University of Missouri
Colorado
Bjorklund Leads CU to 71-57 Win
1/18/2004 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Jan. 18, 2004
BOULDER, Colo. - Tera Bjorklund had a game-high 21 points to lead Colorado to a 71-54 win over Mizzou in Big 12 Conference women's basketball action Sunday afternoon at the Coors Events Center.
Bjorklund hits three layups in an 8-0 start for the Buffaloes (14-2, 3-1 Big 12) before senior All-America candidate Evan Unrau (Fort Collins, Colo. / Rocky Mountain HS) hit a jumper 2 minutes and 20 seconds into the contest. Colorado built a 13-5 lead off of nine points from Bjorklund in the first 4:23. On the strength of 3-pointers from Emily Waner, Kate Fagan and Anna Nedovic, the Buffs extend the lead to 24-14 with 11:26 left in the half.
Colorado suffered a setback when Bjorklund was injured while charging into freshman forward Carlynn Savant (Euless, Texas / Trinity HS) with 10:20 left in the half and the Buffs up 24-16. The Tigers took advantage inside, getting a bucket from senior forward Stretch James (Columbus, Ohio / Northland HS / Tyler [Texas] JC) before Lozier hit back-to-back 3-pointers to make it 29-22.
Mizzou (9-6, 0-4) went without a basket for nearly 4 minutes, though, and Colorado went on a quick 6-0 run to boost the lead to 38-27. Bjorklund re-entered the game with 11 seconds left before halftime, and despite missing a shot at the buzzer - just her second in seven first-half attempts - still led the Buffs into the locker room with a 41-30 lead.
The Tigers came out firing in the second half, getting a layup from Unrau on a cut to the basket, and a spin-move from James down low on their first two possessions. A Bjorklund free throw is all CU could muster in the first 4 minutes-plus of the second half, committing six turnovers in the first 5 minutes after the break, as MU pulled to within four (42-38) on free throws from freshman guard Blair Hardiek (Effingham, Ill. / Effingham HS).
After a short CU run, the Tigers got within seven at 49-42 with 11:16 left on a bucket underneath by sophomore center Christelle N'Garsanet (Abidjan, Ivory Coast / Illinois Central College). Yet the Buffs countered with a knockout 15-3 run spanning 7:14, to take a 64-47 lead with 6:31 to go.
"A big part of the first half was when Bjorklund went out. We couldn't cut into the lead, and that hurt us," Head Coach Cindy Stein said. "In the second half, we couldn't get people to convert. We had some defensive miscues, and they got down on themselves."
In her final visit in her home state, Unrau led the Tigers with 15 points and 11 rebounds for her league-leading seventh double-double of the year. Lozier added 11 points and four assists for the Tigers, who have lost four straight.
The Tigers conclude their brief, two-game road trip Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse for the return trip against Kansas in a game that will be televised nationally by FOX Sports Net. Mizzou's next home game is a week from Wednesday, Jan. 28, against top-15 foe Oklahoma. For ticket information, call 1-800-CAT-PAWS (573-884-PAWS in Mid-Missouri). As a reminder, holders of the student All-Sports Pass or the KMIZ-ZOU Spirit Pass gain free admission to all women's basketball games.
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