The CU women’s basketball team pulled out a win on Saturday against the Kansas Jayhawks in a physical game down the stretch, 59-50.
The Buffs dominated the glass throughout the game and improved to 12-15 overall and 6-9 in the Big 12 Conference.
“This was, in my opinion, one of the most physical, hard-fought games we have played in a while,” said head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller.
Saturday night marked the final home game for seniors Jasmina Ilic, Anna Nedovic and Courtney Wallace.
Ilic finished the game with 12 points, shooting 4-9 from the floor.
“It’s really nice. It’s a great feeling,” Ilic said. “It’s a great senior present.”
Freshman Aija Putnina’s eight points played a key role for the Buffs toward the end of the game to help maintain CU’s lead. But she had two technical fouls and fouled out of the game with one minute left in the game.
Putnina played hard on both ends of the court and was one of the reasons the team was able to pull out a win.
“I’m a physical player. When I play, I play hard,” Putnina said.
McConnell-Miller said the two technical fouls called against Putnina in the final minutes of the game were good calls.
“I think the referees had to make the calls they made,” McConnell-Miller said after the game. “I think both calls were justified.”
CU had a 12-point lead after halftime and allowed only 18 points in the first half. This was the fewest points allowed in the first half all year by the Buffs.
Despite the comfortable halftime lead, Kansas managed to pull within one point in the second half with 3:25 left to play.
Junior Jackie McFarland had a rough night. She had only six points, well below her season average of 17.9 points per game, and grabbed nine rebounds.
McFarland faced the usual double-team opponents place on her but was unable to get anything going on offense.
CU shot the ball well in both the first and second half on Saturday night. The Buffs shot 48.1 percent in the first half and continued to shoot well in the second half at 45 percent from the field.
Kansas only shot 29.5 percent from the field, which was one of the biggest reasons the Buffs were able to squeeze out a win.
Although the team had an outstanding field-goal percentage, they made only one of nine from downtown. The only 3-pointer came from Ilic.
Knocking down free throws was also a problem for the Buffs against Kansas. The Buffs only dropped 51.9 percent of their free throws for the game.
The most impressive stat from Saturday’s match was CU’s rebounding. The Buffs dominated the boards, grabbing 44 rebounds. Kansas finished with only 33.
Sophomore Kara Richards had an impressive game for the Buffs. She led the team in scoring and rebounding with 13 points and nine rebounds.
CU will have a rematch against Nebraska next week on the road. The Buffs lost to Nebraska earlier this season, 54-44.
Contact Campus Press Staff Writer Kyle McDaniel at kyle.mcdaniel@thecampuspress.com
