Coatney's Call: Colorado Game Preview (Jan. 29)

#6/#4 Nebraska at Colorado
Date: Saturday, January 30, 2010
Time: 4:30 p.m.(CST)
Site: Boulder, Colorado
Arena: Coors Events Center
Television: Fox Sports Rocky Mountain/Fox College Sports Central (Tom Helmer-Play-by-Play; Ceal Barry-Color Analyst; Alanna Rizzo-Sideline Reporter); Time Warner Cable Channel 302-Lincoln; DirecTV Channel 683; DISH Channel 414.
Nebraska Radio:
Husker Sports Network (Matt Coatney-Play-by-Play; Jeff Griesch-Color Analyst) ?98.1 KFGE-Lincoln (Froggy 98), 93.3 KTWI-Omaha (Twister 93.3), 94.5 KLIQ-Hastings, 99.5 KUTT-Fairbury/Beatrice and available to our entire 21-station radio network.
Internet: Live Radio on Huskers.com

This past Wednesday night, the #6 and #4 ranked Nebraska Women’s Basketball team was in search of their first win in school history in Lubbock, Texas. The Huskers set a program record for the largest margin of victory (42 points) on the road against a conference opponent in an 89-47 thrashing of Texas Tech. The win extended Nebraska’s Big 12 Conference record season-opening winning streak to 18 games and kept the Huskers atop the league standings with a 5-0 record. NU and UConn remain the only two undefeated teams in the nation. 6-2 senior All-American candidate Kelsey Griffin posted her sixth consecutive double-double with 20 points and 10 rebounds. It was Griffin’s 12th double-figure rebounding effort of the year and her 10 double-doubles are the most by any player on the Big 12 this season. Texas Tech was unable to make any of their 12 three-point field goal attempts. Nebraska’s three road conference opponents are shooting an anemic 2-of-34 from beyond the arc. For the season, NU is holding their opponents to only 23.9% three-point field goal percentage, one of the top six figures nationally. Nebraska has made 78 more three-pointers than their opponents, a difference of 234 points! Next up for the Huskers is a Saturday afternoon game against the Colorado Buffaloes in Boulder.

Colorado is 12-7 on the season (2-4 in Big 12 games) after losing 75-64 to Kansas in Lawrence Wednesday night. The Buffaloes were outrebounded 49-29 and trailed KU 40-17 at one point in the first half. The 47 first half points scored by Kansas were the most surrendered in the first half by a Colorado team in four years.

6-1 junior wing Brittany Spears was a 2009 All-Big 12 Conference second team selection. She became just the second player in team history to reach 1,000 career points by the end of her sophomore season. She leads the team in scoring (18.1 ppg) and rebounding (8.7 rpg) and steals. 5-10 freshman guard Chucky Jeffery has started all but two games this season, leads the teams in assists and is second on the team in scoring (10.0 ppg) and rebounding (5.2 rpg). Another freshman in CU’s regular starting lineup is 6-2 forward Meagan Malcolm-Peck. She averages 6.6 ppg and leads the team in blocked shots. Malcolm-Peck’s twin sister Brenna is also in her first season on the team and comes off the bench in a reserve role. 5-10 sophomore guard Alyssa Fressle was named to the 2009 Big 12 All-Rookie team. She averages 6.5 ppg. 6-4 senior forward Courtney Dunn rounds out CU’s probable starting lineup. She averages 6.4 ppg and 5.0 rpg.

Fifth-year Buffaloes head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller is one of six McConnell siblings who attended college on a basketball scholarship. Her older sister, Suzie McConnell Serio, is currently the head coach of Duquesne University.

Colorado leads the all-time series with Nebraska 39-26, including a 75-73 win in Boulder last season. However, Nebraska has won eight of the past nine games including a 74-64 win in Lincoln in the last meeting between the two teams.

I cordially invite you to join Jeff Griesch and me for Nebraska Women’s Basketball on the Husker Sports Network. Our radio broadcast Saturday at Colorado begins with the Husker Courtside pre-game show at 4:15 p.m. (central) with the tip-off scheduled for 4:30 p.m. on KFGE 98.1 FM (Froggy 98) in Lincoln, KTWI 93.3 FM (Twister 93.3) in Omaha, KLIQ 94.5 FM in Hastings, KUTT 99.5 FM in Fairbury/Beatrice and is available to our entire 21-station radio network. All Husker Women’s Basketball broadcasts are also available for free worldwide on the internet at www.huskers.com. I hope you can join us.

Go Big Red! Matt