Cellphones belonging to just about anyone associated with the Colorado women`s basketball program have been buzzing all week with text messages flying back and forth carrying reminders of last year`s game at Seton Hall.

The Buffs were clobbered 77-40 in South Orange, N.J., just three days shy of one year ago. The performance hurt bad enough, but what has stuck with the Buffs in all the days since are the words of the some of the Pirates players that day.

"I remember hearing some of the Seton Hall girls making some remarks about how like, 'Oh, the Big 12. That`s nothing.'" CU senior Bianca Smith said. "They were talking all this stuff about how the conference was whack and we were whack. I`ll never forget hearing them talk about us

Chucky Jeffery, left, and Whitney Houston talk at the scorers table on Nov. 15, 2009. (Cliff Grassmick)
like that, knowing that our conference is the toughest in the country."

Smith said the Buffs who played in that game have made sure to emphasize to a large group of freshmen just how disrespected they felt in the aftermath of the loss.

Smith said coaches have been involved in text message chain, too, and Kathy McConnell-Miller has made practices tough in preparation for today`s 1 p.m. rematch with Seton Hall at the Coors Events Center.

Male practice players were used Thursday and Friday in physical sessions aimed at getting the team in the right frame of mind for an opponent McConnell-Miller has described as "scrappy."

Seton Hall is tough defensively, allowing just 53 points per game.

Smith said the contest today means so much to her and other veterans, she has no problem calling it a "must win" even though it is only the seventh game of the season.

"I just think we didn`t show up," Smith said explaining last year`s game. "We have to show up (today)."

McConnell-Miller had less than 30 minutes to enjoy her team`s commanding win over Denver earlier this week before the topic of hosting Seton Hall was brought up in her postgame press conference. She recalled telling her players in the locker room after last season`s loss to remember how they felt.

"We will go back and we will look at some edits from that game to refresh their memory a little bit," McConnell-Miller said. "But we`re a different team today. We`re a different team. We`ve got different players. The players that are still in the program are in a different place right now. So, you know, I`m in the same place."

The Buffs are off to a 5-1 start with as much depth and talent on the roster as McConnell-Miller has had in her tenure, but much of that talent is still young and today`s game will be the toughest yet for freshmen starters Chucky Jeffery and Meagan Malcolm-Peck, who are combining for 15 points and 10 rebounds a game.

Junior forward Brittany Spears is the only CU starter averaging double figures in points. She is scoring 19 points with 9.5 rebounds per game.

Seton Hall is off to a 5-3 start behind three starters averaging double-digit point totals. The Pirates are 2-1 in true road games this season and 3-2 in games played away from home.