Buffaloes fall in consolation game

BOULDER - Drexel forward Gabriela Marginean scored 26 of her game-high 32 points in the second half to lead Drexel to a 67-63 win over Colorado in the consolation game of the 22nd Annual Coors Classic Saturday at the Coors Events/Conference Center. Colorado (2-3), which dropped both games of its Classic for the first time in team history, fell for the second straight night after holding a late second half lead. The Buffaloes led 56-49 with 6:33 remaining in the game when Drexel went on a 12-3 run over the next 2:11. Marginean made six consecutive free throws during that stretch and was a perfect 12-of-12 from the line during the game, tying a Coors Classic record and setting a mark for a CU opponent. After CU's Brittany Spears tied the score at 61 with a pair of free throws, Marginean responded with a jumper to give the Dragons a 63-61 lead with 2:10 remaining. Both teams traded missed shots and with 33 seconds remaining, Spears scored on a layup to tie the score at 63. Once again Marginean responded, giving the Dragons a 2-point lead with 17 seconds left. The Buffaloes never got the chance for a last shot to tie or win. Marginean, who added eight rebounds, closed out the game with a steal in the CU backcourt and went coast-to-coast for a layup and her 12th straight point. Colorado led UMass 60-52 with just under seven minutes left on Friday before the Minutewomen ended the game on an 18-2 run. Colorado freshman Alyssa Fressle had the best game of her young career in a losing effort. She scored a career-high 19 points on 8-of-14 from the floor, and scored in just about every way - 3-pointers, short jumpers, and layups in transition. Fressle filled out the box score nicely with four rebounds, three assists, three steals and topped it off with a blocked shot. Senior Hannah Skildum finished with 10 points on 4-of-7 from the field, her first game in double-digits since last year's Coors Classic game against Siena (11).  Senior Kara Richards had 12 points and four rebounds before fouling out with 4:48 remaining in the contest. Spears, who was named to the five-player All-Tournament team, had 16 points and nine rebounds. She finished the weekend with Classic records for points (36) and field goals (12) in one game (both against UMass) and a 2-game record for field goals attempted (40). Drexel kept the game close early at the line. The Dragons, who ranked second in NCAA Division I in free-throw percentage last year, hit their first 11 free throws and finished 12-of-14 for the first half. The problem facing Drexel was free throws were the only shots going down in the first half.  The Buffaloes held Drexel to just four field goals - one off CU's opponent record for one half - and none over the final 12:51 of the first half. The drought allowed Colorado to close the half on a 20-6 run and take a 29-21 advantage into the locker room, led by Fressle who scored 12 points in the first 20 minutes. Colorado led by as many as 13 early in the second half (40-27) before Drexel chipped away at the CU lead. The Dragons shot 53 percent in the second half (16-of-30) and 88.5 percent from the free throw line for the game (23-of-26). Drexel guard Jasmina Rosseel finished with 10 points and six rebounds. Andrea Peterson chipped in nine points and six rebounds. Colorado returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 2, by hosting Arkansas-Pine Bluff at 7 p.m. at the Coors Events Center.