 Sports News Search Classifieds Buffs free throws sink Tigers
January 15, 2001 
The teams entered the game with identical records (11-3, 2-1 Big 12), but with Sunday’s victory the Buffaloes have two more wins than they had all last year. Colorado is one conference win away from matching its mark of a year ago (10-19, 4-12 Big 12). The Coors Events Center curse lives on for the Tigers, who haven’t won in Boulder since Feb. 7, 1990, a span of 11 games. Missouri (11-4, 2-2 Big 12) trailed by 12 at halftime but managed to take a 76-75 lead with 6:54 remaining in the game. Colorado, which made 77.1 percent of its free throws entering the game, hit 29 of 36 free throws including 10 of its last 14 in the final three minutes. The Tiger post players again carried the team. Center Marlena “Pep’’ Williams scored a career-high 24 rebounds, added four rebounds and a team-high five assists. Forward Amanda Lassiter continued her scoring spree, scoring 28 points with a game-high four blocked shots. Lassiter is averaging 19.9 points per game and has scored in double figures in every game this season. In her first game against the school that heavily recruited her, Tiger freshman forward Evan Unrau scored seven points and pulled down six rebounds. The Fort Collins, Colo., native had an estimated 200 friends, family members, former coaches, and high school administrators cheer on the reigning Big 12 Freshman of the Week. “We played hard today,” Missouri coach Cindy Stein said. “But because of the way the game was going back and forth we had to sub, but those subs didn’t contribute today. It’s disappointing but we understand that in order to win on the road in the Big 12 we can’t have any breakdowns.” Colorado’s top two scorers came off the bench with reserve sophomore forward Linda Lappe scoring 22 in 26 minutes and freshman center Tera Bjorklund adding 21 points in 18 minutes of play. During the 1998-1999 season, Lappe led the Buffaloes in scoring (10.7 points per game), assists (3.8 per game) and steals (1.7 per game) en route to Honorable Mention All-Big 12 honors in her freshman year (she redshirted the 1999-2000 campaign after a season-ending knee injury). Colorado’s bench outscore Missouri’s 51-15. “Lappe hasn’t had a big game yet,” said Stein, referring to Lappe’s eight points per game average this year. “But we sure made her look like the All-Big 12 player she is today.” Williams had a dominating game despite going against 6-foot-4 Colorado starting center Britt Hartshorn and 6-foot-5 Bjorklund. Her scoring from down low was key as the Tigers erased the halftime deficit, but the 6-foot-1 Williams fouled out with 2:26 remaining and the score tied at 89. Colorado outscored Missouri 11-1 after the foul-prone Tiger center fouled out. “Pep had to do a lot of pushing today,” Stein said. “Those Colorado post players like to lead with their elbows and Pep almost got her face taken off. I’m on the NCAA rules committee and I’ll make sure I’ll bring this (elbowing) up.”
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