Brittany Spears
THE GAME: The University of Colorado returns home to host No. 20 (WBCA) Iowa State University on Saturday, Jan. 16, at 4:30 p.m. at the Coors Events/Conference Center. 2nd part of a double-header. Ticket to the Men's game gets you in free to the Women's game.
BROADCAST: Saturday's game will be televised by FSN Rocky Mountain. Tom Helmer will have the call with legendary CU head coach Ceal Barry providing the color commentary and Alanna Rizzo reporting from the sidelines. Saturday's game will be broadcast live on KKZN AM 760. Mike Rice will handle play-by-play duties with USA Basketball's Carol Callan providing the color commentary. Live internet audio of all CU basketball games is available on BuffsRadio, a subscription service through CUBuffs.com. Please note the BuffsRadio audio and BuffsTV video are separate subscriptions.
OPENING TIP: Colorado is 10-1 at home averaging 75 points per game and shooting 45 percent from the field in those contests.
THE BUFFALOES: Colorado is 11-4 overall and split its first two Big 12 Conference games, defeating the University of Missouri 64-48 at home in the league opener on Jan. 9 and falling to Texas Tech 74-61 in Lubbock on Jan. 12. CU has won five of its last seven and nine of its last 12 overall.
TEAM NUMBERS: Colorado is averaging 72 points per game and shooting 43 percent from the field. CU is averaging 8.1 3-pointers per game, ranking third in the Big 12. The Buffaloes are also the No. 1 free throw shooting team in the Big 12 at 76 percent (182-of-240). Colorado is averaging 39 rebounds per game, and winning the battle of the boards by 2.4 per game. The Buffaloes are also averaging 10 steals per game and forcing opponents into 18.3 turnovers per contest.
SPEARS LEADS: Brittany Spears tops Colorado by averaging 18.4 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. Spears has scored 20 or more points in seven of 15 games and four of her last seven. She was held below double-digits in scoring for the first time this season, managing just three points against Texas Tech. Spears has still recorded double-digits in scoring in 45 of her last 48 games and 68 of 78 career outings.
On the league charts she ranks fifth in scoring, overall rebounds and defensive rebounds (5.7 drpg), seventh in steals (2.3 spg), eighth in free-throw percentage (.825) and blocks (1.3 bpg), 12th 3-pointers made (2.0 3mpg) and 15th in offensive rebounds (2.7 orpg).
ABOUT THE CYCLONES: No. 20 (WBCA) ranked Iowa State is 12-3 overall and 0-2 in the Big 12 after league season opening losses to a pair of ranked teams in Nebraska (57-49) and Texas A&M (68-44). The Cyclones, who are receiving votes in the most recent Associated Press poll, had won 11 straight games before the opening of the Big 12 schedule. Iowa State averages 71 points per game while shooting 46 percent from the field, but the Cyclones have failed to reach 50 points in their two Big 12 games. ISU is the Big 12's top 3-point shooting team at 8.4 per game and also lead the league in scoring defense (52.2 ppg).
Senior guard Alison Lacey leads the Cyclones at 17.7 points and 6.7 assists per game. Junior Kelsey Bolte is second in scoring at 10.9 points per contest. Chelsea Poppens and Denae Stucky each average 6.1 rebounds per game for the Cyclones.
SERIES RECORDS: This will be the 64th meeting between Colorado and Iowa State with the Buffaloes holding a 36-27 series edge. The Cyclones have held the upper hand in recent years, winning six straight and 11 of the last 12 contests. Colorado is 18-9 against the Cyclones all-time in Boulder, but Iowa State has won the last two. CU's last win in the series came at the Coors Events Center, a 81-67 triumph on Jan. 10, 2007.
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