Classic Minneapolis Conference Match Up!!!

Minneapolis North 49   Minneapolis Southwest 42   Southwest was up 24-23 at Half, but it wasn't enough as the Polars finished the game with an 8-0 run led by Rhode Island --Bound Forward Brianna Edwards.  The Lakers were able to contain Edwards to 3 in the first half, but she finished with14 points (9 under her average).  Southwest was led by Center Britta Syverson with 15 pts and 6 rebounds.   A key note--The Lakers were without Freshman leading scorer Mariah Adanene who averages 15 points a game due to an injury.

THREES FALLIN AS BEARS PUMMEL BEAVERS

Feb. 06– ST. PAUL, Minn. - The Golden Bears sunk a season high 14 three-pointers and blew the Bemidji State Beavers out of the water, 81-65 Friday evening at the Gangelhoff Center.  The team had six players score in double figures in one of their finest offensive games of the year.  They also led on the boards and had eight blocked shots in the contest. The win for the Golden Bears snaps a four-game losing streak and keeps them in contention for the NSIC Tournament with a 6-8 NSIC record.  They improve to 14-10 overall.  The Beavers fall to 2-19 on the year and remain winless in league play, 0-14. The Beavers came out of the gates with a good shooting outlook, matching the Golden Bears until late in the first period.  The Golden Bears out-played Bemidji State to take the lead, shooting 41.2% in the half and out-playing the Beavers on the boards, 23-16.  Concordia led 35-31 at the half. The Golden Bears turned it on in the second half, out-scoring Bemidji 46-34 with the help of nine three-pointers, three each from Kelly Supernaw, Kali Olstad and Jamie Jones.  Three triples in the first three minutes of the second half gave way to easy looks down low in the following minutes.  Gillian Bjerke and Candace Olstad worked to put the Golden Bears up 57-43 at the 10:09 mark.  Concordia mixed outside shots with driving and dishing to go up by 20 points, 64-44.  With six blocked shots in the second half, including four from Shandrell Duncan, the Beavers put up only five points through eight minutes of play and fell to an unmanageable deficit.  The Golden Bears closed the game with four threes in the last four minutes of play, leading by as many as 24 points before the final score rested at 81-65. It was a night of superlatives for the Golden Bears, entering the game in need of a momentum boost.  Supernaw and K. Olstad had a team high 18 points, combining for 10-of-16 shooting from beyond the arc.  C. Olstad fell in with 15 points, seven rebounds and three assists, followed by Bjerke with 13 points and seven boards.  Jones and Zoraa Quoie were fundamental to the Concordia shooting effort, combining for 18 assists on the evening.  Duncan finished the evening with nine points and four blocked shots. Concordia shot 48.4% from the field on the evening, including a 56.7% second half shooting performance.  The Golden Bears hit 9-of-14 threes in the final 20 minutes and 14 in the game.  The team maintained the edge on the glass with a 39-33 lead. Bemidji State was led in scoring by Sydney Epema with 16 points.  Colleen McKay had 14 points and a team high six boards.  The Beavers shot 40.0% from the field and hit eight threes in the game. Concordia hosts Minnesota Duluth tomorrow evening as the CU athletic department holds the second annual Pink Zone event.  The night will raise awareness for breast cancer and will benefit the Twin Cities Hope Lodge.  Visit the event website for more information on how to participate and show your support.

Iowa WBB Post-Game Notes

Iowa beat Indiana tonight, 69-67, in Carver-Hawkeye Arena in Iowa City, IA.  Iowa improves to 39-15 all-time against the Hoosiers.  The Hawkeyes also improved to 22-3 against Indiana in Iowa City, including winning the last 12.   Indiana (8-4) is now only one-half game ahead of the Iowa (7-4) in the Big Ten standings.   Iowa almost made as many free throws as it did field goals tonight.  The Hawkeyes made 22 field goals and 21 free throws.  The Hawkeyes shot 81 percent (21-26) from the foul line, including 16-20 (.800) in the second half and 44 percent (22-50) from the field.  The Hawkeyes shot a blistering 57 percent (12-21) from the floor the final 20 minutes.   Wendy Ausdemore poured in a team-high 20 points, bolstered by a career-high 11-12 (.917) shooting performance from the charity stripe.  Ausdemore has now topped the 20-point plateau five times this season.  The senior also pulled down seven rebounds.   Kachine Alexander, who recorded a triple-double in Iowa last game, totaled nine points, eight rebounds and three assists.  The sophomore fouled out of the game at the 2:58 mark of the second half.   Kristi Smith, Iowa's second-leading scorer, contributed 17 points tonight.   Freshman Kamille Wahlin started her fourth-straight game for the injured JoAnn Hamlin.  Wahlin collected 10 points, five assists and tied a season high with seven boards.   Indiana was paced by Jamie Braun, scored 14 of her game-high 21 points in the second stanza.  She also corralled eight rebounds.   Indiana dominated Iowa on the glass tonight, 49-37.  The Hoosiers collected 29 offensive rebounds, but the Black and Gold only allowed 15 second-chance points.   Iowa returns to action Sunday afternoon when the Hawkeyes travel to Minneapolis, MN, to face the Minnesota Golden Gophers.  Tip-off is scheduled for 2:05 p.m. inside Williams Arena.

Lady Lions Drop Tough Decision to Minnesota, 63-61

Grant posts 12th 20-point performance with a team-best 21 tallies UNIVERSITY PARK, PA; February 5, 2009 — Seemingly in command for much of the game, the Penn State Lady Lions (8-13, 3-8) were held with without a field goal for the final 2:36 of the game en route to a tough 63-61 loss to Minnesota (16-6, 8-3) on Thursday evening at the Bryce Jordan Center. Junior Tyra Grant (Youngstown, Ohio), who was unable to connect on Penn State's final attempt to tie the game with four seconds left, continued her stellar play with a team-best 21 points for her 12th 20-point performance of the season.   Grant also added three rebounds and three assists in the loss. With her scoring performance tonight, Grant moved up four spots on Penn State's career scoring chart into 16th place (1,299). Starting in place of the injured Julia Trogele (Devon, Pa.), Janessa Wolff (Park Rapids, Minn.) was solid against her home state team as she hit her first four shots and finished with 11 points. She also pulled down five rebounds and had three steals and a pair of assists.   Senior Mashea Williams (Erie, Pa.) was the third Lady Lion in double figures with 10 points to go along with four rebounds and a career-high tying five steals. Fellow senior Brianne O'Rourke (Pittsburgh, Pa.) added eight points and five assists, while Meredith Monroe (Olney, Md.) accounted for six points, four rebounds and a career-best two steals in the loss. The Lady Lions played solid defense as they forced 23 Minnesota turnovers and registered 12 steals. This was Penn State's 11th game with 10 or more steals, the highest since the 2004-05 campaign when PSU had 15 games with 10 or more steals. The Lady Lions jumped out to a 10-5 thanks to four points by Grant and two tallies each by O'Rourke, Williams and Wolff. As has been the case in recent games, the Lions saw their lead dissipate after a 7-2 Minnesota run to tie the game at 12-12. Wolff stopped the four-minute scoring drought for the Lady Lions with a deep two-pointer and then added a bank shot on the ensuing offensive possession to give PSU a 16-12 lead with 9:33 remaining in the half.   The teams swapped baskets to keep the Lady Lion lead at four points before Williams picked off a pass and went the length of the floor for the lay-in to start a 9-2 Penn State run. Wolff hit one of two free throws and then Grant knocked down back-to-back three-pointers to give the Lions an 11-points lead at 29-18 with 4:21 on the clock. Kiara Buford ended the run with a three of her own to cut the Penn State lead to eight points (29-21), but the Lady Lions responded with a rebound and putback by Monroe.   Emily Fox and Grant played dueling three-pointers on the next two offensive possessions to keep the Lady Lion lead at 10 points (34-24) with 1:30 left in the first half. Ashley Ellis-Milan capped the scoring in the first half with back-to-back baskets and send the teams into the half with the Lady Lions leading by six, 34-28.   Grant led the way with 13 points in the first half, while Wolff added nine points on a perfect 4-for-4 effort from the field and three steals. The Lady Lion defense was solid as it forced 16 Minnesota turnovers and produced seven steals in the opening frame. Fox paced Minnesota with 11 tallies on 5-of-5 shooting.   The second half started with Ellis-Milan continuing her personal run with two free throws to make it a 34-30 game just one minute in. In a sudden offensive outburst, the teams went end-to-end and continued to exchange scoring opportunities to keep the game at a four-point margin until the Golden Gophers scored four straight points to tie the game at 44-44 with 12:48 left in the game.   Grant put the Lions back on top with a floater in the lane, but Minnesota would tie it at 46-46 with a little more than 11 minutes remaining. O'Rourke netted a layup on the ensuing possession, but the Golden Gophers responded with a three-pointer from Jackie Voigt to put Minnesota on top for the first time since the 17:40 mark of the first half. The Gophers extended their lead to 50-48 with 9:21 on the clock after Buford made one of her two free throw attempts.   Evelyn Lewis (Hampton, Va.) tied the game at 50-50 with a nice move in the paint for the layup and the foul, but she was unable to convert on the free throw attempt. Grant pushed the Lions back to the lead with a layup before Fox connected on a jumper to tie the game at 52-52 with just over seven minutes to play. Lewis hit one of two free throws to give PSU a 53-52 lead, but Fox continued her impressive evening with a basket to put the Gophers back on top (54-53).   The Lady Lions got a fade away jumper from Grant and two free throws by Williams to pull ahead by three points (57-54) with 4:37 left, but the Golden Gophers immediately responded with three consecutive points to tie the game at 57-57 with four minutes left. Fox and Grant continued their offensive assaults as they swapped baskets to put the game at a 59-59 tie with 2:36 on the clock before Ellis-Milan knocked down one of two free throws to put Minnesota ahead by a single point (60-59).   Ellis-Milan added to the Gopher lead with an offensive rebound and putback, but Wolff drained a pair of free throws to keep the Lions within a point (62-61) with just over a minute to play. After Grant missed a jumper with 17 seconds left, Penn State fouled Fox, who hit one of two free throws to make it 63-61 game with 15 ticks on the clock. The Lady Lions had one final opportunity to tie the game, but Grant's shot with four seconds left glanced off the rim and into the arms of Voigt who held the ball until the clock expired.   GAME NOTES: Tyra Grant reached the 20-point plateau for the 12th time this season and the 23rd in her career…This was Penn State's 11th game with 10 or more steals, the highest since the 2004-05 campaign when PSU had 15 games with 10 or more steals…With her 21-point performance, Tyra Grant moved up four spots on Penn State's career scoring chart into 16th place (1,299)…Mashea Williams tied her career high with five steals…Williams is the first player to have 5 steals since Brianne O'Rourke against Illinois on 12/28/08…Meredith Monroe had a career-high two steals…Brianne O'Rourke's five assists move her into seventh place on the all-time list with 530 helpers…Janessa Wolff had one block, giving her a career total of 46 and tying Laura Hughes for 18th place on Penn State's all-time list…Tyra Grant connected on a trio of three-pointers, moving her into a tied for ninth place with Lynn Dougherty on the PSU career chart (113)… The Lady Lions are 21-8 all-time against Minnesota, including a 12-2 record in home games…Penn State has lost seven of its last nine games against the Gophers.   The Lady Lions hit the road to face Michigan (Mon, Feb. 9) and Wisconsin (Thurs., Feb. 12) before returning to the BJC for the Third Annual WBCA Pink Zone Day. Fans will receive a Pink Lady Lion Basketball hat at the gates, while supplies last, and there will be a special presentation to honor breast cancer survivors at halftime. For information on Lady Lion Basketball tickets, call the Penn State ticket office at 814-865-5555.   The 2009 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State proudly supported by Mimi Barash Coppersmith (formerly known as THINK PINK Day) will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m., as the Lady Lions take on Iowa in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game can be seen on www.bigtennetwork.com. The first two Pink Zone events have raised more than $50,000 for breast cancer awareness. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Penn State Hershey Breast Cancer Institute, the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone.   —LADY LIONS—

Fox Scores 22 Points in Gopher Win at Penn State

Emily Fox scored 22 points to lead Minnesota to a 63-61 victory at Penn State on Thursday. Minnesota improved to 16-6 overall and 8-3 in Big Ten play.   Golden Gopher head coach Pam Borton talked about Big Ten games coming down to the final play at the team's shoot-around. Borton's predictions was straight on.   With 16 seconds to play, Fox made one of two free throws to give Minnesota a two-point cushion (63-61). Penn State 's Brianne O'Rourke pushed the ball upcourt and everyone in the arena knew the ball was going to Lady Lions and Big Ten leading scorer Tyra Grant. Grant missed a 10-foot jumper in heavy traffic on the left baseline. The ball rimmed out and in a scramble for the rebound the ball ended up back in Grant's head, but she didn't have time to gather herself for a shot. She did get the ball off but the shot was far short of the rim.   Minnesota was able to celebrate its second consecutive victory in Bryce Jordan Arena.   Ashley Ellis-Milan also contributed several big plays down the stretch. She hit a free throw to tie the score at 57-57, then grabbed a steal that resulted in a Fox basket to put the Gophers up 59-57.   The Gopher defense came up with a big stop, but Minnesota 's 22nd turnover of the game, this time a traveling call on Kiara Buford, put the ball back in Penn State 's court. Grant banked in a short jumper, giving her a team-high 21 points, to tie the game at 59-all.   Ellis-Milan drew a foul on the Gophers' next possession and hit one free throw. Fox knocked away a Penn State pass and darted down the court but missed a layup with plenty of Penn State pressure. Ellis-Milan was rewarded for her hustle as she snatched the rebound and banked home a huge bucket to put the Gophers up by three points at 62-59 with 1:17 remaining.   With 1:04 remaining, Penn State 's Janessa Wolff was fouled and went to the line. Her first free throw bounced high off the rim, but then found the bottom of the net. Wolff converted the second much easier to bring the Lady Lions to within a point at 62-61.   The Gophers looked to run off time, but they ran off too much time and the Penn State defense forced a 30-second violation. Penn State looked to Grant whose jumper was off the front of the rim. Jackie Voigt grabbed the rebound before she was tied up by Wolff for a jump ball. Luckily, the possession arrow was aimed in Minnesota 's direction. Fox took the foul and made the one free throw setting up the game's final play.   Penn State scored 23 points on Minnesota 's 16 first-half turnovers to take a 34-28 lead into halftime. The Lady Lions took a 29-18 lead with back-to-back three pointers by Grant, but the Gophers used a 10-5 run in the last three minutes to cut into the Penn State lead.   When Minnesota got a shot the Gophers took advantage in the first half hitting 55 percent (11-20). Fox converted all five of her first-half field goal attempts for 11 points.   Fox tallied her game-high total making 10 of 14 from the field. Ellis-Milan added 12 points, while Buford chipped in nine off the bench.   Minnesota returns home for a Sunday game versus Iowa at 2 p.m.   - UM -

North Dakota State Women Travel to IUPUI, Western Illinois

North Dakota State Women Travel to IUPUI, Western Illinois North Dakota State University (9-10, 7-4 Summit) is scheduled to play IUPUI (11-11, 6-5 Summit) at 3:30 p.m. (Central) on Saturday, Feb. 7, in The Jungle (1,215) in Indianapolis .. IUPUI has won four of its last six games ... The Bison are a game ahead of the Jags in the league standings ... IUPUI is 6-2 at the Jungle this season including a 4-1 record in Summit League play ... NDSU is 2-5 on the road this season including a 2-3 record in league play ... North Dakota State is scheduled to play Western Illinois (7-15, 5-6 Summit) at 7 p.m. Monday, Feb. 9, at Waste Management Court (5,139) in Macomb, Ill. ... WIU broke a three-game losing streak with a 57-51 win at UMKC, coming back from a 24-point deficit ... The Westerwinds are 5-3 at home this season and 4-0 in league play ... WIU hosts No. 20/24 South Dakota State on Saturday, Feb. 7. The Series: This will be the fourth meeting between North Dakota State and IUPUI ... The Bison lead the series 2-1 ... NDSU defeated the Jaguars 61-41 in Fargo on Jan. 12 ... This will be the fourth meeting between the Bison and Western Illinois ... North Dakota State leads the series 2-1 ... The Bison defeated the Westerwinds 52-46 in Fargo on Jan. 10. Bison On Radio: WDAY 970 AM of Fargo is the flagship station of the Bison Radio Network ... Stations on the Bison Radio Network for the basketball season include WDAY-AM 970 (Fargo), KQLX-FM 106.1 (Lisbon/select games), ESPN AM 710 /KFYR-AM 550 (Bismarck/select games) and KPOK-AM 1340 (Bowman) ... Scott Miller, WDAY 970 AM sports director, will call the play-by-play ... Miller hosts Bison Feedback featuring women's basketball coach Carolyn DeHoff and men's basketball coach Saul Phillips on Tuesdays throughout the season ... Game audio and Bison Feedback are free and available on www.GoBison.com. GoBison.Com Live Video, Live Stats: Follow the games on the Internet at GoBison.com with live in-game statistics ... Click on the "Live Stats" link at the left side of the page ... Live video is available by subscription starting at $7.95 per month on GoBison.com or $19.95 per month for the league package on TheSummitLeague.org. Bison Coaches Corner: Bison Coaches Corner featuring women's basketball coach Carolyn DeHoff and men's basketball coach Saul Phillips can be seen weekly during The Summit League season exclusively on GoBison.com ... The show feature games footage and analysis from both Phillips and DeHoff ... The NDSU men's basketball show will be posted Tuesday afternoons (once on Thursday, Feb. 19 due to team travel), while the Bison women's basketball show will be uploaded Wednesday afternoons (twice on Thursday due to travel) ... Bison Coaches Corner is hosted by NDSU director of athletic broadcasting/sales Jeremy Jorgenson and directed by Andrew Young, a freshman broadcast journalism major from Napoleon, N.D. Pink Zone Activities: The NDSU women's basketball team will participate in the 2009 Women's Basketball Coaches Association "Pink Zone" initiative ... Scheduled for Feb. 13-22, the global, unified effort by the association's coaches assists in raising breast cancer awareness ... On Feb. 14 at 2 p.m., the women's team will host Southern Utah ... The team will wear pink warm-up shirts and shoelaces as part of the "Pink Zone" effort ... The first 1,000 fans will receive pink t-shirts, courtesy of Innovis Health ... In addition, head coach Carolyn DeHoff, will donate 50 cents to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund for every fan in attendance, and State Farm Insurance agent Jill Henning will donate $100 for every three-pointer the Bison make to the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund ... NDSU is one of more than 1,250 schools and organizations participating in the "Pink Zone" initiative this year ... Last season, the NDSU athletic department raised $3,605.50 for the American Cancer Society and to help in the fight against breast cancer ... The largest contribution came from then NDSU head women's basketball coach Amy Ruley and Henning ... Ruley, a breast cancer survivor, agreed to donate $100 dollars for every three-pointers the women's team made against IUPUI on Feb. 9, 2008 ... The total ended up being $500 and Henning matched the donation. The Few, The Proud, The Bison: It's "The Few, The Proud, The Bison", as the North Dakota State women's basketball roster dropped to seven healthy players during the second half against Western Illinois (1-10-09) ... Junior guard Nicole Vigil is out for the rest of the season with a knee injury suffered with 13 minutes left in the second half against Western Illinois (1-10-09) ... Vigil will have knee surgery Feb. 6 ... NDSU head coach Carolyn DeHoff announced 5-foot-11 sophomore Abby Plucker (Parker, S.D./Parker H.S.) and 6-foot junior Megan Shea (Plymouth, Minn./) will miss the remainder of this season ... Injured diving for a loose ball against Denver (12-15-08), Plucker will have surgery Feb. 6 to repair her shoulder ... NDSU will apply for a medical hardship year at the end of the season for Plucker ... DeHoff said Plucker's projected rehab time for the shoulder is six months ... Shea hasn't played this season due to complications following knee surgery January 2008 and will redshirt ... Shea was cleared for practice in mid-January and will continue to work out with the team. North Dakota State Adds Two: North Dakota State has added 5-foot-8 freshman Tiffany Giese (geese) from Ortonville, Minn., and 6-foot-1 junior Kate Moser from Bismarck, N.D. to the roster ... Giese was a volunteer on the practice squad ... Moser played in five games for the Bison in 2005-06 ... Moser was the 2008 NDSU Homecoming Queen. Bison Fast Break: In the NCAA Division I statistics (thru games Feb. 1), North Dakota State junior guard Inger Hodgson is 38th in three-point shooting (.407, 37-91) ... Hodgson ranks 2nd in the Summit League three-pointers made (2.5 avg.) and 3rd in three-point shooting (.509, 27-53) ... Collectively, the Bison are 30th in NCAA Division I in free throw shooting (.748, 261-349) and 31st in field goal percentage defense (.364, 385-1058) ... North Dakota State was picked sixth in The Summit League preseason poll released in October ... The Bison four-game losing streak from Dec. 13 to Jan. 3 was the longest since an eight-game skid during the 2005-06 season ... NDSU had a season-high 52 rebounds at IPFW (1-5-09) including a season best 18 offensive rebounds ... North Dakota State is 9-2 when leading at halftime, 7-2 holding opponents to 59 points-under, 6-2 when committing fewer turnovers, and 6-3 when outrebounding opponents ... Whitney Trecker recorded a career best for the third time in five games, exploding for 17 points at UMKC (1-17-09) including nine in the game's final 6:35 ... Trecker has scored in double-figures in three of the last seven games ... Six-foot-2 senior Jerri Penley recorded a career-high 17 rebounds against IPFW (1-5-09) ... With 15 points and 14 rebounds, Penley recorded the first Bison "double-double" of the season and third of her career at Denver (12-15-08) ... Penley started the season 14 of 14 from the free throw line before missing her first against Oral Roberts (12-8-08) ... Penley made 19 straight free throws dating back to the second half of the UMKC (2-18-08) game ... Inger Hodgson came up with a career-high nine rebounds in the loss at Wyoming (12-13-08) ... Hodgson, who has a pair of 20-plus point scoring games this year, matched a career-high with five three-point field goals made at Southern Utah (1-19-09) ... Hodgson has dished out a career best five assists on five occasions this season including Oakland (2-2-09) and IPFW (1-31-09) ... ... Ashley Samuelson pulled down a career-high 10 rebounds at Denver (12-15-08) ... Samuelson, a 6-foot junior from Underwood, Minn., sat out 2006-07 due to NCAA transfer rules (transfer from Colorado State) and missed last year due to a knee injury in the preseason ... Carolyn DeHoff recorded her first victory as a collegiate head coach on Nov. 21 against Valley City State ... At 17-11 in 2008, North Dakota State surpassed the previous year's win total of 14 ... Three of NDSU's six league losses in 2008 were by five points or less ... The Bison led at halftime in 21 of 28 games in 2008, winning 15 of those games ... North Dakota State is 1-3 in overtime games the past two seasons and 14-12 overall in OT ... The Bison double OT win over Oral Roberts (3-1-08) tied the longest game in school history ... Lisa Bue, who was the 2008 Summit League Player of the Year, is playing professional basketball in Europe ... Bue started in Bosnia, but is currently playing in Alexandria, Romania ... Bue's roommate in Bosnia was former NDSU post player Brandee Gibbs. Bison In The Summit League: North Dakota State is well represented in The Summit League statistics (league games only) released Feb. 3 ... Individually in the top 10, Inger Hodgson is 2nd in three-pointers made (2.5 avg.), 3rd in field goal shooting (.500, 53-106) and three-point shooting (.509, 27-53), tied for 5th in assists (3.2 apg), 7th in scoring (13.9 ppg) and 9th in steals (1.8 spg); Katie Birkel is tied for 5th in assists (3.2 apg), 9th in free throw shooting (.806, 29-36) and tied for 10th in scoring (11.7 ppg); Jerri Penley is 3rd in blocked shots (1.9 bpg) and 9th in rebounding (7 rpg), and Jill Zaruba is 2nd in free throw shooting (.914, 32-35) and tied for 7th in blocked shots (1.1 bpg) ... Team-wise (top three), the Bison are 1st in field goal percentage defense (.345, 213-617); 2nd in scoring defense (58.5 ppg), field goal shooting (.439, 241-549), three-point shooting (.355, 49-138), and blocked shots (4 bpg), and 3rd in scoring margin (+4.9 ppg), free throw shooting (.761, 166-218) and three-point field goal percentage defense (.307, 54-176). The DeHoff File: Carolyn DeHoff (Arizona State, '91) is in her first year as head coach of the Bison ... DeHoff has a 9-10 record including 7-4 in The Summit League ... She recorded her first win against Valley City State on Nov. 21 ... DeHoff became the ninth head women's basketball coach in the program's 44-year history on April 11, 2008 ... DeHoff was the associate head coach in 2007-08 on Elaine Elliott's Utah staff ... The Utes finished 27-5 overall and won the Mountain West Conference regular season championship with a 16-0 record ... Utah lost in the first round of the 2008 NCAA tournament ... Her duties at Utah included coordinating recruiting efforts, point guard development, organization and planning of the schedule, coordination of academic affairs and directing summer camps ... During her stay in Salt Lake City, the Utes won 123 games, three regular season conference championships and one MWC tournament title ... Utah made three trips to the NCAA tournament including an Elite Eight berth in 2006 and a WNIT appearance in 2007. The Utes also had a pair of WNBA first round draft picks, along with second round pick in this year's draft ... Her 17-year coaching resume includes a five-year stop at Weber State. The Wildcats went from a sub-.500 program to a back-to-back NCAA tournament participant ... Weber State won consecutive Big Sky titles and posted back-to-back 20 win seasons ... Prior to Weber State, DeHoff was the top assistant at Wyoming for seven seasons and also was an assistant coach at Coronado High School in Scottsdale, Ariz ... A standout high school player at Cheyenne (Wyo.) East, DeHoff was a Street & Smith's All-America her senior year ... She played at Arizona State University from 1987-90, where she was a captain ... A native of Cheyenne, DeHoff graduated from Arizona State in 1991 with a bachelor's degree in exercise science and physical education ... She was inducted into her high school athletic hall of fame in September 2008. Division I Certification: North Dakota State received NCAA certification this summer for active status as a Division I member in all sports. NDSU reclassified from Division II beginning with an exploratory year in 2003-04, three seasons as a Division I independent from 2004-07 and one season in The Summit League without eligibility for the league tournament or NCAA playoffs.

UW WBB: Alyssa Karel named Academic All-District

MADISON, Wis. – Alyssa Karel, a sophomore on the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team, has been named to the ESPN The Magazine/College Sports Information Directors of America (CoSIDA) Academic All-District 5 first team. Karel will now be placed on the national ballot for Academic All-America honors. Karel, a 5-7 guard, is the Badgers' leading scorer this season, averaging 12.9 points per game. She has scored in double figures in 19 of 23 games this season, leading the team in scoring in 13 games. Karel ranks seventh in the Big Ten in scoring average, sixth in 3-pointers made (1.7/game) and eighth in 3-point field goal percentage at 36.4. She also adds 3.9 rebounds, 1.4 assists and 1.3 steals per game. Karel was named the most valuable player of the Paradise Jam in November, scoring the game-winning basket in Wisconsin's win over then-No. 6 Baylor. The pre-nursing major has a 3.80 cumulative grade point average. She is a two-time member of the dean's honor list. In order to qualify for the honor team, a student-athlete must have a cumulative grade point average of 3.30 or above and be a starter or important reserve. The Academic All-America teams for women's basketball will be announced on Feb. 24. ESPN The Magazine/CoSIDA Academic All-District 5   First Team Kelsey Luna                    Indiana State         Jr.       4.0          Psychology Kristi Cirone                    Illinois State            Sr.       3.50        Exercise Science Danielle Gratton           Ball State                 Jr.       3.91        Communications Alyssa Karel                    Wisconsin                So.      3.80        Pre-Nursing Agnieszka Kulaga         Valparaiso               Sr.       3.80        Business Administration   Second Team Jenny Van Kirk              Bradley                     Jr.       4.00        Pre-Med Emily Fox                         Minnesota              Sr.       3.37        Journalism Erica Smith                      Southern Illinois   Sr.       3.73        Business Management Maggie Krick                  Illinois State            Jr.       3.84        Teacher Education Lauren Mioton              Purdue                     Sr.       3.96        Biology Shannon Novosel        Evansville                Sr.       3.80        Mass Communications & Spanish Launa Hochstetler       Valparaiso               Sr.       3.72        Accounting & Finance

Dunham dismissed from Badgers

MADISON, Wis. – Junior Mariah Dunham has been dismissed from the University of Wisconsin women's basketball team for repeated violations of team rules, Coach Lisa Stone announced today. The dismissal is effective immediately. "This was a very tough decision to make but, in the best interests of the program, we felt that it was time for Mariah to leave the team," said Stone. "We wish her the best in her future endeavors." Dunham, a 6-1 forward, was suspended indefinitely by the UW coaching staff prior to the Badgers' game at Michigan last Sunday for an off-the-court incident. The Watertown, Wis., native has played in 20 games this season, starting 13. Dunham was the second-leading scorer on the UW team, averaging 9.2 points per game. She also ranked second with 4.6 rebounds per game. Dunham scored in double figures in 11 games, including a season-high 17 points vs. Michigan on Jan. 11. A two-year letterwinner, Dunham started 14 games as a freshman and seven games as a sophomore. She scored her 600th career point vs. Purdue on Jan. 29 and also has more than 300 career rebounds.

Malone cleared to play

PURDUE POINT GUARD FAHKARA MALONE CLEARED TO PLAY                                                                                                                  For Immediate Release February 3, 2009   WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. - Purdue head coach Sharon Versyp announced this afternoon that junior point guard FahKara Malone has received medical clearance to return to action. Malone will be available when the Boilermakers travel to Ohio State on Thursday, Feb. 5.  Malone has been on the sidelines since suffering an open dislocation of the ring finger on her right hand during overtime against Michigan State on Jan. 1, in West Lafayette, Ind.   The injury occurred with 2:42 remaining in the extra period with the score tied at 61-61. Malone was going for a loose ball in the paint in traffic and jammed her finger on an MSU player. The Spartans would go on to win 68-62 in Mackey Arena.   Malone, a native of Evansville, Ind., has played in 83 games as a Boilermaker and has started all but three. When injured, she was averaging 7.9 points, 3.4 assists and 1.9 steals per game. The 5-foot-3 guard is a two-time All-Big Ten defensive team member and was named Big Ten co-Player of the Week on Nov. 25. She holds eighth place in the Purdue record books for career steals with 227, she is in 11th for assists with 334 and 12th for career three-pointers with 94.   Purdue is 15-7 this season and tied for second place in the Big Ten with an 8-3 record. The Boilermakers played nine games without Malone and had a 7-2 record in her absence.   -  P  -

Lynx Launch 2009 Draft Central

The Lynx Draft Central page is the ideal forum for fans to learn more about the future stars of the WNBA. Don't miss out on updated statistical information, bios, scouting reports and evaluations from some of the top minds in women's college basketball, including head coach Don Zierden. Remember last year's draft? The Lynx netted the Rookie of the Year runner-up, Sixth Woman of the Year and 2/5 of the All-Rookie Team. With last Friday's roster changes, the Lynx will now draft three times in the top-15 in the this year's draft on April 9, 2009. Be sure to check up on your favorite Lynx players while they compete overseas by checking out Lynx Around the World and weekly updates highlighting notable performances. Remember, lynxbasketball.com is your one-stop shop for all things Lynx related.

Lady Lions Welcome Minnesota to the BJC on Thursday

Dollar Dog Night and PNC 2 for $16 deal are among the promotions for the 7 p.m. tip UNIVERSITY PARK, PA; February 3, 2009 — The Penn State Lady Lions (8-12, 3-7) return to the Bryce Jordan Center after back-to-back road games to host Minnesota (15-6, 7-3) on Thursday night at 7 p.m. The last time the Lady Lions were at the Jordan Center, fans were treated to the biggest comeback on record in school history as PSU downed Wisconsin in overtime on Jan. 22.   PROMOTIONS: Fan will receive blue & white shakers at the gate, while supplies last. Fans can also partake in Dollar Dog Night at the BJC where fans can purchase a Berks Hot Dog for just $1. Thursday is also a PNC 2 for $16 night where PNC customers can purchase two adult tickets to Thursday night's game for just $16.   TV/RADIO: A live video stream of the game is available on BigTenNetwork.com. The contest can be heard on the Penn State Sports Radio Network with Jerry Fisher (play-by-play) and Kellie Goodman (color) calling the action. The game will air locally WRSC. The audio feed and a link to live stats are available at www.GoPSUSports.com.   LAST TIME OUT: The Lady Lions and the Iowa Hawkeyes tangled in a battle for the ages on Sunday afternoon at Carver-Hawkeye Arena as the squads combined for the longest women's basketball game in arena history. The Hawkeyes found their rhythm at the right time and prevailed 97-89 in triple overtime. Junior Tyra Grant tied her career high with 33 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and two blocks. Seniors Brianne O'Rourke and Mashea Williams had season-best performances with 20 points and 19 points, respectively.   SCOUTING MINNESOTA: The Golden Gophers are coming off of a 60-44 win over Michigan State Monday night. With the game tied at 44-44, Minnesota finished the game on a 16-0 run to secure the win. Minnesota is now 15-6 overall and 7-3 in Big Ten play. Emily Fox leads the offensive charge for the Gophers, averaging 12.4 points and 4.1 assists per game. Ashley Ellis-Milan is second on the squad in scoring (11.9 ppg) and leads the team in rebounding (8.1).   ALL-TIME VS. THE GOPHERS: The Lady Lions are 20-8 all-time against Minnesota, including a 12-1 record in home games. Despite success early against the Golden Gophers, the Lady Lions have lost six of their last eight against the team in maroon and gold. The Gophers posted a 69-55 win over PSU on New Year's Day this year. Last season, Minnesota posted a 67-50 win at "The Barn" and earned its first-ever win in Happy Valley with a 56-48 decision.   LAST TIME VS. MINN: The Penn State Lady Lions jumped out early, but Minnesota used a late first-half run to post a 69-55 victory over the Lady Lions on Jan. 1. Senior Mashea Williams and junior Tyra Grant led three Lady Lions in double figures with 12 points each. Williams had a career-high three blocked shots to go along with six rebounds and three steals, while Grant added five rebounds in the loss. Senior point guard Brianne O'Rourke accounted for 11 points, three assists and two steals against the Gophers. TY TIES CAREER HIGH: Tyra Grant loves the trip to Iowa. On Sunday, the junior tied her career high with 33 points to go along with five rebounds, four assists and two blocks in the triple overtime loss to the Hawkeyes. She also set the Carver Hawkeye Arena record for field goal attempts (30). Grant's effort ties her career mark that was at Carver Hawkeye Arena her freshman season. With her third career 30-point game, Grant becomes one of five players in school history to have three or more 30-point games in their career. Grant reached the 20-point plateau for the 11th time this season and the 22nd in her career. Her 10 20-point games this season are the most by a Lady Lion since Tanisha Wright had 13 games with 20 or more points.   O'ROURKE JOINS ELITE GROUP: With a season-high 20 points at Iowa on Feb. 1, senior point guard Brianne O'Rourke became the sixth player in school history to accumulate 1,000 points and 500 assists. The other Lady Lions to accomplish the feat are Suzie McConnell, Tina Nicholson, Helen Darling, Jess Strom and Nancy Kuhl. O'Rourke now has 1,014 points and 525 assists.   BRI IS GRAND: Senior guard Brianne O'Rourke became the 32nd player in school history to reach the 1,000-point mark with a season-high 20 points against Iowa on Feb. 1. She is the second Lady Lion (Tyra Grant) to reach the milestone this season.   SEASON BESTS: Several Lady Lions reached season highs in the triple overtime loss at Iowa on Feb. 2. Seniors Brianne O'Rourke and Mashea Williams had season bests of 20 and 19 points, respectively, while sophomore post Janessa Wolff pulled down a career-high 11 rebounds.   TRIPLE THE OT: The Lady Lions and the Iowa Hawkeyes participated in the longest women's basketball game in Carver Hawkeye Arena history on Feb. 1 as Iowa downed Penn State, 97-89 in triple overtime. It was the first-ever triple OT game in Lady Lion basketball history. Penn State is now 15-14 all-time in overtime games after a 58-56 overtime win over Wisconsin on Jan. 22 and the loss to the Hawkeyes. This is the first time that Penn State has played multiple overtime games in a season since the 2006-07 campaign.   The Lady Lions hit the road to face Michigan (Mon, Feb. 9) and Wisconsin (Thurs., Feb. 12) before returning to the BJC for the Third Annual WBCA Pink Zone Day. Fans will receive a Pink Lady Lion Basketball hat at the gates, while supplies last, and there will be a special presentation to honor breast cancer survivors at halftime. For information on Lady Lion Basketball tickets, call the Penn State ticket office at 814-865-5555.   The 2009 WBCA Pink Zone at Penn State proudly supported by Mimi Barash Coppersmith (formerly known as THINK PINK Day) will take place on Sunday, Feb. 15 at 3 p.m., as the Lady Lions take on Iowa in the Bryce Jordan Center. The game can be seen on www.bigtennetwork.com. The first two Pink Zone events have raised more than $50,000 for breast cancer awareness. This year's fundraising efforts will benefit the Penn State Hershey Breast Cancer Institute, the Pennsylvania Breast Cancer Coalition and the Kay Yow/WBCA Cancer Fund. For more information on the Pink Zone at Penn State, visit the official Pink Zone website at www.gopsusports.com/pinkzone.   —LADY LIONS—

Buffs Travel To Kansas Wednesday

For the complete release, statistics and player notes, click on the link below: http://www.cubuffs.com/pdf4/374512.pdf   THE GAME: The University of Colorado continues Big 12 Conference action by traveling to play the University of Kansas on Wednesday, Feb. 4, at 6 p.m. MST, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.   BROADCAST: Wednesday's game will be broadcast live on KKZN 760 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. Wednesday's game will be televised in the Lawrence area by MetroSports.   OPENING TIP: Wednesday's game features a head-to-head battle of two of the top three scorers in the Big 12. Colorado sophomore Brittany Spears ranks third on the league charts at 18.2 points per game, just behind Kansas junior Danielle McCray who is averaging 19.3 an outing.   THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 10-9 overall and 2-5 in the Big 12 after a thrilling last second win over Nebraska, 75-73, on Jan. 31. The Buffaloes have won two of their last three after an 0-4 conference start and will be looking to win consecutive road games in Big 12 play for the first time since the 2003-04 season. Colorado picked up its first Big 12 road win of 2009 on Jan. 24 at Missouri. The Buffaloes are 6-12 on the road in the last two seasons after winning just five games in 33 tries in the three previous years (2004-07).   Brittany Spears leads Colorado and ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring at 18.2 points per game. She averaged 25.5 in the recent two game home stand with Texas Tech and Nebraska. Spears scored 26 points against Texas Tech, a personal best in Big 12 games and her second highest scoring output of the season and then added 25 points, including the game winner, against Nebraska. Spears has eight games of 20-plus points, three of which have come in the last four games (20.8 ppg). She has five double-doubles this season 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 (34.9 mpg), seventh in rebounding (7.9 rpg), eighth in steals (1.8 spg) and blocks (1.1 bpg), ninth in field-goal percentage (.441), 10th in 3-point field goals made (1.8 3mpg) and percentage (.343) and 14th in free-throw percentage (.701).   Senior center Kara Richards is having her most productive season, ranking second on the team in scoring (12.0 ppg) and rebounding (6.9 rpg) while leading the way from the floor at 57 percent (89-of-155). She has made 15 of her last 19 from the floor (.789) including a perfect 5-of-5 from the field against Texas Tech and is averaging 14 points over the last three games. Richards is averaging 9.0 rebounds through seven Big 12 games, fifth best on the league charts, and has split them almost evenly between offensive (29) and defensive (34) boards. Richards, who ranks 13th 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 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 11.1 points per contest and is Colorado's leading 3-point shooter with 52 on the season, ranking second in the Big 12 in number, but leading in 3-pointers per game (2.7 3mpg). 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 20-of-33 (.606) from 3-point range the last four, twice tying the school record for 3-pointers made in a game (7) and in one half (5) during that span. She has five games of 5-plus 3-pointers this season and she has hit 50 percent or better from 3-point range in seven of the last 12 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 all Big 12 freshmen in steals (1.8 spg), assists (3.5 apg) and minutes (31.6 mpg) and is third in scoring at 8.8 per game. Fressle has scored in double-digits in three of the last five games including a Big 12 high 13 points against Texas Tech. Overall in the conference rankings she is seventh in assists, ninth in steals, 10th in minutes and 12th in assist-to-turnover ratio (0.9). Sophomore Britney Blythe has been the starting point guard for the last 12 games with sophomore Kelly Jo Mullaney coming off the bench, a lineup that has produced a 7-5 record. Blythe, who is more of a natural point guard, has scored 26 of her season's 47 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, who is fifth on the team in scoring at 4.3 per game, is coming off a 10-point effort against Nebraska, her high during Big 12 action.   Colorado is nearly even with its opponents in scoring on the season, averaging 62.6 points per game while giving up 63.3. The Buffaloes are shooting 42 percent from the field and 33 percent from 3-point range. Colorado has held opponents to 39 percent shooting and just 28 percent from 3-point range.   ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS: Kansas is 12-7 overall and 1-5 in Big 12 action. The Jayhawks have lost four straight after defeating Missouri, 75-58, at home on Jan. 14. Overall the Jayhawks have been solid at home with a 9-2 mark, but both losses have come during KU's recent slide )Texas Tech and Kansas State). Kansas is averaging 69 points per game while holding opponents to 58 per contest. The Jayhawks are hitting 46 percent from the field and lead the Big 12 in 3-point accuracy at 39.8 percent.   Junior wing Danielle McCray leads Kansas in scoring (19.3 ppg), rebounding (7.9 rpg) and steals (1.7 spg) while also hitting on 41 percent from 3-point range (37-of-91). Junior guard Sade Morris is second on the team in scoring at 12.2 points per game. Sophomore center Krysten Boogaard averages 10.4 points per game while shooting a team-best 54 percent from the field.   SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 62nd meeting between Colorado and Kansas with the Buffaloes holding a 32-29 series lead. The Buffaloes have won four of the last six and 12-of-16 since 2001. Kansas holds a 15-12 edge over CU in Lawrence and won last season's meeting 70-59. Kathy McConnell-Miller is 4-2 against Kansas as a head coach, all with Colorado.   COLORADO AND KANSAS, LAST 10: Date                 Result              Date                  Result 2/13/09 (A)        L, 59-70            1/10/06 (H)        W, 74-65 1/22/08 (H)        W, 59-41           1/12/05 (A)        L, 54-76 2/24/07 (H)        W, 59-50           1/25/05 (H)        L, 60-65 2/6/06 (A)          L, 68-70 OT       2/24/04 (H)        W, 75-56 2/1/06 (A)          W, 77-71           1/13/04 (A)        W, 59-49   ON THIS DATE: Colorado is 8-4 all-time on Feb. 4, including a 1-2 mark on the road. Colorado is 156-113 all-time in the month of February.   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 40-of-79 (.506) over the last 11 games and 20-of-33 (.606) over the last four. She has tied the single-game school record for 3-pointers made in one game (7) and in one half (5) twice in the last three games.   CU players have now made seven 3-pointers in one game seven times with Smith leading the way with three of those instances. Her seven 3-pointers at Missouri was only the second time it had been achieved 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.   Five 3-pointers in one half has now been done five times, with Smith recording three of them. Kate Fagan, at Syracuse on Dec. 31, 2002, and Shelley Sheetz at Tennessee on Dec. 20, 1993, are the other two.   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 leads the Big 12 in league only games in 3-pointers (3.1 3mpg) and percentage (.458, 22-of-48). Smith also leads the Big 12 in overall 3-pointers per game (2.7 3mpg) and is fourth in percentage (.406, 52-of-128).   She is fifth on CU's all-time list for 3-point field goals with 164 and 3-point attempts at 437.   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 had one 3-pointer against Nebraska to move her career number to 91, which is 10th on CU's all-time list. Spears is also ninth in 3-point attempts (275) and 10th in blocks (72). MAKING THE MOST OF YOUR MINUTES: Brittany Spears has played all 40 minutes in each of the last three games for Colorado, a rare feat in team history. She is the first player to play 40 or more in three straight since the 1999-2000 season when Mandy Nightingale played all 40 minutes in back-to-back home games against Kansas State and Texas and then played 44 of 45 minutes in an overtime loss at Baylor. As for playing every minute for three straight games, that hasn't happened since Diane Hiemstra played all 40 for four straight during in February 1984 (at Kansas, vs. Iowa State, vs. Oklahoma State, at Kansas State). Hiemstra also had a string of three straight one year earlier, playing every minute of CU's final three games of 1983 (vs. Kansas, at Oklahoma, vs. Kansas State).   Spears' numbers show the worth of letting her keep playing and playing. During this stretch she is averaging 20.7 points, 9.3 rebounds, 3.0 steals and 1.7 assists while shooting 46 percent from the field (24-of-52).   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.   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. Oklahoma, Baylor and Texas A&M are in the Top 10 of both.   HOME AT THE CECC: Colorado is traditionally tough at home with a 329-103 all-time record at the Coors Events/Conference Center (.763). 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 returns home to host Iowa State University on Saturday, Feb. 7, at 2 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. The game will be televised live on FSN Rocky Mountain.