OKLAHOMA CITY - As top-seeded Texas A&M went about its 62-45 eradication of the University of Colorado here Wednesday in the Big 12 Conference women's basketball tournament, coach Kathy McConnell-Miller glimpsed the Buffaloes' future.

It looked a lot like the Aggies', not to mention a handful of other Big 12 teams that collectively exposed the Buffs during McConnell-Miller's second season.

"We have to get more quickness and athleticism to play with teams like Baylor, A&M and Kansas," she said after watching Texas A&M's relentless pressure force No. 8 seed CU into 26 turnovers and a dismal 26.1 percent field-goal percentage at the Cox Convention Center. The Buffs committed 51 turnovers in two games here.

Still, in finishing 13-17, they made strides. Their victory total rose by four from McConnell-Miller's debut season, and they won their first Big 12 tournament game since 2003.

"It's progress, and that's just the way we have to look at it," she said. "But that's all it is. And with this particular group, I've seen so much progress throughout the year."

The shining example is junior forward Jackie McFarland, whose 37th career double-double (17 points, 13 rebounds) moved her into a tie for second on CU's all-time list. In making nine of 10 free throws, McFarland also set a school single-season record for free throws made (161), as well as finishing with the third-best rebounding average (10.8) in school history.

"Special, special kid there," Aggies coach Gary Blair said. "And I'm sure she'll be one of the all-time greats to ever play at Colorado."

McFarland's effort Tuesday in a first-round win against Texas Tech gave Blair "nightmares of her getting 32 (points) again." But he knew how to defend her, putting athletic but undersized (5-foot-11) Patrice Reado on the 6-3 McFarland for most of the game and denying CU's guards passing angles to deliver the ball inside.

The result was an out-of-sync CU offense that shot 19 percent from the field in the first half and committed 12 turnovers. Despite scoring a season- low 15 first-half points (third lowest in school history) and trailing 26-15, the Buffs closed the gap to 30-25 on two McFarland free throws with 14:41 to play.

CU stayed close for the next 4 minutes, but with point guard A'Quonesia Franklin making two three-pointers, A&M (24-5) embarked on an 11-0 run and led by as many as 21 in the final 3 minutes.

Franklin, whom Blair calls "my Energizer bunny," might be prototypical of what McConnell-Miller wants at the position.

The Buffs lose only two seniors, forwards Jasmina Ilic and Anna Nedo- vic, and have signed wing players Brittany Spears and Chelsea Dale and point guard Britney Blythe.

McConnell-Miller said Spears, a 2006 signee who did not qualify academically and is playing at an academy in Massachusetts, is a "physical player," Dale is a "pure shooter" and Blythe brings a "point guard background."

CU hopes to land a junior-college inside player to complement McFarland and sophomore Kara Richards, who "has to step up and come back with the presence that she sometimes has," McConnell-Miller said.

"You're never satisfied with 13 (wins), you're never satisfied with where you are," she added. "But I appreciate the progress."

Texas A&M, 62, Colorado 45

COLORADO (13-17) - Ilic 2-17 0-0 5, McFarland 4-9 9-10 17, Richards 0-1 0-0 0, Houston 3-10 3-4 9, Powers 0-3 0-0 0, Smith 0-0 0-0 0, Skildum 2-4 5-7 10, Nedovic 0-1 0-0 0, Rucker 0-0 2-2 2, Putnina 0-0 0-0 0, Dow 1-1 0-0 2. Totals 12-46 19-23 45.

TEXAS A&M (24-5) - Atunrase 2-9 1-2 5, Reado 6-14 1-3 13, Micheaux 1-3 1-2 3, Starks 7-17 1-1 16, Franklin 5-11 0-0 13, Buchanan 0-0 0-0 0, Gulley 0-0 0-0 0, Wilks 0-0 0-0 0, Pounds 1-2 0-0 3, Horton 0-0 0-0 0, McGowen 1-1 0-0 2, Limbaha 0-1 0-0 0, Zimova 0-1 0-0 0, Gant 3-3 1-2 7. Totals 26-62 5-10 62.

Halftime - Texas A&M 26-15. Three-point attempts - Colorado 2-8 (Skildum 1-1, Ilic 1-5, Powers 0-1, Houston 0-1), Texas A&M 5-20 (Franklin 3-7, Pounds 1-2, Starks 1-7, Atunrase 0-4). Fouled out - None. Rebounds - Colorado 40 (McFarland 13), Texas A&M 36 (Atunrase 9). Assists - Colorado 4 (Dow, Houston, Rucker, Skildum 1), Texas A&M 11 (Franklin 4). Total fouls - Colorado 14, Texas A&M 21. A - NA.

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