McFarland, Richards earn double-doubles in home loss
The CU women’s basketball team looked to beat its first ranked opponent in over 20 games Wednesday night, but solid efforts by two upperclassmen weren’t enough to topple visiting powerhouse Baylor.
Buffs Jackie McFarland and Kara Richards both earned double-doubles, but it wasn’t enough to secure a victory.
After the 67-75 loss, the Buffs now sit at 5-9 in the Big 12 and 11-15 overall. CU also falls to 10-5 at home this season.
“The only thing I am disappointed in is the loss. I’m not disappointed in the effort,” Head Coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said.
Richards finished the night with 22 points, tying her season high, and 10 rebounds before she fouled out of the game with 6:09 remaining.
“The past couple practices we have been focusing on some low-post stuff, and I think that it got my confidence back to where it needed to be,” she said.
Richards’ presence was outstanding in the first half – the CU center knocked down seven of 10 shots – while leading the Lady Buffs to nearly 45 percent shooting before the first 20 minutes expired.
“I thought she moved better, I thought she passed better, and when she had single coverage she really evaluated who was guarding her,” McConnell-Miller said.
Baylor placed consistent extra pressure on CU’s two top scorers, McFarland and Jasmina Ilic, which often left Richards open.
“I believe that when Kara gets the ball she can score on anyone in the country, and we kept getting her the ball,” McFarland said. “We had a lot of assists to her in the first half, and she did a great job finishing.”
McFarland tallied 10 rebounds and 20 points, and went 10-13 from the free throw line. She earned her 16th double-double of the season and the 35th of her career.
The Bears (24-4, 11-3) sealed their fifth-straight victory. The team has won nine out of its last 10 games.
Every Baylor player that hit the floor scored points. Guard Angela Tisdale scored 18 points, including four baskets from behind the 3-point line. Bernice Mosby, Baylor’s leading scorer going into the match, added 16 points and 11 rebounds.
“They all make plays, and you have got to guard every single one of them. Every one of them has the potential to hurt you,” McConnell-Miller said.
The Bears remain tied for first-place in the Big 12 with Oklahoma and Texas A&M. Both teams won Wednesday night.
CU took a 53-52 lead with 11:23 remaining, but Baylor answered with a layup, taking the lead for good. The Buffs scored just six points over the final 8:21.
CU will play its final home game of the 2006-07 season on Feb. 24, at 7 p.m. when the team hosts Kansas.
