play in the game, with Oregon State’s half court shot at the buzzer forcing the game into overtime. The Buffs got ahead and O-State caught up, again and again, but Colorado held on for the victory.
CU shot just 33.8 percent from the field but out rebounded the Beavers 49-36. Senior guard Chucky Jeffery scored a game-high 25 points, while redshirt freshman forward Arielle Roberson earned her second career double-double Sunday with 10 points and a team-high 11 rebounds. Eight of those were on the offensive end, a number just two off from the program record.
Chucky Jeffery scored 25 points to lead the BuffsThe victory brought the Buffs’ record to 24-5 overall, equaling the program record for number of regular-season wins.The victory brought the Buffs’ record to 24-5 overall, equaling the program record for number of regular-season wins
The victory brought the Buffs’ record to 24-5 overall, equaling the program record for number of regular-season wins.
“We knew how we wanted to end the regular season, but now it’s one-and-done from here on out,” said Jeffery, who also contributed seven rebounds. “We had a heck of a regular season, but now it’s Pac-12 tournament time, and anybody can win.”
With a win over Oregon on Friday, the Buffs secured a No. 4 seed and first-round bye at the Pac-12 Women’s Basketball Tournament, set for March 7-10 at the Key Arena in Seattle.
But even with a first-round bye already locked down, the Buffs had no easy go of Sunday’s matchup against the Beavers.
“Coach said this was probably how the game was probably going to go,” Jeffery said of OSU’s aggressiveness. “They weren’t going to come out and give it to us, we were going to have to earn it, and that’s what they did. I think it was a good game for us to end our regular season on, it was very competitive.”
It was senior day for the Beavers at Gill Coliseum, and the strength of the OSU upperclassmen showed early. Four OSU seniors hit the court at some point in the first nine minutes of the game, helping the Beavers to a 22-9 lead with 11:05 left in the half.
OSU seniors Mollee Schwegler, Quortni Fambro and Patricia Bright put up a combined 15 points in the half, including two Schwegler three-pointers in the first four minutes. The Beavers built their largest lead, 18, at the 6:50 mark, but CU responded with a 14-2 run to head into the locker room trailing by just five (28-33).
“We don’t give up,” Jeffery said. “They were hitting shot after shot, and it was kind of draining us, but we just had to keep plugging . . . we started cutting the lead, and we started getting settled, getting stops on defense and making baskets.”
Jeffery opened the second half with a layup and made two free throws to bring the Buffs back within one (33-32), but a strong OSU defense held CU to just four points over the next six minutes.
But then it was OSU’s turn for a scoring drought, as CU turned up the energy on both ends of the court with a 15-4 run. Junior center Rachel Hargis gave the Buffs their first lead of the game with a jumper at the 7:09 mark, and while CU would build a five-point lead with 2:12 on the clock, the Beavers weren’t done yet. With nine seconds remaining, OSU freshman guard Jamie Weisner hit a three-pointer to tie the score at 56-56 send the game into overtime.
The Buffs went on a 7-1 run to gain a six-point overtime lead, but OSU would fight to the finish as Weisner hit another three with 30 seconds on the clock. Jeffery then hit one of two free throws, but OSU guard Ali Gibson responded with a deep, nearly half-court trey to close CU’s lead to one (64-63) with 6.3 seconds remaining.
Roberson was fouled on the next possession and made two crucial free throws, and OSU missed its buzzer-beater shot to give the Buffs the 66-63 win.
“You can’t ever think that it’s not your day,” CU head coach Linda Lappe said of the Buffs’ comeback. “You’ve just got to find different ways to get things done . . . you’ve got to make sure that little things don’t affect you. We could have even let that half-court shot affect us, but we didn’t, and I really liked our resolve.”
Lappe said OSU’s competitiveness down the stretch was critical for the Buffs to experience before postseason play.
“I think it was so great for us to get a win like this,” Lappe said. “Now every game is win and you move forward, lose and you go home. It’s a different kind of pressure, but it’s also a lot more fun . . . I feel like Oregon State prepared us to play at a high level game in and game out and possibly multiple days in a row.”
Postgame Notes:
Colorado improves to 24-5 overall, 13-5 in Pac-12 play. The Buffaloes finish the regular season in sole possession of fourth place in final league standings and will be the No. 4 seed and have a first round bye in the Pac-12 Tournament played in Seattle, March 7-10. CU will play the winner of No. 5 Oregon and No. 12 Washington on Friday, March. 8, at 9:30 p.m. MST.
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CU Women Vault To No. 19 In USA Today Sports Coaches Poll
0February 26, 2013
BOULDER – The University of Colorado vaulted four spots, up to No. 19, in the USA Today Sports Women’s Basketball Coaches Top 25 poll released on Tuesday.
Colorado, 22-5 overall and 11-5 in the Pac-12 Conference, received 182 points, nearly doubling last week’s total of 98. The Buffaloes have been in the coaches’ poll for seven-straight weeks and eight overall this season. This week’s ranking is CU’s highest in the coaches’ poll since coming in at No. 16 the week of March 15, 2004.
All five of Colorado’s losses have been to ranked teams, including two each to Stanford and California ranked No. 7 or better at the time. Stanford and California remained at No. 5 and No. 6 respectively, while UCLA held steady at No. 16. The Buffaloes do have one top 10 win on their resume, a 70-66 win over then-No. 8 Louisville on Dec. 14. The Cardinals are currently ranked No. 14.
This week’s ranking marks the 159th time Colorado has appeared in the coaches’ poll dating back to the 1988-89 campaign.
Colorado moved up one spot to a season-best No. 19 in the Associated Press Women’s Basketball Top 25 poll released Monday. The ranking is CU’s highest in the AP Poll since coming in at No. 17 in the final poll of the 2003-04 season (March 15, 2004). This week marks the first time this season that CU’s coaches’ ranking has matched that of the AP poll.
Colorado will close Pac-12 regular season action with a trip to the Oregon schools this weekend. The Buffaloes play at Oregon on Friday, March 1, at 8 p.m. MT and finish up at Oregon State on Sunday, March 3, at 1 p.m. MT. CU, currently in a tie for fourth in the Pac-12 with Washington, controls its own destiny for a coveted top four seed and first round bye in the 2013 Pac-12 Tournament, March 7-10, in Seattle.
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No. 20 Buffs Earn Critical Win Over the Washington Huskies
0February 24, 2013
Story by B.G. Brooks, Contributing Editor, CUBuffs.com
BOULDER – The No. 20 Colorado Buffaloes outlasted Washington 68-61 on Sunday afternoon at the Coors Events Center and took a large step toward securing the No. 4 seed for next month’s Pac-12 Conference Tournament.
The Buffs, winning their seventh consecutive game, improved to 11-5 in the Pac-12 and moved into a fourth-place tie with the Huskies. But Sunday’s win gives CU the head-to-head tiebreaker, and the Buffs’ remaining schedule appears more favorable than the Huskies’ for securing the No. 4 seed.
CU (22-5) closes the regular season with games at Oregon (March 1) and Oregon State (March 3), while UW (19-8) finishes with home games against Pac-12 co-leaders Stanford and California. The conference tournament is March 7-10 in Seattle.
Freshman Arielle Roberson lead CU with 16 points
CU had four players in double figures against UW, topped by Arielle Roberson’s 16. Brittany Wilson added 13, with Chucky Jeffery and Jen Reese chipping in 11 each. Five of Reese’s points came in the final 2:55, with her critical pair of final field goals coming after the Huskies had closed to 59-57.
Jeffery, one of three seniors playing their final regular-season home game, added 13 rebounds for her ninth double-double of the season and 29th of her career. Jeffery left the game with 8.5 seconds to play, while seniors Meagan and Brenna Malcolm-Peck came onto the court about three seconds earlier.
Kristi Kingma led UW with 19 points. Aminah Williams added 12, Talia Walton 11 and Mercedes Wetmore 10. Guard Jazmine Davis, the Pac-12′s No. 2 scorer with a 19.7 average, was held to nine points on two of 13 shooting from the field.
CU never trailed by more than three points in the first half, and after Kingma hit a three-pointer to send the Huskies up 16-14, the Buffs launched a 16-3 run that produced a 30-19 advantage.
An acrobatic put-back by freshman Jamee Swan enabled CU to maintain that 11-point lead (36-25) at intermission. The Buffs got 11 first-half points from Brittany Wilson, who was the only player on either team in double figures.
Jen Reese’s two pull-up jumpers, like the one above, secured, in the final two minutes the winning margin for CU
UW opened the game hitting six of its first 11 shots, but made only three of its final 18 attempts to close the first half. CU hit 15 of its 32 first-half field goal attempts (47 percent) and outrebounded the visitors 25-15.
The Huskies scored the first six points of the second half, pulling to 36-31. The Buffs, meanwhile, had Jeffery leave the game with what appeared to be a left ankle injury at the 19:12 mark. But she was back about four minutes later, and her return might have given CU an emotional lift.
After UW crept to within five points, CU went on an 8-1 run and shot ahead 44-32 with 12:41 to play. Roberson scored six of the Buffs’ points during that surge.
But that 12-point CU lead disappeared quickly.
UW, the Pac-12 leader with 8.5 treys a game, put together an 11-0 run that featured treys by Wetmore and Kingma and another three free throws by Kingma. That pulled the Huskies to within one twice in the final 9:58, but an 8-0 CU that included four points by Jeffery opened a nine-point Buffs lead (56-47).
UW wouldn’t roll. The Huskies outscored the Buffs 8-2 over the next three minutes, closing to 58-55 with 3:38 to play, then pulling to 59-57.
But Reese got her pair of monstrous mid-range jumpers to give CU breathing room at 63-57, and the Buffs hit five of six free throws in the final 48.5 to tuck away the win.
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No. 20 CU Women Persevere, Beat Persistent WSU
0February 23, 2013
Story by B.G. Brooks, Contributing Editor, CUBuffs.com
BOULDER – Early style points were scarce for a Top 25 team, but the No. 20 Colorado Buffaloes stayed patient, regained their poise late and finally disposed of Washington State 59-45 on Friday night at the Coors Events Center.
Winning its sixth consecutive game, CU matched last season’s win total and set up a crucial home finale on Sunday. The Buffs (21-5) face Washington, one of two teams just ahead of them in the Pac-12 Conference standings, at 2 p.m. for Senior Day.
The Buffs are 10-5 in the Pac-12, with their 10 wins marking their first double-digit season in league play since 2004. The Huskies dropped to 11-4 after losing at Utah on Friday night.
Sunday’s game marks the final regular-season home appearance for CU seniors Chucky Jeffery, Meagan Malcolm-Peck and Brenna Malcolm-Peck, whose career has been interrupted by various injuries.
Three CU players – Arielle Roberson (17) and Jeffery and Jen Reese (10 each) – finished in double figures. Roberson also collected 13 rebounds, accounting for her first career double-double.
Roberson’s late game scores were key in gaining the win
Starting sophomore guard Lexy Kresl watched from the CU bench, still recovering from a shoulder injury suffered in last weekend’s win at Arizona State.
WSU (10-16, 6-9) was led by Lia Galdeira with 12 and Mariah Cooks with 10.
Going ahead 21-8 on a conventional three-point play by Roberson, the Buffs appeared to have a comfortable first-half lead. Then they went frigid and forgetful, lapsing on the offensive and defensive ends and allowing the Cougars back into the game.
Over the next four minutes, WSU went on a 10-1 run and cut CU’s 13-point lead to four (22-18). The Buffs had opened by hitting six of their first 12 shots, but they closed the half hitting just three of their last 20 attempts – and their final field goal of the half was by Roberson just seven seconds before the buzzer.
Still, despite shooting 28.1 percent from the field, committing 11 turnovers (19 for the game) and getting just two points from Jeffery, CU led 26-19 at intermission. That was mainly because WSU had 14 turnovers (25 total) and was limited to 21.9 percent first-half shooting.
But Lappe can be forgiven if she was leaning toward destroying the first-half tape.
The Buffs matched their largest lead of the game – 13 points at 40-27 – on a Jeffery basket with 13:30 remaining. But the Cougars crept back to within six (48-42) in the final six minutes.
A Jeffery jumper with 4:48 to play pushed CU ahead 50-42, and a Roberson trey from the top of the key restored the Buffs’ double-digit lead (53-42) with 3:30 remaining. When Roberson followed with a basket in the paint, CU’s lead went to 15, and with two minutes to play WSU was finished.
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CU Women’s Second Half Comeback Pushes Buffs Past ASU Sun Devils
0February 17, 2013
Story by Caryn Maconi, CUBuffs.com
TEMPE, Ariz. – The No. 21 Colorado women’s basketball team turned an eight-point first-half deficit into an eight-point victory here Sunday afternoon, earning a 71-63 win over Arizona State.
Having defeated Arizona 55-42 on Friday, the Buffs swept their Arizona road trip, marking the first sweep on conference road games for the Buffs in their Pac-12 Conference history.
Sophomore forward Jen Reese led the Buffs with a career-high 22 points, six more than her previous high.
Roberson scored all of her 16 points in the second half
The victory was CU’s fifth straight fand its 20th this season, improving the Buffs to 20-5 overall and 9-5 in the Pac-12. The Sun Devils fall to 11-15, 3-11 and are now on a seven-game losing streak.
Both teams scored in surges in the first half, but the Sun Devils had momentum on their side. After ASU scored the first two baskets of the game, CU scored seven straight. But the Sun Devils responded with a 10-0 run of their own, building an eight-point lead with 13:26 left in the half.
Though the Buffs would add another 6-0 run to close the gap to three (23-20) with six minutes remaining, the Sun Devils’ offense surged from there. ASU would eventually gain its largest lead of the half – 12 – at the 2:05 mark and enter intermission up 35-27.
CU outrebounded ASU 26-16 in the first half but struggled from the field, shooting less than 30 percent while the Sun Devils shot close to 50.
The Sun Devils held onto that momentum for the start of the second half, but with 16:22 on the clock, the Buffs – led by Reese and redshirt freshman forward Arielle Roberson – turned up the energy.
Sophomore Jen Reese had team and career high 22 points
Roberson scored three treys in nine minutes as part of an 18-6 CU run, and the Buffs finally took the lead (54-49) on Roberson’s third three-pointer with seven minutes remaining. They held onto their advantage until the final buzzer.
Roberson, who had gone scoreless in the first half, surged to finish the game with 16 points and eight rebounds. Reese’s 22 points were a game and career-high; the sophomore also added eight rebounds and was a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
Senior guard Chucky Jeffery was the third CU player in double figures, earning her 28th career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds.
Colorado head coach Linda Lappe said before the game that it would be difficult to prepare for ASU’s offense in the absence of one standout scorer, and that balance showed Sunday afternoon.
“They have a number of different players that are doing some good things for them,” Lappe said. “When they don’t have a go-to player, it’s about everybody stepping up on defense and understanding that at any point anybody on their team can get hot. Sometimes that’s more dangerous than maybe having one player.”
The Sun Devils had three players in double figures; forward Janae Fulcher, guard Promise Amukamara and guard Adrianne Thomas ended the game with 14 points apiece.
The Buffs outrebounded their opponents 50-35, with four CU players grabbing seven or more boards. CU also committed just 10 turnovers compared to ASU’s 13, an improvement from Friday’s matchup against Arizona in which the Buffs’ turnover total was 20.
Colorado returns home this week to take on Washington State on Friday (7 p.m.) and Washington on Sunday (2 p.m.) at the Coors Events Center.
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Chucky Jeffery “doubles-up” On Pac-12 Player of the week honors
0February 12, 2013
Colorado Holds At No. 21 In AP Top 25 Poll
BOULDER — On the heels of back-to-back double-double performances, University of Colorado senior Chucky Jeffery was named the Pac-12 Conference Women’s Basketball Player of the Week for the week of Feb. 3-10, the league office announced on Monday.
The Pac-12 Player of the Week honor is Jeffery’s second of the season and third of her career. She was also recognized on Dec. 17, 2012, after guiding the Buffaloes to wins over Denver and then-No. 8 ranked Louisville, and as a junior on Dec. 5, 2011.
A 5-foot-10-inch guard from Colorado Springs, Colo., Jeffery averaged 18.5 points, 13.0 rebounds, 2.0 assists, 1.5 blocks and 1.5 steals in leading No. 21 (AP)/25 (USA Today Sports/Coaches) Colorado to home wins over Oregon State (61-47) and Oregon (84-59) this week.
Jeffery has recorded double-doubles her last three games, the third such stretch of her career. She had 22 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high three blocked shots against Oregon State. Jeffery’s scoring total put her over the 1,500 point milestone and also moved her into 10th on CU’s all-time scoring list (currently at 1,520). Friday’s double-double marked the 10th 20-10 double of her career and third this season. Jeffery hit 8-of-12 free throw attempts and drained 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
Against Oregon, Jeffery scored 15 points, grabbed a game-high 15 rebounds and dished out three assists in 29 minutes. She hit a season-high three 3-pointers, finishing at 62.5 percent from long range on the week (5-of-8). It was Jeffery’s fourth career double-double with at least 15 points and 15 rebounds. Her three assists also moved her into fourth place on CU’s all-time list with 445.
Jeffery’s honor is Colorado’s sixth overall Pac-12 weekly award and fifth this year. Arielle Roberson is a three-time winner of Pac-12 Freshman of the Week this season. Remarkably, Jeffery’s overall Player of the Week award is Colorado’s first during a conference schedule since Reagan Scott earned Big 12 Conference honors on Feb. 24, 1997. The Buffaloes had several Rookie of the Week winners over the years during Big 12 league play, including Jeffery in 2010, and current head coach Linda Lappe in 1999.
Riding a three-game winning streak, CU remained at No. 21 in the Associated Press Women’s Basketball Top 25 poll, released Monday.
Colorado, 18-5 overall and 7-5 in the Pac-12, received 188 points, up from 162 last week. All five of Colorado’s losses have been to ranked teams, including two each to Stanford and California ranked No. 7 or better at the time. Stanford and California remained at No. 4 and No. 6 respectively, while UCLA moved up two spots to No. 15.
The Buffaloes do have one top 10 win on their resume, a 70-66 win over then-No. 8 Louisville on Dec. 14. The Cardinals are currently ranked No. 10.
The Buffaloes have resided in the AP poll for the last nine weeks, reaching as high as No. 20 twice – Dec. 31 and Jan. 21. CU’s nine-week run in the AP poll is its longest since appearing in all 19 polls of the 2003-04 season.
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 167th time Colorado has appeared in the AP poll, trailing only Stanford, USC and UCLA among Pac-12 schools.
The USA Today Sports Coaches poll is scheduled to be released on Tuesday. Colorado was No. 25 in last week’s coaches’ poll.
Colorado, 18-5 overall and 7-5 in the Pac-12, continues league action this weekend with a pair of games in Arizona. The Buffaloes will face Arizona on Friday, Feb. 15, at 7 p.m. and will take on Arizona State on Sunday, Feb. 17, at 2 p.m.
2012-13 Associated Press
Top 25 Poll – Feb. 11
Rk Team Rec Pts Last
1 Baylor (37) 22-1 997 1
2 Notre Dame 22-1 954 2
3 UConn (3) 21-1 929 3
4 Stanford 23-2 865 4
5 Duke 21-1 843 5
6 California 21-2 806 6
7 Maryland 19-3 753 7
8 Penn State 20-3 697 8
9 Kentucky 21-3 657 10
10 Louisville 20-4 578 11
11 Texas A&M 19-5 576 14
12 Tennessee 19-5 575 12
13 Georgia 20-4 505 9
14 North Carolina 22-3 471 16
15 UCLA 19-4 451 17
16 South Carolina 20-4 412 15
17 Dayton 21-1 398 18
18 Purdue 18-5 318 13
19 Florida State 19-4 266 19
20 Delaware 20-3 217 20
21 COLORADO 18-5 188 21
22 Oklahoma 18-5 187 23
23 Syracuse 19-3 105 24
24 Iowa State 17-5 75 25
25 Oklahoma State 16-6 49 22
Others receiving votes: Green Bay 43, Nebraska 24, Michigan 11, Toledo 9, Michigan State 8, West Virginia 8, Duquesne 5, SMU 5, LSU 4, Washington 4, San Diego State 2, UTEP 2, Wyoming 2, DePaul 1.
2012-13 Opponents In Bold
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CU Women’s B-ball Team Beats Oregon St. Beavers in Annual Pink Game
0February 9, 2013
Story by Caryn Maconi, CUBuffs.com
University of Colorado senior guard Chucky Jeffery earned her 1,500th career point and 26th career double-double Friday night in a 61-47 win over Oregon State.
It was a long-awaited return to the Coors Events Center for the Buffs, who wrapped up a four-game California swing with a split against UCLA and USC last weekend.
Jeffery was high scorer with 22 points
The CU women wore pink-accented uniforms in honor of the annual “Play 4 Kay” game to support breast cancer awareness.
“It was breast cancer week, and coach talked about attacking because that’s what the women with breast cancer have to do,” said junior guard Brittany Wilson, who grabbed a game-high five steals. “They have to attack, they have to fight. So we came down, we attacked, we came after loose balls, and forced them into those (24) turnovers.”
CU put the heat on the visitors early on, going on a 9-0 run before OSU scored its first basket of the game with 14:09 left in the half.
Wilson said that solid start was crucial for the Buffs, as they were battling a strong defensive team ranked sixth in the nation in blocks at 6.1 per game.
“We knew we had to come out and set a statement or they would keep coming at us,” Wilson said, “and you can’t give a team like that confidence.”
But the Beavers answered back, hitting four three-pointers in five minutes to make it 21-16 with six minutes remaining.
Thanks to a solid 78.6 percent on 14 opportunities from the free throw line, CU was able to hold onto that narrow lead and enter intermission still up five (28-23).
Photo from Missy’s Blog
Freshman Jen Reese had another big night–scoring 10
“Oregon State is a good team, they hustle and they scrap the entire game,” Jeffery said. “They weren’t going away, so we knew we had to go on a run and we had to get it up a little bit … that was huge for us to get this win.”
The second half began in a similar fashion as the first, as the Buffs went on a 7-0 run with five straight points by Jeffery and two made free throws by forward Arielle Roberson.
This time, though, the momentum stuck.
Colorado built its largest lead of the game, 15, with eight minutes left on the clock. From there, the Ducks would not pull closer than eight.
Shooting 7-of-10 free throws to end the game, the Buffs widened the gap back to 14 and closed with a 61-47 victory.
Jeffery led the Buffs in scoring with 22 points, adding 11 rebounds and a season-high three blocks. Sophomore forward Jen Reese also scored in double figures with 10 points, while Roberson added nine.
Guard Jamie Weisner was the biggest force on the court for the Beavers, as the freshman scored 22 total points and added seven rebounds; she was the only OSU player with more than seven points.
“Weisner’s tough,” said Colorado head coach Linda Lappe. “She plays so hard, she’s physical, she never quits. She’s a tough matchup for anybody in the league, so you’ve got to give her a lot of credit. She kept them in the game.”
With the win, CU improves to 17-5 overall, 6-5 in the Pac-12 Conference, while OSU falls to 9-14 and 3-8 in conference play.
Colorado returns to the Coors Events Center Sunday at 1:30 p.m. to take on the University of Oregon. After falling to Utah 67-47 Friday night, the Ducks are ranked last in the Pac-12 with a 1-10 record in the conference.
In fact, the Buffs have just one opponent remaining in the regular season, Washington, that is currently ranked higher in the conference standings.
Wilson, however, said her team won’t get comfortable just yet.
“Being in the Pac-12, you never know what team is going to come out,” Wilson said. “You have to play every team and respect them. This is a bottom-to-top hard conference to play, and if you give a team confidence, they’ll keep shooting and keep coming back at you. You don’t want to relax too much.”
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Strong Second Half Pushes CU Women Past USC Trojans, 65-49
0February 3, 2013
It’s been a tough road trip for the No. 22 Colorado women’s basketball team, with three straight road losses against nationally ranked opponents in the past two weekends.
On Sunday, though, the CU women had one last chance to pull out a road win over the Southern California Trojans — and this time, they made it happen.
Arielle Roberson was high scorer with 15 points
With a solid second-half effort on both sides of the ball, Colorado pulled away from the Trojans for a 65-49 victory.
“I really liked our toughness in this game,” said Colorado head coach Linda Lappe. “We didn’t have any of that on Friday, and so it was nice to kind of get our identity back because that’s who were are when we’re playing our best.”
It was a success that came at a much-needed time, as the Buffs were in the midst of their longest losing streak of the season. After falling to top-10 teams Cal and Stanford last weekend, Colorado shot less than 30 percent from the field in a 62-46 loss to No. 18 UCLA on Friday.
“I think we knew we could definitely win this game and that we had to win this game,” said redshirt freshman forward Arielle Roberson, who led the Buffs in scoring with 16. “We just knew we had to do it in a fun way and not make it too stressful.”
The stress was certainly still there in the first half, as the Buffs and Trojans traded baskets and both teams struggled to gain a solid advantage. The lead changed eight times throughout the half, and neither team went up by more than five.
In the four minutes before intermission, however, USC found its momentum and went on a 13-3 run to reverse Colorado’s five-point lead to a five-point lead of its own by halftime (31-26).
The Buffs shot 36 percent from the field in the first half compared to USC’s 33, but the Trojans were efficient from the line with an free throw percentage of 89.
Colorado, though, took control at the start of the second half, going on an 8-0 run and forcing five turnovers in the process to build a three-point lead.
“I kind of had a feeling that (the Trojans) were going to get tired in the second half,” Lappe said. “And I think that’s what happened. I think we pushed the ball really well at them in the first half, we were physical with them in the first half, and I think that wore on them in the second half.”
With 12:17 remaining, Roberson knocked down an “and-1” play to put the Buffs up eight (41-33). Four minutes later, senior guard Chucky Jeffery scored on a steal and a fast break to give CU a 10-point lead.
In the final two minutes, Colorado went on an 8-1 run capped by a Roberson trey and a Jeffery free throw, erasing USC’s chance for a late-game comeback.
By the final buzzer, the Buffs had gone up 16 for a 65-49 victory.
Lappe said the improvement her team made from Friday night’s struggle to Sunday’s success was indicative of a high-level team.
“Everybody has a bad game, championship teams have bad games,” Lappe said. “But the real championship teams respond in a great fashion. They can let it go, they can take it for what it’s worth, and they can get a little mad and come back even stronger. I think that’s what’s going to happen to us after that Friday night game.”
Colorado demonstrated its depth in both scoring and rebounding on Sunday, with four players scoring in double figures and six players grabbing five or more boards.
In addition to Roberson’s game-high 16 points, Jeffery scored 15 and grabbed 10 rebounds in the process for her fifth double-double of the season. Junior guard Brittany Wilson added 12 points, while sophomore guard Lexy Kresl scored 11 and grabbed six rebounds.
Overall, the Buffs out-rebounded the Trojans 44-29, with 13 of those on the offensive end. Colorado ended the game shooting 40.4 percent from the field, holding USC to just 27.5 percent.
Junior forward Cassie Harberts led the Trojans in scoring with 14 total points, below her average of 18.7, while sophomore guard Ariya Crook added 10.
The win bumps Colorado’s record to 16-5 overall and 5-5 in the Pac-12 Conference, while USC falls to 8-13 and 5-5 in conference play. The Trojans remain unsuccessful against ranked teams (0-6) so far this season.
Though the Buffs may be only .500 in conference play, their start to the season has been far from smooth sailing. Half of Colorado’s matchups so far in conference play have been against nationally ranked opponents, and four of those have been against top-10 Cal and Stanford teams.
Only one of Colorado’s next eight opponents, Washington, currently has a better record than the Buffs in the Pac-12.
The CU women return to the Coors Events Center next week with matchups against Oregon State on Friday and Oregon on Sunday.
