Box Score - No. 14/19 Colorado 94, South Alabama 61 (.pdf)

BOULDER, Colo. – No. 14/19 Colorado got off to a strong first-half start and carried that the rest of the way as the University of South Alabama women's basketball team fell 94-61 to the Buffaloes at the Coors Event Center on the CU campus.

"There's a reason (Colorado) is the 14th-ranked team in the country," South Alabama head coach Terry Fowler said.  "On their home floor, they really shot the lights out and played outstanding.  I thought we continued to battle though.  There were times where the game could have really gotten away from us, but we battled to get back in it.  I saw a lot more togetherness, spirit, energy and competitiveness (in our team) and those are the things we have to continue to grow on.  We have a short turnaround, so we'll have to get after Samford tomorrow."

USA (0-5) will now face Samford on Saturday in the consolation game at 6 p.m. (CT).  Live stats and video for the contest versus Bulldogs will be available on the women's basketball schedule age at www.USAJaguars.com.

Sophomore guard Rachel Cumbo led the Jaguars offensively with a career-high 19 points.  Cumbo was 4-of-7 from the field, with all four of her field goals coming from beyond the three-point line, while also connecting on seven of her nine free-throw attempts.  Cumbo has now scored double figures in three of her last four games.

Jennifer Johnson added 18 points for South Alabama, all of which came in the second half.  Johnson was hit seven of her 12 attempts and was 2-for-3 from the arc.  The two three-pointers were the first of the season for the Tulsa, Okla., native.  Ronneka Robertson led USA on the glass with eight rebounds.

"Rachel was on fire for us in the first half," Fowler said.  "She was attacking the basket and got to the free throw line.  She's just continuing to build confidence and I hope it continues as we go.  It was good for her to step up when Meghan (Dunn) didn't have as great of a night.  For Jennifer to come in and play the way she did during the second half and have the night she had was great.  Hopefully it will be a sign of things to come for her.  If we can get those two going, along with Dunn and Ronneka Robertson at the same time, we have a chance to keep improving as we go into conference play in January."

Colorado (5-0) placed five players in double digits led by 16 apiece from Jamee Swan and Jen Reese.  Swan was 7-of-10 from the field and pulled down a team-best eight rebounds, while Reese was 6-of-8 from the floor and 3-for-3 at the foul line.

Lexy Kresl had 12 points, seven rebounds and six assists, while Rachel Hargaris chipped in with 11 and Lauren Huggins had 10.  Brittany Wilson finished just outside double figures with nine points.  Of the 10 players that played for the Buffaloes all but one ended the night with six or more points.

CU was 34-for-65 from the field for 52.3 percent, while also knocking down 20 of its 24 attempts at the charity stripe.  Hargis was 7-of-8 at the line for the Buffaloes.  

The Buffaloes did a lot of their damage inside the paint, outscoring USA 40-14 in that category.  

South Alabama ended the night shooting 34 percent from the floor, hitting 17 of its 50 attempts.  USA also did a good job getting to the foul line as they were 19-for-26.  

Colorado came out and got off to a quick start, opening the game up with an 11-2 run over the first four minutes of play.  Kresl began the scoring for the Buffaloes with a pair of free throws.  The junior guard then gave CU the seven-point lead when she drained a trey with just over 16 minutes showing on the clock.

With the host Buffaloes holding a nine-point advantage (16-7) two minutes later, South Alabama began to attempt to chip away at the deficit as Taylor Jenkins knocked down a 18-foot jumper and completed the and-one play after being fouled on the shot attempt at the 13:27 mark.  Cumbo then trimmed Colorado's lead to five (18-13) when she connected on one of her three first-half- treys, this one coming from the right wing with just under 13 minutes left on the clock.  

Cumbo again connected from long range to cut the Buffaloes' lead to 22-16 with 11 minutes, 13 seconds to go, but that would be as close as the Jaguars would get the rest of the half.  

Kresl ignited a 10-0 run for CU over the next two minutes with another three.  On Colorado's next possession, she found Jasmine Sborov cutting back door for a layup.  She then converted a conventional three-point play and Ashley Willson extended the lead to 32-16 with a layup of her own at the 9:16 mark.  The Buffaloes held a huge advantage in the points-in-the-paint category in the first half, outscoring USA 21-4.

After shooting well for most of the first half, the Jaguar offense hit a cold stretch over the final eight minutes of the half, as South Alabama didn't record a field goal during that stretch.  The only points for the Jags would be five free throws.

Dunn hit a pair of attempts at the charity stripe with six minutes remaining, but those would be the final points for USA over the next five-plus minutes until two Robertson free throws with 18.4 seconds remaining before the intermission.  During that scoreless stretch, the Jaguars missed five shot attempts and committed seven of their 10 first-half turnovers.

Colorado took advantage of the offensive drought and scored 14 unanswered points to push its lead out to 53-25.  Brittany Wilson had seven of CU's points during the run.

The Buffaloes had 10 players score in the first 20 minutes of play and were led by Kresl's 11 points.  Colorado was 21-for-37 from the field for 56.8 percent.  South Alabama was just 6-of-19 from the field for 31 percent, but did manage to get to the foul line 16 times, connecting on 11 of those attempts.  Cumbo  led the Jags in the half with 14 points.  

Colorado came out of the locker room and continued to hold the momentum in the second half, never allowing South Alabama to get any closer than 25.  

The Buffaloes were 13-for-28 from the floor in the second half (52.3 perent) and hit 14 of their 16 foul shots.  

Despite Colorado's strong second-half play, South Alabama continued to battle with Johnson leading the way with her 18 points.

The Buffaloes though went on to take the 33-point win.  

For more information about South Alabama athletics, check back with www.usajaguars.com, and follow the Jaguars at www.twitter.com/USAJaguarSports. Season tickets for all Jaguar athletic events can be purchased by calling (251) 461-1USA (1872).

NOTES:  The meeting versus 14th-ranked Colorado was the first by the Jaguars against a ranked opponent since taking on Middle Tennessee, who was ranked 25th at the time, back on Feb. 18, 2009.  South Alabama falls to 1-4 all-time versus current Pac 12 Conference members.  The 19 points by USA's Rachel Cumbo were a new career-best for the sophomore guard.  Both the four three-pointers and seven made free-throws were also new career-best for Cumbo.  Jennifer Johnson scored all 18 of her points in the second half after not playing at all during the first 20 minute of action.  The 18 points were two shy of tying the senior forward's career high.  The five-game skid in a season is the first for the program since Feb. 14 – March 3, 2002.  Colorado placed five players in double figures versus the Jags, marking the first time an opponent has done so in a game since Tulane on Nov. 13, 2010.  The meeting in the consolation round between Samford and South Alabama will be the first-ever between the two in-state schools.  

—USA—