Colorado Hosts Nebraska In Saturday Matinee

For the complete release, statistics and player notes click here: http://www.cubuffs.com/pdf4/373146.pdf THE GAME: The University of Colorado continues Big 12 Conference action by hosting the University of Nebraska on Saturday, Jan. 31, at 1 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. BROADCAST: Saturday's game will be broadcast live on Fox Sports Net as part of the Big 12 national package. Brent Stover will handle play-by-play duties and will be joined by Debbie Antonelli with the color commentary. Saturday's game will be broadcast live on KVCU 1190 AM 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: After opening the conference schedule with five of six games against the Big 12 Southern Division, Colorado now turns its focus to its rivals in the north, in which the Buffaloes will play 10 of their next 11 games heading into the Big 12 Championship in March. THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 9-9 overall and 1-5 in the Big 12 after falling to Texas Tech at home on Jan. 28. The Buffaloes are 1-5 in league play for just the sixth time in the Big Eight-Big 12 era (starting with the 1982-83 season) and will be looking to snap a three-game losing streak at home, a first in conference play since the 2005-06 campaign. Two of those losses came against No. 6/5 Baylor and No. 3/2 Oklahoma in CU's monster stretch to open the Big 12 schedule which saw the Buffaloes play four ranked teams. Overall, the Buffaloes have won 20 of their last 29 games at home. Sophomore Brittany Spears leads Colorado and ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring at 17.8 points per game. She scored 26 points against Texas Tech, a personal best in Big 12 games and her second highest scoring output of the season. Spears has seven games of 20-plus points, two of which have come in the last three games (19.3 ppg). She has two of her five double-doubles this season in the last fourgames including an 11-point, 13-rebound effort at Missouri. She was named MVP of the Paradise Classic after averaging 16 points, seven rebounds and three blocks per game. 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 third in the Big 12 in minutes (34.6 mpg), fifth in rebounding (7.8 rpg), eighth in steals (1.8 spg) and blocked shots (1.1 bpg), ninth in field-goal percentage (.432) and 3-point field goals (1.8 3mpg), 11th in 3-point field-goal percentage (.355) and 14th in free-throw percentage (.701). Senior center Kara Richards is having her most productive season, ranking second on the team in scoring (11.9 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) while leading the way from the floor at 57 percent (80-of-144). She has made 11 of her last 13 from the floor (.846) including a perfect 5-of-5 from the field against Texas Tech. Richards is averaging 9.5 rebounds through six Big 12 games, fourth best on the league charts, and has split them almost evenly between offensive (26) and defensive (31) boards. Richards, who ranks 14th in rebounding on the Big 12's overall rankings, recorded back-to-back games of 15 rebounds to start the conference season, her first two double-digit rebounding efforts this year. Richards was named to the Rainbow Classic All-Tournament team averaging 14 points and seven rebounds while hitting 71 percent from the field (12-of-17). Richards, who will play in her 100th career game on Saturday, has eclipsed the 20 point mark twice this season, including a career-high 25 in the win over Colorado State, which included a personal best 9-of-9 performance from the free throw line. Junior guard Bianca Smith is third on the team in scoring at 10.6 points per contest and is Colorado's leading 3-point shooter with 45 on the season, ranking second in the Big 12. She has rebounded in a big way from a 3-game mini slump from downtown to begin the conference season. After making just 2-of-15 in the first three Big 12 games, she has made a scortching 13-of-23 (.565) from 3-point range the last three, including a school-record tying seven at Missouri en route to a season-high 25 points. She has four games of 5-plus 3-pointers this season and she has hit 50 percent or better from 3-point range in six of the last 11 games. Named to the Paradise Classic All-Tournament team, Smith had a game-high 23 points against Hawaii on 6-of-7 from 3-point range, a personal best from downtown in terms of accuracy. She's third on the team in rebounding at 4.8 per game, a substantial improvement from her career 1.7 average entering this season. Smith has six or more rebounds in eight games including a career high 12 -- all defensive -- against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, her first double-digit rebounding total. True freshman guard Alyssa Fressle has given the Buffaloes good all-around play. Fressle leads CU in steals (1.8 spg) and assists (3.6 apg). She tops all Big 12 freshmen in steals, assists and minutes (31.6 mpg) and is second in scoring at 9.3 per game. Fressle has scored in double-digits in three of the last four games including a Big 12 high 13 points against Texas Tech. Overall in the conference rankings she is seventh in steals, ninth in assists, 10th in minutes and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (1.0). Sophomore Britney Blythe has been the starting point guard for the last 11 games with sophomore Kelly Jo Mullaney coming off the bench, a lineup that has produced a 6-5 record. Blythe, who is more of a natural point guard, has scored 22 of her season's 43 points in Big 12 play. She had a career night against Baylor, hitting her first four 3-point field goals for a personal-best 12 points. Blythe, who finished the night a career-best 4-of-6 from the field, had made just 1-of-12 3-point field goals this season and 5-of-33 in her career prior to the Baylor game. Mullaney is fifth on the team in scoring (3.9 ppg) and is second in assists with 31. Colorado is nearly even with its opponents in scoring on the season, averaging 61.9 points per game while giving up 62.7. The Buffaloes are shooting 41 percent from the field and 32 percent from 3-point range. Colorado has held opponents to 39 percent shooting and just 28 percent from 3-point range. Colorado's numbers are better at home. The Buffaloes are averaging 69.5 points per game while holding their opponents to 60.7 per contest. CU is shooting 43 percent from the field at Coors and 33 percent from 3-point range. Brittany Spears is averaging 21.7 points and 8.3 rebounds per game at Coors while hitting 48 percent from the field. ABOUT THE CORNHUSKERS: Nebraska is 10-9 overall and tied with Colorado and Missouri for 10th place in the Big 12 at 1-5. The Cornhuskers have lost six of seven, with their lone win coming at home against Kansas on Jan. 21. Nebraska has dropped its last six on the road, including three in Big 12 play. The Huskers are averaging 63.7 points per game while giving up just a shade under 60. Nebraska is shooting 39.6 percent from the field and hitting on 33 percent from 3-point range. The Huskers are averaging 37.2 rebounds per game, but they join Colorado as the only two teams in the Big 12 with a negative rebounding margin as Nebraska's opponents pull in 38.3 per contest. Junior forward Cory Montgomery leads Nebraska at 13.3 points and 7.1 rebounds per game. Junior guard Yvonne Turner is second on the team in scoring at 11.7 per contest and is Nebraska's top defender with 46 steals, the third best total in the Big 12 this year. Sophomore guard Dominique Kelley leads Nebraska in assists (2.8 apg) and is third in scoring at 9.7 per outing. SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 64th meeting between Colorado and Nebraska with the Buffaloes holding a 38-25 series lead. Saturday's game will pull this series even with Missouri as the most played in CU history. A win for Colorado would also break a tie with Missouri for the most wins over any one team. To do so, the Buffaloes will have to snap a seven-game Nebraska winning streak in the series. Colorado is 24-5 all-time against Nebraska in Boulder, but the Huskers have won the last three. Colorado's last win over Nebraska was a 78-76 decision on March 2, 2005 in Ceal Barry's last home game as head coach. Kathy McConnell-Miller is 0-7 against Nebraska as a head coach, all with Colorado. COLORADO AND NEBRASKA, LAST 10: Date Result Date Result 3/2/08 (A) L, 55-63 1/28/06 (A) L, 54-70 2/6/08 (H) L, 71-80 1/4/06 (H) L, 62-80 2/27/07 (A) L, 70-90 3/2/05 (H) W, 78-76 2/10/07 (H) L, 44-54 1/5/05 (A) L, 62-84 3/7/06 (N) L, 59-67 3/3/04 (A) W, 63-60 ON THIS DATE: Colorado is 7-3 all-time on Jan. 31 and 6-1 at home. Colorado is 160-133 all-time in the month of January. FAMILIAR FACES: Colorado freshman Julie Seabrook will be reunited with two former Canadian basketball teammates on Saturday. Seabrook, a native of North Vancouver, B.C., played with Nebraska sophomore guard Kaitlyn Burke and freshman forward Harleen Sidhu on British Columbia's Provincial teams. Seabrook also played with Burke on Canada's 2007 U19 FIBA World Championship Tournament team in Slovakia. Seabrook and Burke both attended the National Elite Development Academy in Hamilton, Ont., although Burke was a year older, attending NEDA in 2006-07 while Seabrook was there in 2007-08. CU COACHES JOIN WBCA IN REMEMBERING KAY YOW: Colorado head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller and her staff will be wearing upside down pink ribbons for games this week as a tribute to the memory of Kay Yow, Hall of Fame coach for North Carolina State and former United States Olympic coach who passed away on Jan. 24 at the age of 66 after a long and courageous battle with breast cancer. McConnell-Miller played against Yow's N.C. State's teams while playing for ACC rival Virginia from 1985-89. Yow also coached McConnell-Miller's sister, Susie McConnell-Serio, on the 1988 U.S. Olympic team which won the gold medal in Seoul, South Korea. Those wishing to help fight the battle against breast cancer can donate to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund at www.JimmyV.org, or by calling 1-800-4JimmyV. Checks can also be mailed to the WBCA with attention to Megan Smith at 4646 Lawrenceville Highway, Lilburn, GA, 30047. CHALLENGING START TO LEAGUE PLAY: Colorado put the wraps on the toughest start to the conference schedule for any Big 12 team this year, playing four straight against ranked teams including a pair of Top 5 opponents. The Buffaloes played well in home losses to No. 6/5 Baylor and No. 3/2 Oklahoma, but struggled in lopsided road decisions at No. 22/22 Oklahoma State and No. 16/17 Texas. The resulting 0-4 start to league play is the first for the Buffaloes in the program's 35-year history, but it's also the only time CU has opened conference action with four straight ranked teams. Colorado opened the 2002 Big 12 season with three straight games against ranked league opponents. The Buffaloes, who were ranked themselves between No. 14-21 during that stretch, lost all three of those matchups, falling to No. 3 Oklahoma, No. 21/20 Texas and No. 14/18 Kansas State. That stretch was the final three games of a five-game span against ranked opponents as the Buffaloes ended nonconference play with a loss at No. 20 Florida and win over No. 21/22 LSU. CU's four straight against ranked teams were the most since that same five-game stretch during the 2001-02 season. The Buffaloes would go on to play a school record 16 games against ranked teams that season, winning six. CU's tough schedule paid dividens that season as the Buffaloes won 14 of their final 16 games, advancing to the 2002 Elite Eight. MORE SMITH FROM DOWNTOWN: Bianca Smith, who set a CU single-season record with 80 3-point field goals last year, is on a tear from downtown after a slow beginning. After starting the season by hitting just 12 of her first 49 3-point attempts (.245), she has rebounded to hit 33-of-69 (.478) over the last 10 games and 13-of-23 (.565) over the last three. Smith tied two school records in the win at Missouri, draining seven point field goals against the Tigers and five in the first half alone. It's the sixth time a CU player has made seven 3-pointers in a game and the second time for Smith as she also had seven in the win over Texas in 2008. It's only the second time out of the six that has come on the road, the other belonging to Annan Wilson who was CU's first player with seven 3-pointers doing so at Kansas State on Jan. 14, 1989. Smith's five 3-pointers, on six attempts, tied a record she also achieved in the Texas game and is a mark shared with Kate Fagan at Syracuse on Dec. 31, 2002 and Shelley Sheetz at Tennessee on Dec. 20, 1993. Smith had a career night in terms of accuracy in the win over Hawaii hitting 6-of-7 from 3-point range en route to 23 points. She is fifth on CU's all-time list for 3-point field goals with 157 and ranks seventh in 3-point attempts at 427. SPEARS MOVING UP LISTS: Brittany Spears has moved into Colorado's career Top 10 in 3-point field goals made and attempted as well as blocked shots. She tied a career high with four 3-pointers against Texas Tech to move her career number to 90, which is 10th on CU's all-time list. Spears is also ninth in 3-point attempts (269) and 10th in blocks (71). CU IN BIG 12 OPENERS: Colorado dropped to 6-7 in Big 12 openers after the loss to Baylor. CU is 4-8 in its first road Big 12 game of the season, including a 70-58 win at Missouri in 2008 to open league play. The Buffaloes are 20-15 all-time in conference openers, including the Big Eight and Intermountain Conferences. BALANCED SCORING ATTACK: Colorado had its most balanced scoring attack in over two years as five players scored in double-digits during the Buffs 73-57 win over Idaho State. Brittany Spears and Kara Richards each had 14 points, Julie Seabrook and Bianca Smith each had 12 and Alyssa Fressle had 11. It was almost six in double-digits as Kelly Jo Mullaney had eight off the bench. It was CU's first game with five in double-digits since a 77-71 win at Kansas on Feb. 1, 2006. Current CU senior Hannah Skildum was one of the five with double digits in that game, scoring 11 off the bench as a freshman. SOUTHERN GAME CANCELLED: Colorado's home game with Southern University scheduled for Friday, Dec. 12, was cancelled due to inclement weather. A rare southern snow storm, which left 3-5 inches in and around the Baton Rouge area the morning of Dec. 11, shut down many businesses, schools and flights. Southern's travel plans were cancelled and the Jaguars were not able find travel alternatives to Boulder for the Dec. 12 date. The game will not be rescheduled in 2008-09. CU women's basketball season ticket holders and fans who purchased single game tickets for the Southern contest can redeem their tickets for any other game remaining on the women's schedule. For more information, contact the CU Athletic Ticket Office at 303-49BUFFS or 800-87BUFFS. SCORING EARLY AND OFTEN AT COORS: The Buffaloes offense started the season red hot, breaking the 80-point mark in their first two games (89.5 ppg). It was the first time CU opened the season with back-to-back 80-plus point games since the 2002-03 campaign when the Buffs began with home wins over Rice (85-66) and Detroit Mercy (86-43). The 179 combined points were CU's most since 2000-01 when the Buffs scored 189 in wins over Albany (93-43) and Howard (96-45). AGAINST RANKED TEAMS: Colorado is 50-112 all-time against ranked teams, after falling to No. 3/2 Oklahoma on Jan. 21. The Buffaloes are 0-5 this season against ranked teams and 3-9 over the past two years. Prior to the 2007-08 season, the Buffs had suffered 23 straight losses against ranked opponents from 2004-07. BUFFS IN OPENERS: Colorado improved to 30-5 (.857) all-time in season openers and an outstanding 33-2 (.942) all-time in home openers. Colorado has never lost its overall season opener when played at home (23-0). HOUSTON TO MISS SEASON, DALE RETURNS: Junior guard Whitney Houston will miss the 2008-09 season after tearing the anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee on Sept. 24 during team individual workouts. She had successful surgery in October and will be able to use her redshirt season and have two years of eligibility remaining. Houston has averaged 6.1 points and 1.8 assists for the Buffaloes in 59 games over the past two seasons. She was a starter in 20 of those and was in the mix for the starting point guard position once again. Houston was CU's leader in scoring (4.3 ppg) and assists (1.4 apg) among those that primarily came off the bench in 2007-08 and averaged 6.5 points and just under two assists over the final 15 games. Sophomore guard Chelsea Dale, who underwent successful surgery to stabilize ligaments in her right ankle in early September, made her season debut against UMKC, playing in the final two minutes of the game. She saw action in 12 games as a true freshman in 2007-08. BUFFS PICKED 11TH...AGAIN: For the third straight season Colorado was picked to finish 11th in the annual Big 12 Conference Preseason Coaches Poll. Oklahoma was picked to win the 2009 title with seven first place votes and 124 points overall. Texas, earning one first place vote, edged out Iowa State for second place with 95 points. The Cyclones, who actually claimed a pair of first place votes came in third with 93. Baylor was fourth with 89 (and one first place vote), followed by Texas A&M (85), Oklahoma State (79, and one first place vote), Kansas State (71), Nebraska (56), Kansas (41), Texas Tech (36), Colorado (18) and Missouri (15). The Buffaloes have fared better than the Big 12 coaches preseason prediction each of the last three seasons under Kathy McConnell-Miller: Season Preseason Actual 2008-09 11th ?? 2007-08 11th 9th 2006-07 11th t-7th 2005-06 12th 11th TOUGH SCHEDULE: Colorado once again faces a tough schedule with no less than 17 games against 2008 NCAA or WNIT tournament teams. Seven of CU's opponents are currently ranked in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches and Associated Press Top 25, and it has been as many as eight during various points of the season. Baylor and Oklahoma are in the Top 4 of both. HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 328-103 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.761). The Buffaloes have won 10 or more games in a season at the CECC in 20 of the previous 30 years including a 15-6 mark in 2007-08. The Buffaloes have enjoyed five undefeated seasons (1980-83, 1992-94) at the CECC. BUFFS ON TV: Colorado's schedule features seven games that will be televised either regionally or nationally, all at home and on FSN Rocky Mountain. The Buffaloes will host Nebraska on Saturday, Jan. 31 in a nationally televised contest on FSN. Other games on CU's FSN Rocky Mountain schedule are Colorado State (Nov. 19), Baylor (Jan. 10), Oklahoma (Jan. 21), Texas Tech (Jan. 28), Iowa State (Feb. 7) and Missouri (Feb. 28). UP NEXT: Colorado will travel to play the University of Kansas on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. MST at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.