Jan. 17, 2005

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MISSOURI (7-8, 1-3 Big 12) vs. Colorado (7-7, 0-3)
Tuesday, January 18, 2005 - Columbia, Mo.

TIPOFF: 7:00 p.m. CST.
ARENA: Norm Stewart Court at Mizzou Arena (15,061). Opened in October 2004. MU is 284-105 (.730) all-time at home, including 4-2 at Mizzou Arena. The Tigers are 25-13 (.658) all-time at home vs. unranked conference teams.
RADIO: KFRU-AM 1400, KLIK-AM 1240 (David Lile, play-by-play/Gary Link, color) and available to affiliates of the Tiger Radio Network. Also available on the Internet at www.mutigers.com.
TV: None.
SERIES: Colorado leads, 33-22, and the series is tied 11-11 in Columbia. CU has won six of the last seven games; Missouri's last win was a 71-52 decision on Feb. 2, 2003. Cindy Stein is 4-10 against the Buffs, including 4-2 in Columbia.
RANKINGS: Both teams are unranked.
COACHES:
      Missouri: Cindy Stein (Illinois '84), 108-87 at MU (seventh season) and 173-112 overall (10th season).
      Colorado: Ceal Barry (Kentucky '77), 425-230 at CU (22nd season) and 508-272 overall (26th season).

TIGERS LOOK TO END LOSING STREAK VS. BUFFS
      The University of Missouri women's basketball team (7-8, 1-3 Big 12) returns home to Mizzou Arena on Tuesday night to face a Colorado squad in a similar position to itself: riding a three-game conference losing streak.
      The Tigers are coming off of one of their tougher weeks in recent memory, playing back-to-back road games against ranked opponents for the first time since Feb. 9-13, 1999, when Mizzou lost at No. 5 Colorado and No. 7 Texas Tech. It is just the fourth time in school history that the Tigers have played ranked teams in back-to-back games on the road, matching weeks in 1980 and 1979 in addition to 1999.
      Mizzou's six-point loss on Saturday at Iowa State foiled the Tigers' attempt to win their first road conference game against a ranked opponent since 1993, when MU posted a one-point overtime win at Oklahoma State. Mizzou is 0-30 in that span.

IF THESE COME IN THREES, LET'S END IT ON TUESDAY!
      The Tigers have been on a roller coaster more predictable than the kiddie ride at the county fair for the better part of two months. After going 1-2 in the first three games of the season, Missouri has had consecutive streaks of three wins, followed by three losses, and another three wins prior to the current three-game losing streak. The pattern would dictate a Tiger win on Tuesday, not only to end the streak - or perhaps to keep it intact - but also because Missouri has won the last two times an unranked Colorado team has come to Columbia.

SCOUTING THE BUFFALOES
      CU has lost four starters and two other letterwinners from last year's 22-8 squad that finished third in the league, including All-Big 12 First Teamer Tera Bjorklund, and Honorable Mention players Randie Wirt and Kate Fagan. Senior forward Veronica Johns-Richardson is the lone returning starter for Head Coach Ceal Barry, now in her 22nd year at CU.
      Colorado enters the game on its own three-game losing streak, and will look to avoid its first-ever 0-4 conference start on Tuesday. The Buffaloes have lost their three league games by an average of nearly 27 points a contest. Freshman Kara Richards is leading CU in Big 12 play with a 14.3 ppg scoring average, while sophomore Anna Nedovic's 6.0 rebounds a game leads the Buffs on the boards.

THE COLORADO SERIES
      While the Buffs hold a 33-22 edge in the all-time series, the circumstances surrounding Tuesday night's game tilts the scales slightly to the Tigers' favor. Missouri is an even 11-11 in Columbia, and when Mizzou hosts an unranked Colorado squad, the Tigers are 8-5. That includes the only two times that has happened in the Cindy Stein era: a 65-57 win in 2000, and a 71-52 win in 2003.

LAST TIME OUT: #24 IOWA STATE 65, MIZZOU 59
      Missouri held No. 24 Iowa State to its lowest point total of the season, yet couldn't get a rebound when it counted in a 65-59 loss Saturday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. It is the third straight loss for Missouri, which had its four-game win streak snapped against the Cyclones. The Tigers narrowly missed their first win on the road against a ranked conference opponent since 1993.

THESE TIGERS YOUNGER, BUT MORE EXPERIENCED
      Much has been made of the loss of five experienced seniors from last year's team that led the Tigers to the NCAA Tournament. Yet a quick look at the stats shows that this year's team, while much younger, is deeper than last. That has allowed the coaching staff to be more flexible with its lineup depending on the game situation.
      Through 15 games last year, only five players - with four being seniors - averaged 20 minutes a game or more; this year, that number is up to a solid eight, with just one senior. The current rotation includes five freshmen and sophomores.