The opportunity to qualify for the NCAA tournament lies well within the grasp of the Colorado women's basketball team.

The Buffs enter Big 12 play today on a 10-game win streak and ranked No. 23 in the AP Top 25.

All the Buffs (11-2) need to do is finish with a winning record in Big 12 games and they'll more than likely earn a bid to the big dance.

The key to a winning conference record, however, may depend on how well the Buffs fare on the road. Their first test comes today when they face Missouri at 5:30 p.m. in Columbia.

"It's going to be huge, just because it's conference," Colorado senior Jackie McFarland said. "We need to understand this is a completely new season. What we did in the nonconference doesn't matter right now, maybe at the end of the season, but not right now."

The road has proved to be a struggle the last three years for the rebuilding Buffs, who are attempting to end a streak of three consecutive losing seasons.

Colorado has claimed just one Big 12 road victory in each of the last three seasons.

The Buffs haven't found success away from Coors since CU won its first four Big 12 road games en route to going 5-3 on the road in 2003-04.

But CU has already started to reverse the curse. The Buffs opened this season with a road win at San Francisco and then clocked rival CSU on the road. Their biggest win of the year came whenthey beat Vanderbilt in Tennessee.

Colorado, in fact, holds a two-game road win streak.

"When we were on the road (last year) it was the No. 1 thing on our mind -- 'It's a road game. We're not at home. What's going to happen?' " McFarland said. "Now we just see Missouri as what we need to do to win, not, we need a win on the road."

Last year, CU handily beat Missouri 71-59 at home in the Big 12 opener, but then lost 61-48 in Columbia later in the season.

Missouri was picked to finish last in the Big 12 by the conference coaches. The Tigers open Big 12 play with a 7-6 record and have lost to teams such as Samford and Marshall.

Missouri is expected to be without starting sophomore forward Marissa Scott, who has missed the last two games with mononucleosis.

Junior guard Alyssa Hollins, sophomore forward Jessra Johnson and freshman forward Shakara Jones do most of the offensive damage for the Tigers. Only one senior checks in on Missouri's roster.

"We still have a lot of growing pains," Missouri coach Cindy Stein said. "We're still teaching our kids what it's all about. We'll get a wake-up call (today)."

McFarland said Missouri doesn't remind her of any team CU has played this season.

"They run a lot of plays to get a post touch and then a look for a 3," McFarland said. "We have to guard the paint and the perimeter on any given play."

While CU players such as McFarland know how tough the Big 12 can be, the newcomers are about to find out just how much more athletic, more skilled and much stronger the players are in this league.

"Everybody says the Big 12 is a tough conference and it's nothing like preseason," CU freshman Brittany Spears said. "I'm looking forward to a harder schedule and tougher competition."