The CU women’s basketball team looks fit for a winning season.
At the Coors Events Center on Sunday afternoon, the team took down the Regis Rangers in a decisive 78-40 victory.
Led in scoring by senior guard Chucky Jeffery and freshman guard Lexy Kresl with 14 points each, the Buffs took control of the court from the start.
Early shots by senior forward Julie Seabrook and sophomore center Rachel Hargis gave CU a 10-4 lead five minutes into the game.
“[Julie and I] worked really hard during the offseason getting stronger down low and building muscle mass,” Hargis said.
(CU Independent illustration/Josh Shettler)
The Buffs were able to widen that gap to 33-14 with just five minutes remaining in the half. Sophomore guard Brittany Wilson hit a 3-pointer in the final minutes of the first half. The Buffs went into the break leading the Rangers 40-20.
In the second half, field goals by Jeffery and Brittany Wilson brought CU’s lead to 48-25. Colorado then entered a scoring drought for several minutes as Regis picked up five points, but the Buffs didn’t lose momentum for long. A 30-10 run at the end of the second half gave Colorado the 78-40 victory.
In addition to Jeffery and Kresl, two other Buffs scored in double digits. Sophomore twin sisters Brittany and Ashley Wilson scored 12 and 10 points, respectively.
“I thought Ashley [did well] getting to the offensive glass and getting to the free throw line,” head coach Linda Lappe said. “I thought they were both very aggressive. Brittany did some nice things from the point guard and from the two spot as well.”
CU also out-rebounded the Rangers 50-28 as junior forward Meagan Malcolm-Peck recorded a game-high 10 rebounds.
Lappe said the exhibition game was an opportunity to build confidence and test various setups on the court.
“It was a good start,” Lappe said. “It was nice to get the uniforms on and play in front of a crowd. It gave us a chance to use a lot of different lineups and a lot of different players.”
While the team’s five freshmen are still adjusting to the pace of college play, Lappe said their performances showed promise for the season ahead.
“[The freshmen] got a lot of minutes and it was good for them to get out on the floor,” Lappe said. “I think Lexy [Kresl] did a great job of following her shot … and running in transition.”
Kresl said her first game in a CU uniform came with a healthy dose of nerves, but that she looks forward to the rest of the season.
“I was definitely a little nervous in the beginning,” Kresl said. “I’m just realizing kind of that all the work is coming together and it’s finally starting.”
While the freshmen try to shake out their jitters, the season continues. The Buffs have less than a week to fine-tune their game before playing Northern Arizona on Friday, Nov. 11.
Lappe said her team will focus their week of practice on communication and defensive tactics before taking on NAU.
“I think you could see definite spurts where there was silence on the court, and that’s where we struggle,” Lappe said. “I didn’t think we were ready defensively … Northern Arizona likes to push the ball in transition, so we will have to be ready for that.”
Friday’s game is scheduled for 5:30 p.m. at the Coors Events Center in Boulder. It is the first part of a double-header at Coors, as the men take on Fort Lewis College in their first home game of the season at 8 p.m.
Contact CU Independent Staff Writer Caryn Maconi at Caryn.maconi@colorado.edu.
