Texas Tech Downs Colorado 66-60

By Jessica Steinberg, CU Sports Information Student Assistant BOULDER- Texas Tech used a 14-0 run midway through the second half to defeat Colorado 66-60 Wednesday night at the Coors Events/Conference Center. CU falls to 9-9, 1-5 in the Big 12, while TTU snaps a two-game losing streak and advances to 12-7, 3-3 Big 12. Sophomore Brittany Spears led the Buffs with 26 points—her second-highest point total this season and a personal best for a Big 12 game. Freshman Alyssa Fressle and senior Kara Richards each had 13. The first half was highlighted by runs for both teams. The Buffs started out on top jumping ahead to a 12-2 lead less than five minutes into the game. Spears got the Buffs going by putting up Colorado's first eight points. She knocked down her first of four 3-pointers of the night, tying a career high. Then, 22 just seconds later, she stole the ball in the backcourt from Lady Raider Jordan Murphree and drove down the court for a layup. Spears capped her run off with another trey. Smith followed Spears's lead and recorded a steal and driving layup of her own. Fressle followed with a jumper, and the Buffs found themselves on top by 10—their biggest lead of the game—at the 15:31 mark. But CU's lead didn't last for long as Texas Tech took over for the next 10 minutes, pulling ahead 25-19 and outscoring the Buffs 23-7 during that time. Colorado stormed back and shut Texas Tech down for the next 2:09 as they put up eight straight points. Richards swooshed her two free throws after being fouled by Kierra Mallard. Smith knocked down a shot from behind the 3-point arc and sophomore Kelly Jo Mullaney capped the run with a driving layup down the baseline as the shot clock expired and sank a free throw on the next possession after being fouled by Murphree to put the Buffs up by two with 1:36 remaining. Despite the Buffs' comeback, Texas Tech went into halftime on top by three (30-27) after Mallard scored on a layup and senior Maria Moore knocked down a 3-pointer with 34 seconds remaining. Colorado and Texas Tech were even in the first part of the second half. In fact they were tied 40-40 after Fressle hit a jumper at the 13:45 mark. But that's when Texas Tech stepped up and went on a 14-0 run over the next four minutes. They held their biggest lead (54-40) with 9:01 remaining in the game. CU Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller explained how her team fell behind so quick: "We tried to go too much one-on-one there. We had three consecutive turnovers that led to easy buckets for them, and gave them momentum," she said. "I thought we were soft and tentative and they went right at us." The Buffaloes will put tonight's loss behind them and focus on their next match-up against conference rival Nebraska. Colorado hosts Nebraska on Saturday Jan. 31 at 1 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. The game will be televised nationally on FSN. Colorado-Texas Tech Quotes Colorado Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller General "It was not the outcome we hoped for. It's not the performance we had prepared for. I don't think anyone is going to walk out the arena and say that was a pretty performance. It was physical and there was a lot of contact. It was the style that was more conducive to them. Overall, we can't perform in this league with our starting center on the bench for the majority of the first half. It was a struggle and that is not the way we wanted to start this game, and it continued from there. It was a tough night for the Buffs." On Texas Tech's 14-0 second half run "We tried to go too much one-on-one there. We had three consecutive turnovers that led to easy buckets for them, and gave them momentum. They were exploiting the fact that we had posts that were struggling on the defensive end with fouls. I thought we were soft and tentative and they went right at us." On Kara Richards foul trouble "It's not any secret that we are a different team with her on the bench. Bianca (Smith) is not a true post player, but she is doing her best helping. When Kara is out or in there with three or four fouls, they are going right at her. Courtney Dunn is getting better with experience, but she doesn't have very much Big 12 experience. She's playing a limited role." Colorado Players Bianca Smith, So., G ON TEXAS TECH'S DEFENSIVE PERFORMANCE – "I just think they were really physical on defense, face-guarding both me and Spears. It was tough to get a lot of open shots. I think we kind of went away from our offense a little bit, which made their defense look even better." Brittany Spears, So., G ON RUNNING THE OFFENSE WITHOUT KARA RICHARDS IN THE GAME – "It's difficult because we practice differently than it is in the game. We have to adjust to different players." ON THE MISSED OPPORTUNITY AT HOME – "We were at home and it would have given us more confidence in our next games." ON TEXAS TECH'S ADJUSTMENT – "They played the same way the whole game." Colorado-Texas Tech Notes Tonight was the 20th meeting between Colorado and Texas Tech. Texas Tech now leads the series 15-5, winning their second straight game against Colorado. Kathy McConnell-Miller is 2-3 against the Lady Raiders. The six point margin was the smallest for Texas Tech against Colorado in any of their 15 series wins. Colorado drops to 1-5 in the Big 12 for the first time since the 2005-06 season. That season was also the last time CU lost three straight Big 12 games at home (Texas-Kansas State-Missouri). Sophomore Brittany Spears scored 26 points, a Big 12 career high, passing the 24 points she scored at Missouri in 2008. Last year against Texas Tech in Lubbock, she was held to just four points on 1-from-11 from the field. Spears tied a career high with four 3-point field goals, a mark she's achieved eight times, most recently against Oklahoma on Jan. 21. Spears had Colorado's first eight points of the game, hitting double digits at 14:46 in the first half. She scored 15 points in the first half, making over half of Colorado's 27 points. Freshman Alyssa Fressle had 13 points, a personal best for a Big 12 game and her most since scoring 16 against Pepperdine on Jan. 3. She finished in double digits for the 3rd time in the last four games. Sophomore Britney Blythe tied a career high with three steals, equaling the mark she set at Texas Tech last season. Spears had Colorado's first eight points of the game, hitting double digits at 14:46 in the first half. She scored 15 points in the first half, making over half of Colorado's 27 points. Texas Tech did not make a field goal until 15:12 in the first half, when Jordan Barncastle made a lay-up. They had a 13-0 run in the first half and a 14-0 run in the second half. The Lady Raiders shot at 50% during the first half, and 48.1% in the second half. Colorado did not score from 14:46 until 8:19 in the first half, leading to Tech taking the lead at 10:46 (16-15). Colorado did not regain the lead until 2:04 (26-25) when Kelly Jo Mullaney made her first field goal in Big 12 play. Colorado scored only three points off the bench, while Texas Tech scored 16.