Colorado Opens Big 12 Play By Hosting #6/5 Baylor

For the complete release, statistics and player notes click here: http://www.cubuffs.com/pdf4/363559.pdf THE GAME: The University of Colorado opens the 2009 Big 12 Conference schedule by hosting No. 6 (AP)/5 (WBCA) ranked Baylor University on Saturday, Jan. 10, at 4 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. BROADCAST: Saturday's game will be televised live on FSN Rocky Mountain. Marc Stout will call the play-by-play with legendary CU coach Ceal Barry providing the color commentary and Alanna Rizzo with the sideline reports. Saturday's game can be heard live on KKZN AM 760 with Mike Rice giving the play-by-play and Carol Callan of USA Basketball with the color commentary. Live internet audio of all CU basketball games is available through Yahoo! Sports. OPENING TIP: Kathy McConnell-Miller is after her 50th win as Colorado's head coach and leads her team into a challenging start to the Big 12 season. The Buffaloes play four straight games against Big 12 Southern Division teams, all four of which are currently ranked in both the Associated Press and WBCA Coaches polls. THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 8-4 overall enjoying a season-best five-game winning streak. The Buffaloes capped off their nonconference schedule on a high note, winning the 2009 Paradise Classic in Honolulu, with wins over Pepperdine and Hawaii. It was Colorado's first two wins away from Boulder in nearly a year as the Buffaloes had dropped 10 straight way from Boulder, and nine in a row on an opponents home court since defeating Missouri, 70-58 in Columbia on Jan. 9, 2008. Now CU returns to the Coors Events Center where recent success has resulted in 20 wins in its last 27 appearances. Sophomore Brittany Spears leads Colorado and ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.9 points per game. Spears was named MVP of the Paradise Classic after averaging 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks per game. She has five games of 20-plus points, including a 21 point performance in the win over Saint Louis on Dec. 22, where she had one of the better shooting nights of her young career hitting on 8-of-10 from the field including all three 3-point attempts. She has three double-doubles this season, most recently scoring 14 points and grabbing a team season-high 13 rebounds against Idaho State on Dec. 30. She has the highest individual scoring output in the Big 12 this season, notching 36 against UMass in the first round of the Coors Classic, a Classic record and tying for the third best total in team history (Jasmina Ilic scored 36 against Nebraska on Jan. 4, 2006). Spears, who was named to the Coors Classic All-Tournament Team, ranks fourth in the Big 12 in minutes (33.0 mpg), seventh in rebounds (7.8 rpg), eighth in blocks (1.2 bpg) and 10th in field-goal percentage (.471), free-throw percentage (.712), 3-point field goals made (1.8 3mpg) and 3-point percentage (.362).