BOULDER — Colorado women’s basketball coach Kathy McConnell-Miller had better make sure some aspirin is always within reach this season.
“Yeah, having two true freshmen on the floor,” McConnell-Miller said Saturday after her Buffaloes almost blew a 17-point halftime lead before securing a 64-48 victory over Missouri in the Big 12 Conference opener for both teams.
Silencing a Coors Events Center crowd of 2,406, the visiting Tigers (10-4) pulled to within 47-44 with 5:54 remaining on a steal-and-layup sequence by guard ReaShara Brown.
Time out, Colorado.
“We needed to calm down,” CU freshman point guard Chucky Jeffery recalled. “Sometimes, when we don’t score on offense, we think about it (at the other end). We have to remember that when we get our defense going, our offense goes.”
Colorado (11-3) switched to a zone defense for the first time in the game and forced turnovers on three of Missouri’s next four possessions, mostly off deflections in passing lanes. A fastbreak layup by Jeffery with 2:52 left put the Buffs in control at 57-46. Jeffery finished with 12 points, eight rebounds, four assists and a career-best five steals.
McConnell-Miller was disappointed in the ragged, five-minute stretch of the second half when Buffs players abandoned the offense and too many shots were forced. Colorado’s 32-15 halftime lead was its largest for a conference game in three years, and it almost got away.
“But the good news is, we responded to (Missouri’s) run,” the coach said.
Brittany Spears led four Buffs in double figures with 16 points.
Colorado was without junior Whitney Houston, a reserve point guard who has taken a leave of absence for personal reasons, according to school officials.
Tom Kensler: 303-954-1280 or tkensler@denverpost.com
