Colorado
9-5, 0-1
Texas A&M
13-1, 1-0
Texas A&M Pressure Too Much For Colorado
January 08, 2011 | Women's Basketball
COLLEGE STATION, Texas-Texas A&M sports one of the best defenses in the Big 12 Conference, and it was on full display Saturday.
The No. 7 (AP)/5 (WBCA) ranked Aggies forced 27 Colorado turnovers on their way to an 85-57 victory over Colorado at Reed Arena in the league opener for both teams.
"I don't like the score; I hate to lose, but this is a very good basketball team," head coach Linda Lappe said. "This is a team that's going to go a really long way in the NCAA basketball tournament. They are going to do a lot of good things in the Big 12."
Brittany Spears led Colorado with 21 points, as she moved past former CU All-American Shelley Sheetz (1,775 from 1991-95) into fourth on the Buffaloes' all-time scoring list (1,779). She tied a team season-high with five 3-point field goals and also grabbed six rebounds.
Texas A&M (13-1, 1-0), leading the Big 12 in steals and turnover margin, turned CU's 17 first half miscues into 21 points. Colorado (9-5, 0-1) shot just 29 percent in the first 20 minutes and trailed 45-17 at the break.
In contrast the Aggies had just seven turnovers for the game. Texas A&M outscored CU 36-7 in points off turnovers.
Colorado picked up its intensity early in the second half and played the Aggies even. Brittany Wilson, making her second straight start, scored 11 of her 12 points during a 14-6 CU run to open the half and bring the Buffaloes back to within 20 (51-31).
"There aren't a lot of moral victories, but if there is one, then playing them 40-40 in the second half is definitely one," Lappe said. "It just helps us believe that we can play with anybody. Now we have to go back and do that from the start and play that way for 40 minutes."
"We knew that we had to come out and compete because they weren't going to lay down," Wilson said. "A lot of people don't think we are as good as we are, so we have to come out and play with a chip on our shoulder. We have to show everybody that we are ready to play in this conference and we won't finish last."
Danielle Adams, the Big 12's leading scorer countered, scoring the Aggies first nine points of the second half on her way to a team high 18 points.
Sophomore Meagan Malcolm-Peck scored all 10 of her points in the second half as the Buffaloes bounced back to shoot 56 percent in the second half. Sophomore guard Chucky Jeffery just missed a double-double with 10 points and nine rebounds.
Colorado will return to Boulder to host the University of Kansas on Wednesday, Jan. 12, at 7 p.m. The game will be televised live on FSN Rocky Mountain
NOTES:
Tonight marked the 100th career game for CU's Linda Lappe as a collegiate head coach. Currently in her first season at CU, fourth overall, Lappe is 59-41.
Texas A&M narrows Colorado's all-time lead in the series to 10-9 and has won eight-straight over the Buffaloes.
Colorado drops its 24th straight game against a ranked team and its 21st straight against a team ranked in both the Associated Press and WBCA Coaches Polls.
Colorado's 28-point halftime deficit (45-17) was its fifth largest in team history.
Colorado changed its lineup for the second straight game. Freshman Brittany Wilson earned a second straight start while Meagan Malcolm-Peck returned to the starting lineup, replacing senior Britney Blythe.
Brittany Spears also moved into fifth place on CU's all-time list for career blocked shots (126) passing Erin Scholz (1993-97).
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