Junior center Courtney Dunn fights a Missouri Lion for a rebound during a game on Feb. 28, 2009. The Buffs lost 66-55 in Coors Events Center. (CU Independent file/Molly Maher)
Senior night proved to be a night full of passion and emotion for the two graduating Colorado women’s basketball players.
Center Courtney Dunn might have summed up the 72-70 loss to Kansas State and her career most effectively in a comment directed toward her mother in a post-game speech to the crowd.
“We’ve been through so much,” Dunn said, fighting back tears.
Dunn has had her fair share of ups and downs throughout her career from redshirting her freshman year to putting up her first two career double-doubles this season.
While unlucky in her outside game, Dunn found a better rhythm below the net, with an assist and two blocks to accompany her five points in her final home game.
Dunn said she credits her teammates for helping her make it through her time as a Colorado Buffalo women’s basketball player.
Teammate and fellow senior guard Bianca Smith has been a big part of that time.
Although Smith has started in the last four games, head coach Kathy McConnell-Miller said that Smith’s true niche is coming off the bench.
“Bianca likes coming off the bench, and it’s something we’ve talked about,” McConnell-Miller said. “She likes the time. She likes getting the feel for the game.”
Senior guard Bianca Smith drives to the basket during the first half of CU's game against Texas A&M on Saturday in the Coors Events Center. Smith set the record for career three pointers in the second half, passing Shelley Sheetz with 252. (CU Independent/Phil McMichael)
Smith showed this feel by finishing with 14 points and two steals.
Smith went perfect from the line on Wednesday, going 5-for-5 from the free throw line, and extending her streak to 23 straight made free throws.
However, Smith had trouble with her 3-point game as she made only one out of her seven attempted treys. Despite her small showing against K-State, Smith still extended her all-time record.
Smith holds the record for the most 3-point attempts (698) and most 3-pointers made (256). She also beat her personal records by putting up 81 treys and out of an attempted 224 this season.
Although Smith said she had hoped for a different result in her final Colorado home game, she’s not going to see Senior Night as the end. In her final speech to the crowd, Smith promised a win at their last regular season game against Iowa State and reiterated that statement at the postgame press conference.
“We just have to keep working and get this next win at Iowa State,” Smith said.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Marlee Horn at Marlee.horn@colorado.edu.
