Mar. 16, 2001

Nashville, TN - Colorado made 16 of its first 17 shots in the second half en route to a 98-78 victory over Siena in the first round of the NCAA Tournament Saturday night in Nashville, Tennessee. The sixth-seeded Buffaloes moved on to face the third-seed Vanderbilt, while the eleventh-seeded Saints ended their season at 24-6.

The MAAC champions saw their 15-game winning streak come to an end, but not before giving the Buffs a fight in the first half. Siena went on a 17-6 run midway through the first half to take a 21-17 lead. Colorado battled back, taking a 10-point advantage into the locker room 46-36.

The Big 12 representatives put the game away early in the second half, coming out of halftime blistering hot. Colorado (22-8) exploded for a 21-2 run over a five-minute stretch to take a commanding 77-48 lead with 11:35 remaining. Siena would never get closer than the final margin of 20 points.

Siena lost for the first time all season when shooting 45 percent or better, 49 percent in this instance. However, Colorado finished the game at a torrid 63 percent from the field. Siena also tied a season-high with 10 three-pointers in 20 attempts. The Buffaloes used their size advantage to hold a 35-23 edge on the boards.

Sacha Baker finished her career by leading the Saints with 16 points, tying Ann Marie Graney for ninth-place on the all-time scoring list with 1264 points. MAAC Rookie of the Year Liene Jansone also added 16 on seven of 11 shooting. The Buffs featured five players in double figures led by Mandy Nightingale's 18 points.

The Saints finished the 2000-2001 season with their first-ever appearance in the NCAA Tournament. The team loses seniors Sacha Baker and Audra Spremullo but will return over 70 percent of its scoring and rebounding next season.