Nov. 28, 2007

Final Stats

Boulder, COLO. - The University of Northern Colorado women's basketball team came close, but fell to the Colorado Buffaloes, 69-60 at the Coors Event Center this evening in front of 751 fans. The Bears move to 3-3 on the year, while the Buffaloes improve to 3-2.

For the fourth time in six games, senior center Danielle Hagen recorded double figures in rebounds with 12 and she also moved onto the school's top 10 list in career rebounds, passing Pam Neeley (1986-90, 579 rebounds) and now has 580. Junior guard Whitley Cox scored over 20 points for the fourth time this season, leading the Bears with 21, while freshman guard Courtney Stoermer scored 13 and freshman guard Kate Kevorken scored 11 despite fouling out with just 24 minutes. Sophomore guard Chelsie Luhring posted a career-high in scoring in the contest with (eight). Her previous high of six points came at Oral Roberts.  Cox also led the Bears with five assists, while junior guard Jamie Schroeder led with three steals.

Colorado senior forward Jackie McFarland led the Buffaloes with 26 points, while guard Susie Powers scored 12 and Bianca Smith came off the bench to score 10. Aija Putnina led the game with 15 rebounds and four blocked shots, while Powers had a game-high eight assists.

The first combined 21 points were all three-pointers, as the Bears hit four and the Buffs hit three for the 12-9 advantage. NC led for the first 12 minutes of the game and led by as many as eight, 19-11. Colorado tied took its first lead at 8:00, 21-19 after going on a 10-0 scoring run, but Hagen tied up the game for the second time with a layup at the 7:34 mark. The Buffs used another 11-2 run to take their largest lead at nine, 32-23 with four minutes remaining in the half. The teams traded baskets to 37-28 when Kevorken hit a three-pointer to close the gap to six points, 37-31 with 42 seconds left. After a CU timeout, the Bears stole the pass underneath the Buffs basket as time ran out.

In the first half, Cox led the Bears with 12 points, while Hagen continued to crash the boards, pulling down seven. NC hit 6-of-10 from beyond the arc and shot .387 from the field. CU hit 8-of-21 from the three-point line and .467 from the field. The Bears out-rebounded the Buffs, 19-18 and had five steals.

The first seven points of the second half were all by McFarland (four free throws, one three-pointer), extending the CU lead to 13, 44-31. Cox broke the scoring streak for the Buffs with a jumped at the 16:55 mark for the 44-33 score. The Bears closed within eight points on a Lara Merritt jumper with 8:57 left to make the score 55-47. CU would extend the lead to 13 on several occasions, but the Bears continued their tough defense and scored five straight with a basket down low by Cox and a three-pointer by Kevorken to close within six, 64-58 with 2:32 left. CU made a shot and two free throws to increase the lead back to 10, 68-58. Hagen made both of her free throw attempts with 22 seconds left and then Bianca Smith made one of her four free throws in the waning seconds for the Buffalo victory, 69-60.

The Bears will be back in action at Butler-Hancock Sports Pavilion on Sunday against Pacific. Game time is scheduled for 2:05 p.m.