If only the Colorado women's basketball team could turn back the clock six weeks.

Back then, the Buffs were on an 11-game win streak with a very promising season ahead of them.

But after losing nine of their next 10, it looked as if Colorado wouldn't get the season turned around.

Until now.

The Buffs followed up last week's win over Texas with a 73-68 victory over No. 15 Kansas State on Saturday in the Coors Events Center. It was the highest-ranked team CU beat since defeating then-No. 15 Notre Dame 67-63 on Nov. 15, 2003.

"We lost confidence in ourselves and we went away from what we were doing in getting those wins," CU senior Jackie McFarland said. "Now we've been fighting back and forth and we've played a few close games recently. It feels good to get that confidence back, that swagger if you will, that wecan play our own game."

It took 12 3-pointers, including two big ones down the stretch by sophomore Bianca Smith and freshman Brittany Spears to beat K-State, a perimeter shooting team.

Smith, who made seven 3-pointers in the Texas win, had six against K-State. Just don't ask her to describe how she got open to hit two 3-pointers in the last 2:38 that put CU ahead with each shot.

"There was so much adrenaline going," said Smith, who scored 17 points. "I don't remember what happened."

The Buffs trailed 61-60 with less than three minutes to play when Smith drained a 3-pointer to give CU a 63-61 lead. Ashley Sweat followed with a trey to give K-State a 64-63 lead with 2:08 remaining. This time, Spears responded with a 3-pointer to put the Buffs up 66-64 and 1:43 to play. Shalee Lehning's two free throws with 1:16 to play tied the game at 66-66.

Smith answered again with a trey with 91 seconds remaining that put CU ahead for good, 69-66. McFarland finished off the Wildcats with a key putback, on which she was fouled and made the ensuing free throw for a 72-68 lead with 16 seconds left. A 3-pointer by K-State's Kim Dietz missed its mark with 7 seconds left and McFarland grabbed the rebound to seal the win.

Colorado (15-11, 4-9) beat its third top-25 team this season in knocking off Kansas State (18-8, 10-3).

Kansas State looked in trouble when forward Marlies Gipson picked up her third and fourth foul within the first two minutes of the second half and went to the bench with her team trailing 42-39. Gipson fouled out with 5:49 remaining in the game. Sweat, another starting forward, also fouled out.

"The foul situation made it tough for us," K-State coach Deb Patterson said. "But you have to adjust. ... Marlies Gipson. Seventeen minutes. Five fouls. That's tough, on the road."

Spears led all scorers with 20 points, while McFarland added 19 points, seven rebounds and six assists. Lehning finished with 19 points, Dietz 16 and Sweat 15.

Colorado 73, Kansas St. 68

KANSAS ST.

FG FT Reb

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PT

Sweat 37 5-11 3-4 1-2 3 5 15

Gipson 17 3-8 0-0 1-5 1 5 6

Lehning 40 5-8 9-10 4-8 5 1 19

Dietz 35 6-14 0-0 1-3 2 1 16

Kincaid 28 0-3 0-0 1-1 1 1 0

Spani 6 0-0 0-0 0-1 0 0 0

Zanotti 14 2-2 0-0 0-0 1 1 6

Wheeler 23 3-4 0-0 1-3 0 2 6

Mcllgh 0 0-0 0-0 0-0 0 0 0

Totals 200 24-50 12-14 10-26 13 16 68

Percentages: FG .480, FT .857.

3-Point Goals: 8-20, .400 (Dietz 4-8, Zanotti 2-2, Sweat 2-7, Kincaid 0-3).

Team Rebounds: 3.

Blocked Shots: 1 (Wheeler).

Turnovers: 17 (Lehning 7, Dietz 4, Sweat 4, Wheeler, Gipson).

Steals: 7 (Dietz 2, Gipson 2, Sweat, Kincaid, Wheeler).

Technical Fouls: None.

COLORADO

FG FT Reb

Min M-A M-A O-T A PF PT

Spears 40 8-16 0-0 2-5 3 1 20

Putnina 27 1-3 6-6 2-8 0 3 8

McFrlnd 34 5-10 9-11 4-7 6 4 19

Smith 32 6-11 0-0 0-3 1 2 17

Powers 24 1-3 0-0 0-0 2 3 3

Houston 16 2-4 0-0 0-0 2 0 6

Skildum 8 0-2 0-0 0-0 0 0 0

Dow 19 0-0 0-0 1-2 2 0 0

Totals 200 23-49 15-17 11-28 16 13 73

Percentages: FG .469, FT .882.

3-Point Goals: 12-25, .480 (Smith 5-9, Spears 4-8, Houston 2-3, Powers 1-3, Putnina 0-1, Skildum 0-1).

Team Rebounds: 3.

Blocked Shots: 2 (Spears, Putnina).

Turnovers: 17 (Putnina 4, Smith 3, Dow 3, McFarland 2, Spears 2, Houston, Powers, Skildum).

Steals: 6 (Powers 2, Putnina 2, Smith, McFarland).

Technical Fouls: None.

Kansas St. 34 34--68

Colorado 40 33--73

A -- 3,446.

Officials -- Scott Yarbrough, Michael Price, Kelly Johnson.