March 15, 2002

By JOHN MOSSMAN
AP Sports Writer

BOULDER, Colo. (AP) - Britt Hartshorn scored 15 points to lead five Colorado players in double figures, and the No. 3 seed overwhelmed cold-shooting Southern 88-61 in an NCAA West Regional first-round game Friday night.

Colorado shot 59 percent compared to Southern's 31 percent.

The taller, deeper Buffaloes built a 26-point lead late in the first half, and Southern, the 14th seed, never mounted a serious charge.

Mandy Nightingale had 13 points, Kate Fagan and Eisha Bohman 12 each and Jenny Roulier 11 for the Buffaloes (22-9).

Southern - which finished the season as the nation's top defensive team, allowing just 51.8 points per game - couldn't slow down Colorado.

Southern shot only 21 percent (7 of 33) in the first half as Colorado, which shot 55 percent, raced to a 41-21 halftime lead.

Jacklyn Winfield, Southern's leading scorer with a 21.4 average, finished with 25 points, but she had only three points in the first half on 1-for-10 shooting.

Angela Bullock added 13 points and nine rebounds.

The Jaguars missed their first six shots as Colorado jumped out to a 9-0 lead.

Bohman had 10 of Colorado's first 17 points, and Roulier's driving layup put the Buffaloes ahead 19-8.

A pair of 3-pointers by Fagan made it 27-11. Syreeta Stafford's 3-pointer and Hartshorn's layup helped pad the lead to 26 points, 41-15.

Southern scored the last six points of the half, including Angela Bullock's 3-pointer at the buzzer.

Winfield had a pair of four-point plays in the second half, twice getting fouled on 3-point baskets and making the free throws. The second time, she cut the lead to 16 points at 62-46 with 9:33 left, but the Jaguars could get no closer.