Jan. 16, 2004
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| TIPOFF: 2:05 p.m. MST (3:05 p.m. CST) | ||||
| ARENA: Coors Events Center (11,064). Opened in 1979. MU is 159-178 (.472) all-time on the road, including 0-20 vs. ranked Big 12 opponents. | ||||
| RADIO: KFRU-AM 1400 (David Lile, play-by-play/Kerensa Barr, color). Also available on the Internet at www.mutigers.com. | ||||
| TV: FOX Sports Net [see box on page 3 for clearances]. Kevin Eschenfelder, play-by-play; Brenda Van Lengen, color; Kurt Deichert, producer. | ||||
| SERIES: Colorado leads, 31-22. The two teams split the series last year, with each winning on its home floor. CU has won the last 13 in a row in Boulder, dating back to a 58-55 Mizzou win on Feb. 7, 1990. | ||||
| RANKINGS: Colorado is No. 15 in the ESPN/USA Today/WBCA poll, and co-No. 15 in the Associated Press poll. Missouri is unranked. | ||||
| COACHES: | ||||
| Missouri: Cindy Stein (Illinois '84), 93-71 at MU (sixth season) and 158-96 overall (ninth season).
Colorado: Ceal Barry (Kentucky '77), 409-217 at CU (21st season) and 492-259 overall (25th season). |
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TIGERS TO RESUME BOULDER WIN QUEST SUNDAY
The Mizzou women's basketball team (9-5, 0-3 Big 12) has a couple of streaks it's seeking to break Sunday when the Tigers head west to Boulder, Colo., for a nationally televised duel with 15th-ranked Colorado.
? ? ? After starting the non-conference season 9-2, the Tigers have lost a three straight, including the last two at home to Kansas and Nebraska. In both games, MU clawed back from severe second-half deficits before succumbing.
? ? ? In addition, the Tigers are looking to snap a 13-game losing skid in Boulder; Mizzou's last win at the Coors Events Center came on Feb. 7, 1990 (58-55).
? ? ? In keeping with the Jekyll-and-Hyde nature of the first week and a half of the Big 12 schedule, Colorado (13-2, 2-1) has a pair of league road wins over Baylor and Kansas, yet between those two games fell to K-State by seven points in its conference home opener.
MORE ON COLORADO
Colorado's loss to Kansas State at home snapped a nine-game winning streak dating back to its only other loss this season, a 34-point setback to Minnesota - the nation's only remaining undefeated team.
? ? ? The Buffs are led by senior center Tera Bjorklund, who is second in the league in scoring at 19.5 ppg, and sixth in rebounding at 8.2 ppg. Senior guard Kate Fagan isn't far behind at 14.4 ppg. She and freshman guard Emily Waner are CU's sharp-shooters, as each is hitting on better than 46 percent of their 3-point tries. Waner leads the league with her 49.3 percent mark, while Fagan's 46-percent effort is fourth in the league.
THIRD TIME'S THE CHARM
This space in the game notes the last two games has featured noteworthy information concerning Mizzou's win streaks at home, which was struck down by the women's basketball gods with the Tigers' back-to-back home losses.
? ? ? So, we figure it's best to use this space to reiterate MU's futility in Boulder. In case you didn't read page one, the Tigers have lost 13 straight games at CU.
Evan Unrau: THE BIG 12'S MOST VERSATILE PLAYER
Senior All-America candidate Evan Unrau (Fort Collins, Colo. / Rocky Mountain HS) is the engine that pulls the Tigers' train, leading the team with her scoring and rebounding averages of 17.7 points and 8.9 rebounds a game. Unrau is third in the Big 12 in scoring and second in rebounding. In addition, the forward is tied for the Big 12 lead with six double-doubles.
? ? ? On top of her scoring and rebounding prowess, Unrau is ranked among the Big 12's top players in five other diverse categories: 3-point FG Percentage (10th, 40.4 pct.); 3-pointers Made (11th, 1.64 3FGpg); Assist/Turnover Ratio (seventh, 1.70); Offensive Rebounds (first, 3.9 orpg); and Defensive Rebounds (seventh, 4.9 drpg).
? ? ? Unrau was selected to Street & Smith's preseason women's All-America team, and the four-year starter continues to impress this season. Unrau was one of 50 players listed by Street & Smith's, and one of 30 players given Preseason Honorable Mention All-America status by the magazine. Ten others were each named to the "Terrific 10" and High Honorable Mention lists.
? ? ? Last year, Unrau became Mizzou's second First Team All-Big 12 Conference selection in the seven-year history of the conference. She led the Tigers in both scoring (16.0 ppg) and rebounding (7.7 rpg) in leading Mizzou to postseason play for the fourth straight year.
LAST TIME OUT: NU 74, MU 69
For the second consecutive game, a late Tiger rally fell just short, as the Missouri women's basketball team dropped a 74-69 decision to Nebraska on Wednesday night at the Hearnes Center.
LOZIER SET TO BREAK CAREER TREYS MARK
Senior guard Tracy Lozier (Leawood, Kan. / Blue Valley North HS) is one 3-pointer away from tying Julie Helm (1997-2000) for the career Mizzou school record. Lozier has 122 treys in her career. She broke Helm's career mark for 3-pointers attempted last game against Nebraska, and comes into Sunday's game 122-for-344 (35.5 percent) for her career.
? ? ? With the injury to LaToya Bond, the senior has moved over to the point-guard position, and has been even (9-9) on her assist-turnover ratio in the three games since. For the season, her 54-32 ratio (1.69) ranks her eighth in the Big 12, just behind teammate Evan Unrau.
? ? ? Lozier was averaging 7.5 points a game coming into the Unilever Tiger Tournament, when she went off for 31 points in Mizzou's two wins to help the Tigers to the title. She had a career-high 20 in the title win over Tulsa, with the help of four 3-pointers. She also canned four treys vs. Kansas on Saturday on the way to a 19-point outing.
? ? ? For the season, Lozier's averaging an even 10.0 points (fourth on the team), 2.4 rebounds and 3.9 assists per game. That follows a breakout junior season in which she tallied season averages of 9.2 points, 2.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists a game.