Colorado State University Athletics
Women's Basketball Preview - Oklahoma Panhandle State
12/15/2006 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 15, 2006
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Game 10:
Oklahoma Panhandle State (2-7) at Colorado State (4-5)
Sunday, Dec. 17, 2006 â?¢ 2 p.m.
Fort Collins, Colo. â?¢ Moby Arena (8,745)
The Series
Overall Record 0-0
In Fort Collins 0-0
In Goodwell, Okla. 0-0
At Neutral Sites 0-0
Warden vs OPSU 0-0
Radio
Colorado State Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Brian Roth
Color Analyst: Corbu Stathes
Fort Collins: 600 AM KCOL
The Matchup
Colorado State (4-5) plays host to Oklahoma Panhandle State (2-7) on Sunday, Dec. 17. Tip-off is set for 2 p.m. from Moby Arena.
Colorado State enters the contest on a two-game winning streak, having beaten picked up wins at Northern Colorado (59-48) and at home against San Jose State (76-57).
Oklahoma Panhandle State comes to Fort Collins from Goodwell, Okla. and the NCAA Division II Heartland Conference, where the team finished 15-14 overall and 7-5 (4th) in conference action a season ago.
Head Coach Jerry Olson enters his third season at the helm of the women's basketball program at OPSU where he has compiled an overall record of 25-42 entering Sunday's matchup.
Oklahoma Panhandle State is led by senior center Nina Kuleff. An all-conference selection during the 2005-06 season, Kuleff is averaging 9.8 points and 8.0 rebounds per contest. Junior guard Megan Hamilton ranks as the Aggies top scorer, coming in at a clip of 12.0 points per contest.
Following a strong start and a 78-41 opening-game victory over New Mexico Highlands, OPSU dropped seven straight contests including two to Eastern New Mexico (64-57, 77-70), two to Central Oklahoma (81-56, 80-59) and one each to Metro State (72-60), CSU-Pueblo (54-66) and Missouri Southern (66-54) before picking up a 57-48 victory over St. Gregory's on Dec. 9.
First Double-Double
Colorado State senior center Marilyn Moulton recorded the first double-double of her career and only the second double-double for the Rams all season in Colorado State's 76-57 victory over San Jose State. Moulton notched 10 points and pulled down 11 rebounds in the contest.
A Tale of Two Halves
Senior guard Molly Nohr exploded for 16 points in the second half of the Rams victory over San Jose State. The 5-11 guard was 1-for-4 from the floor in the first half and headed into the locker room with just two points. However, in the second half, Nohr was 3-for-3 from the field and aggressively attacked the basket to shoot 7-for-8 from the free throw line, both career highs, and finish with 18 points in the contest. Nohr also recorded 3 assists in the second half, compared with one in the first half of the contest.
Cornell has Career Night
Freshman forward Juanise Cornell also enjoyed a career night against San Jose State. The 5-9 freshman from Azusa, Calif. notched career-bests for points (15), assists (3), free throw made (5) and free throws attempted (7). Cornell also recorded eight rebounds and two steals in the contest.
Finley...Finally
Colorado State fans will finally witness the debut of sophomore transfer Kelly Rae Finley on Sunday against Oklahoma Panhandle State University. Finley is expected to see playing time as the first time as a Ram, becoming eligible at the conclusion of the fall semester of classes. Finley was required to sit out one full year after transferring to Colorado State from Northwestern University where she played in 13 games, starting eight times before falling to injury. As a freshman for the Wildcats, Finley averaged 3.5 points and 2.5 rebounds per contest and was a 2004 preseason Street & Smith Honorable Mention All-American.
Nohr hits 500
Senior guard Molly Nohr eclipsed 500 career points at Colorado Sate in the Rams' 76-57 victory over San Jose State. Nohr now sits at 514 career points in a Rams' uniform.
Moulton's Rebounding
Senior center Marilyn Moulton ranks first in the Mountain West Conference in rebounding, pulling down 9.9 rebounds per contest. The 6-4 Longmont, Colo. native recorded her second-straight and fifth overall double-digit rebounding performance against San Jose State. Her five games with 10+ rebounds this season also ranks first in the Mountain West.
The Turnover Story
Colorado State is 4-0 this season when giving away fewer turnovers than opponents. In the Rams four victories, the team is averaging 13.75 turnovers per game and opponent's are giving the ball up at a rate of 19.75 times per contest. In losses, however the roles are reversed as the Rams' average rockets to 19.2 turnovers per game, compared with 13.4 for opponents.
600 and Counting
Junior guard Sara Hunter recorded eight points in the Rams loss the Denver on Sunday, reaching exactly 600 points for her career at Colorado State. After adding seven more at Northern Colorado Hunter now sits 264 points shy cracking the top-20 in school history.
Head of the Class
Two Rams newcomers, Juanise Cornell and Kelly Jo Mullaney have emerged as leaders in the Mountain West Conference among both freshman and all classes. Cornell ranks first in the conference among freshman, pulling down an average of 6.6 rebounds per contest. This also ranks ninth among all players in the Mountain West Conference. Mullaney leads all freshman in scoring, averaging 16.0 points per contest. This ranks fifth among all players in the Mountain West.
Rebounding Rams
Colorado State Ranks first in the Mountain West Conference, recording 44.7 rebounds per contests. The Rams are also tops in the MWC in rebounding margin (+7.1). Colorado State has only been outrebounded once through nine games of the 2006-07 season, a loss at San Francisco. Senior Marilyn Moulton (9.9 rpg) and freshman Juanise Cornell (6.6 rpg) have carried the bulk of the rebounding load for the Rams, but in addition to Moulton and Cornell, starters Molly Nohr (5.9 rpg) and Sara Hunter (5.0 rpg) are averaging at least five rebounds per game.
Tenacious D
Through nine games this season, Colorado State's defense is surrendering an average of 62.6 points per game. However, over the past four contests, the Rams' defense has allowed an average of just 59.25 points per contest.
Neal Leaving Mark
Freshman guard Emily Neal attempted has made significant contributions for Colorado State in the Rams' last five contests. During her first four collegiate contests, Neal averaged just 1.0 points and 1.5 rebounds per contest in just under seven minutes per contest. In her last five appearances, Neal is averaging 8.0 points 4.0 rebounds and 1.8 assists per game while playing more than 24 minutes per contest off the bench.
A Little Help
Freshman Juanise Cornell scored a career-most 15 points thanks to some sensational ball movement by the Rams offense. Four of the Cornell's five made field goals were assisted, including three-straight from Molly Nohr, part of a 6-0 run that between the 14:05 mark and the 12:21 mark of the second half in which the Rams' lead expanded to 20 points over San Jose State.
Making the Most of an Opportunity
Freshman Ashley McFarland played sparingly in the Rams victory over San Jose State, recording just nine minutes of action in the contest. However, McFarland made the most of her time on the court, scoring six points and recording four rebounds and three assists off the bench.
Top Assist-Field Goal Combos
Sara Hunter set up Kelly Jo Mullaney twice in the Rams victory over Northern Colorado and once against San Jose State, pushing the total of Hunter-to-Mullaney assist-field goal combos to 14 on the season. The following is a list of the Rams' top assist-to-field goal combinations:
Hunter to Mullaney 14 Nohr to Mullaney 10 Nohr to Cornell 9 Mullaney to Hunter 7 Nohr to Hunter 6 Mullaney to Nohr 5Sub-60 Victory
Colorado State 59-48 victory over Northern Colorado marks the first time this season that the Rams won when scoring less than 60 points in the contest. The last time Colorado State won a game in which it scored fewer than 60 points was Feb. 19, 2005, a 56-49 victory over San Diego State.
On Guard
The Rams backcourt continues to impress early in the 2006-07 season. The Rams starting three-guard set of Kelly Jo Mullaney, Sara Hunter and Molly Nohr has accounted for 64.3 percent of the team's scoring through nine games.