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CU women b-ballers nip CSU at the last moment
Nov 13th
By: B.G. Brooks, CUBuffs.com Contributing Editor
FORT COLLINS – In the post-Chucky Jeffery era, even though the Colorado women’s basketball team might still be in search of a specific go-to player, the No. 17 Buffs made a significant opening-night discovery.
They had talked about having each other’s backs, and when crunch time arrived against their in-state rival Tuesday night, they backed each other up. CU withstood a late Colorado State comeback and escaped with a 63-59 win in its 2013-14 season opener at Moby Arena.
“We stuck together and that’s a major accomplishment,” said forward Arielle Roberson, whose layup with 6:43 left was the Buffs’ last field goal of the night. “One of the things we talked about was having each other backs. I think we had that, especially down the stretch. I didn’t feel like I was playing one-on-one; I felt like my teammates had my back. I think everyone felt that way.”
CU led by as many as 13 points twice in the final 10 minutes, including 59-46 on Roberson’s final basket. But the Rams outscored the Buffs 13-1 during that span and pulled to within 60-59 on a basket by Ellen Nystrom with 2:15 to play.
CSU had an opportunity to go ahead on a possession in the final minute, but Roberson stole the ball with 51 seconds left. Jasmine Sborov hit two free throws with 27 seconds showing, giving her a career-high 13 points and putting the Buffs ahead 62-59.
After Buffs center Rachel Hargis blocked Elin Gustavsson at the other end, Brittany Wilson hit one of two free throws with 2.4 seconds remaining – and the resilient Rams were done. The Buffs, who won 72-46 last season in Boulder and padded their series lead to 34-11, return to the Coors Events Center on Friday night to play Alcorn State in their home opener (7 p.m.).
The versatile Sborov, who has seen her role undergo alterations in each season of her college career, said hitting the two late free throws “felt good, I’m not going to lie. It was really comforting to know my teammates and coaches trust me with those shots. I feel comfortable taking them and they give me reassurance.”
But, she added with a smile, if she had dwelled too much on the scenario when she stepped to the free throw line, “I would have been a head case. I tried not to think about it and tried to act like it was a regular free throw in practice. And that’s what Jen (Reese) said – shoot it just like practice.”
The Rams’ late 13-1 run included a pair of free throws by Caitlin Duffy following a technical foul called on CU coach Linda Lappe. Duffy, who had hit a three-pointer on the previous possession, sank both free throws and pulled the Rams to 60-57 with 2:30 to play. CSU closed to within one on Nystrom’s basket but could get no closer.
Lappe’s explanation of her ‘T:’ “My clipboard fell . . . I didn’t say anything . . . it wasn’t the smartest move. But the players have each other’s back and my back. When you’re a team and you’re family, people make mistakes. There were a lot of missed shots, a lot of fouls, and I definitely made a mistake. I think it shows a lot of resilience from our team.”
Said Roberson: “I think with the technical we definitely could have folded, but we didn’t. I think that’s a positive for us.”
Lappe called her team’s victory “gutsy,” adding, “We found a way to win, which is really important. First game of the year, on the road against your rival . . . CSU is a good team. We got stops when we needed to, got rebounds and made free throws when we needed to. There’s a lot of things to take out of this game.”
And there are areas that obviously need improvement. The Rams turned the Buffs’ 19 turnovers into 15 points and outscored the visitors 28-24 in the paint. Gustavsson scored a game-high 21 points and got assistance from Duffy with 13 and Sam Martin with 10.
CU benefited from balanced scoring from its five starters, with Roberson and Sborov each scoring 13. Reese added eight points and guard Lexy Kresl grabbed a career-high nine rebounds, with four points and four assists.
Kresl said the Buffs knew the Rams “had improved from last year. We didn’t want to underestimate them. They had five people on the floor that could score. It was a really big challenge for us defensively.”
She conceded the Buffs eased up when they opened their 13-point leads, but called the way the win was finally secured “good . . . especially in the first game of the year. It shows you a lot about our team and our heart.”
The Buffs opened the night by hitting four of their first eight field goal attempts and went ahead 10-4 before cooling off. When the cold touches arrived, they lingered; CU went 0-for-7 from the field during a 6:18 stretch and CSU took advantage.
The Rams caught and overtook the Buffs 11-10 at on a Martin three-pointer with 11:15 left in the first half and increased their lead to as many as four (22-18) just under 5 minutes later. During that Rams run, the Buffs’ lone spark was freshman Zoe Beard-Fails, who got five points and two rebounds in 2 minutes. She also picked up two fouls and Lappe said Beard-Fails needed to improve her defense before getting significant minutes against scorers like CSU puts on the floor.
“Right now, she’s not quite ready to guard a team like CSU where all five players can shoot the three, drive, score one-on-one,” Lappe said. Beard-Fails did not play in the second half.
With about 5 minutes left before halftime, CU appeared to at least temporarily solve its turnover (10 for the half) and shooting problems and launched a 13-0 run that opened a nine-point lead. After an Ashley Wilson basket to start the surge, Reese scored on a put-back and a turnaround jumper from the foul line, Roberson hit a jumper, Reese followed with another and Lauren Huggins drained a three-pointer.
Suddenly, the Buffs were up 31-22, although by halftime the Rams had trimmed that lead to 33-27.
The second half started as the Sborov show. The 6-0 junior scored CU’s first six points of the half on two field goals and a pair of free throws, jump-starting an 11-5 run that sent the Buffs up by 12 (44-32).
They led by as many as 13 points twice in the final before the Rams launched their comeback and put a large opening-night scare into the visitors.
“They’re a really good team, much better than last year,” Sborov said. “But I do think making a big run like that, you do start getting a little too comfortable. That’s what need to work on – keep our foot on the gas pedal, keep going until the game’s over.”
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Boyle lands TOP high school prospects
Nov 13th
by B.G. Brooks CUBuffs.com contributing editor
BOULDER – Not long after Tad Boyle was named Colorado men’s basketball coach in April 2010, he began a courtship of a slight but highly skilled Denver point guard named Dominique Collier.
Boyle had to get in line.
On the national recruiting scene, the most elite high school hoops circles began and ended with Collier. Scholarship offers arrived at the Collier home from Arizona, UCLA, Gonzaga, Oregon, Kansas State, Iowa and other schools highlighted on basketball’s national map.
But as the recruiting process went on, the clearer Collier’s decision became to him, the Buffs and several of the schools in pursuit. “The longer it went,” said Boyle, “it became pretty clear that he was ours to lose.”
The Buffs didn’t. And after narrowing the field in early May, Collier verbally committed to Boyle and the Buffs.
On Wednesday, he completed the promise, signing CU’s binding national letter of intent on the first day that high school prospects are allowed to do so. Also signing and returning CU’s national letter of intent was power forward Tory Miller, of New Hampton (N.H.) Prep.
Collier told BuffStampede.com that he “just like the way that (Boyle) has changed the program around. I like the way he coaches, the team and the relationships I have with the staff. It’s great to be born and raised in Colorado, go to high school in Colorado and then college in Colorado. I’m a Colorado kid. To go there and have all the support you could have, to follow in Chauncey Billup’s footsteps (means a lot).”
For Boyle, landing Collier represents another in-state recruiting milestone. Boyle and his staff managed to keep the in-state Class of 2012’s highest profile members – Josh Scott of Lewis-Palmer and Wesley Gordon of Sierra – at home.
“And outside of Josh and Wes,” said Boyle, “Dominique was the marquee recruit we had to keep home. We did – and we’re thankful and happy for it. He won’t be the last, but it’s critical for the program that we continue to have the success that we’ve had with those three.
“I said three-and-a-half years ago that if players of (Collier’s) caliber can help us win the Pac-12, then it’s imperative for us to get them. That’s what kind of player he is. I appreciate that he wanted to stay home. I’m very excited about it.”
Collier, said CU assistant Rodney Billups, was targeted early by CU, a move that obviously paid off: “Coach Boyle always said, ‘He’s our guy,’ and he got our best shot.”
Collier already lists several current CU players as friends, among them Scott and Gordon. They played together two seasons ago in an all-star game when Scott and Gordon were finishing at their respective high schools. The 6-10 Scott played last season as a true freshman, while the 6-9 Gordon redshirted. The high school rivals finally are sharing court time on this year’s Buffs team, which plays Wyoming Wednesday (7 p.m.) at the Coors Events Center.
Boyle said the Collier family “became part of our family” during the recruitment process and called working with veteran Denver East coach Rudy Carey a “tremendous experience.”
Collier has often stated a desire to emulate CU legend Chauncey Billups, who went on to make a lasting mark in the NBA. Rodney, Billups’ younger brother, was key in Collier’s recruitment – “Maybe more so than I was,” Boyle said. “Rodney obviously has ties in the Denver basketball community. He really was our lead recruiter (on Collier). Dominique’s family (parents Lori and Darryl) love Rodney; he made a good connection with them.”
“I’ve had a relationship with ‘Dom’ for a long time now,” Rodney Billups said. “He started out with Billups Elite when he was a freshman, really going into his eighth grade year. I had a chance before I was even at Colorado to build a relationship with him and his family. Just talking to him and recruiting him was kind of easy for me.”
Collier, an only child, is “a great kid, shy at times, but his personality really comes out on the court,” Rodney Billups said. “There’s a good balance there for him to have a really good character. Staying home was important to him and his family, especially Lori – that’s her baby. She wants him close.”
Boyle said landing Collier and Miller fills two needs for the Buffs – a savvy ball-handler in Collier who is a “terrific talent and great defender” and a big-bodied “enforcer type” in Miller.
A capsule look at CU’s two 2014 signees:
DOMINIQUE COLLIER
Position: Point guard
Height: 6-1
Weight: 166
High school: Denver East
Vital stats/storylines: Averaged 20.1 points, 3.6 assists, 5.0 rebounds, 3.5 steals and 1.3 blocks per game as a junior; East went 25-3, lost to Eaglecrest in the 5A state championship game at the Coors Events Center . . . . Four-star prospect, currently ranked No. 94 nationally . . . Collier was named Colorado Mr. Basketball and Gatorade Player of the Year after junior season . . . . Top western schools – including Pac-12 members Arizona, Arizona State and UCLA – took an intense in Collier during his sophomore and early in his junior seasons. But as the recruiting process lengthened it became apparent that he had targeted CU . . . Iowa and Kansas State also joined the pursuit . . . . Collier verbally committed to the Buffs on May 7.
CU scouting report: A pass-first, very unselfish type of point guard who already has international basketball experience (USA Basketball, three-on-three competition in Indonesia with FIBA’s USA team) gained through summer travels . . . . Can get wherever he wants to on the court with his tremendous first step and ball-handling skills . . . . A very good on-ball defender with great anticipation.
Boyle’s take: “He’s got a good basketball body, but he’s a little slight right now and knows he going to spend some time in the weight room. I love that he can get wherever he wants to go on the court. Plus, he’s got lots of experience – more than the typical incoming freshman. I expect him to have an impact right away. In fact, I’m counting on it.”
TORY MILLER
Position: Power forward
Height: 6-8
Weight: 255
High school: New Hampton (N.H.) Prep
Vital stats/storylines: Averaged 12.3 points, 6.0 rebounds and shot 58.7 percent from the field last year in his junior season at New Hampton . . . . A three-star prospect whose rating could rise after his senior season . . . . Miller is from the Kansas City area and played on the same AAU team (Kansas City Run GMC) as fellow CU signee Collier . . . . Took official visits to Arizona State, Marquette and Iowa, but committed to CU over Marquette on Oct. 19 . . . . Eric Bossi, Rivals.com’s national basketball recruiting analyst, said Miller “can be a rugged rebounder and explosive finisher around the rim capable of playing through contact. (He) can also step out and make 12-to-15 foot jumpers with pretty good regularity . . . and he’s physically ready to play in the Pac-12.”
CU scouting report: Big, wide-bodied player who is physically ready to compete at the next level . . . . Roster is well-stocked with runners, jumpers and finesse-type players – and Miller also can play with finesse, but he’s best as an enforcer type . . . . Good hands, long arms make him a capable shot blocker; plays bigger than 6-8 . . . . What makes him special is his big body, his ability to use to his advantage on defense and his ability to lower his center of gravity, making him difficult to move.
Boyle’s take: “Tory gives us a wide presence that we haven’t had since I’ve been here. He’s a skilled player and very competitive. With his body type and strength, he can finish down low with contact. He doesn’t look like he would be a good jumper, but he is. Plus, he’s 19 years old now and will bring an age and maturity level to us that’s a little further along than you’d find in a typical freshman. He’s got all the physical tools necessary to be a very good Pac-12 player and he understands what it means to be successful.”
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Stuller, Herzl and Hooks named to All Pac 12 soccer teams
Nov 13th
Seniors Anne Stuller and Lizzy Herzl were named second-team and honorable mention, respectively, while newcomer Brie Hooks was selected to the Freshman Team. This is the first all-conference honor for each.
Stuller and Herzl were also recently honored as College Sports Madness All-Pac-12 Conference Second Team selections.
Stuller, a forward from Boulder, has had her best season with the Buffaloes in what has already been an impressive four-year career. In her final season, Stuller has set single season records for shots (86) and shots on goal (50). With 36 shots on goal last season, Stuller is the only Buff to rank in the top six of that category twice. With 23 points, off eight goals and seven assists, this season, she is just six shy of her total from her first three seasons combined. Her points and goal totals as a senior also rank in the top three on the CU single season list. She holds the all-time top spot for points, assists and shots by a senior at CU and is tied for second in goals by a senior. Stuller ended the regular season ranking in the Pac-12’s top seven in shots, points, assists and goals.
Herzl, a defender from Littleton, Colo., has also had an impressive senior season, starting all 20 games and playing a team-high 1,845 minutes. As part of the Buffs’ strong defense, she has helped the squad to its second consecutive eight shutout season, including a record-breaking five to start the 2013 campaign. Herzl earned a spot on the Omni Hotels Colorado Women’s Soccer Classic All-Tournament Team earlier this season when she helped the Buffs to a 4-0 win over Stony Brook and a 3-1 victory over UNLV. Herzl has also taken 10 shots this season, with five on target.
Hooks, a forward from Maple Valley, Wash., has been a standout player in her debut season at Colorado. Hooks has made her mark since the first minute she stepped on the pitch in a Buffs’ jersey. In her first collegiate game, Hooks helped the Buffs to a 3-0 shutout of Northern Colorado behind a two-goal performance. Hooks is the first Buff in program history to score two goals in her Colorado debut. In CU’s freshman offensive record books, she ranks third with eight goals and fourth with 18 points. Her 38 shots ties for 10th. Her eight goals also tie for eighth most in a single season at CU. Her four game-winning goals tie for fourth best in a single season at CU and also ties for fourth best in the conference. Her goal and point totals also rank in the conference’s regular season top 10.
Since joining the Pac-12 in 2011, five soccer Buffs have been named to All-Pac-12 teams. Amy Barczuk (2009-12) earned back-to-back honors from the Pac-12, first as an honorable mention her junior season, then as a second-team selection as a senior. Last season, Madison Krauser was named to the Freshman Team. This is the first year since 2010 (when the Buffs were a member of the Big 12) that at least three Buffs have received all-conference honors.
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Marlee Horn Graduate Assistant SID University of Colorado
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