Jayhawks Close Out Non-Conference Action At Xavier Friday

Jan. 2, 2008

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

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OPENING TIP

Kansas opens the 2008 portion of its schedule and closes out the non-conference slate with a game at Xavier on Friday, Jan. 4. The Jayhawks enter the game with a 10-2 overall mark, but just a 2-2 mark in road games. Xavier enters Friday’s contest with an 8-4 record and has won four-straight. Tip-off is slated for 5 p.m. (CST) at The Cintas Center. The game will be nationally-televised live on CSTV.

FAST BREAKS

-Senior forward Taylor McIntosh had a career-outing in Kansas’ last outing. The 5-foot-11 Wichita native pulled down a personal best 17 rebounds, including 10 on the offensive end. McIntosh also tied a career-high with four blocks to go along with her team-high 14 points. In addition. she had two assists and two steals.

-Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson picked up her 50th win of her KU tenure with the Jayhawks’ 71-57 win over Boston University. Henrickson is now 50-51 in the midst of her fourth season at Kansas.

-Freshman center Krysten Boogaard got the starting nod for the fi rst time in her young career in Kansas’ last outing. With Boogaard in the line-up, the Jayhawks used their third different set of starters during the 2007-08 season.

-Sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray returned to the Jayhawk line-up versus Boston University after missing the last three games with an injury. McCray, KU’s leading scorer and rebounder, was solid in her return with 11 points, five rebounds and five steals.

-Kansas is currently listed at No. 23 in the most recent RPI update on collegerpi.com.

KANSAS-XAVIER SERIES HISTORY

The Muskateers lead the all-time series 1-0, including a 72-63 win over the Jayhawks in Lawrence last season.

A LOOK AT XAVIER

Xavier enters Friday’s contest with an 8-4 overall mark, including wins in its last four outings. The Muskateers are led by sophomore forward Amber Harris with 15.8 points and 8.7 rebounds per game. Harris, one of the top freshman in the NCAA last season, also leads XU in blocks with 2.9 per game and steals with 1.5 per outing. Ta’Shia Phillips is the leader on the boards for the Muskateers as she pulls down 12.3 caroms per contest, while also averaging 14.4 points per game. Phillips ranks second in the NCAA in rebounding and is the only player in the Atlantic 10 Conference to average a double-double. Jerri Taylor is pouring in 14.8 points per game, while shooting nearly 40 percent from beyond the arc. The Muskateers out-rebound their opponents by almost eight rebounds per game, while also posting twice as many blocks as their opponents on the season. XU is coached by Kevin McGuff, who owns a 115-54 mark in his sixth season. McGuff’s overall coaching mark is the same.

A LOOK AT KANSAS

Kansas enters Friday’s contest with a 10-2 mark, including a perfect 8-0 mark in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks are 2-2 in true road games and 3-2 in games played outside of Lawrence. Sophomore guard/forward Danielle McCray is the top Jayhawk in scoring (16.0) and ranks second in rebounding (7.7). Fellow sophomore guard Sade Morris is also in double fi gures in points per game with 12.8 tallies an outing. Morris also gives KU 4.3 boards and 2.8 assists per game. Freshman center Krysten Boogaard has continued to improve as the season unfolds. Boogaard ranks third on the team in scoring with 9.3 points a game to go along with 4.6 caroms per contest. Senior forward Taylor McIntosh is tops on the team in rebounding with 8.0 boards per game, while also dropping in 8.5 points. Junior point guard Ivana Catic is the team-leader in assists with 4.3 dishes per game, while also leading the Jayhawks in steals with 1.8 pilfers per outing. Kansas is shooting 45.8 percent from the fi eld, while limiting its opponents to making just 35.6 percent of their shots. The Jayhawks are coached by Bonnie Henrickson who owns a 50-51 mark in her fourth season at the helm of the Kansas program. Henrickson owns an overall coaching mark of 208-113 in 11 seasons on the sideline.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

– Kansas does not have any players from the state of Ohio, and likewise, the Muskateers do not have any native Kansans on their roster.

– KU sophomore guard Kelly Kohn is a native of Adrian, Mich., which is not far from the Ohio- Michigan border. Kohn’s sister Lauren is a senior on the Ohio University women’s basketball team. The elder Kohn is currently the top free throw shooter in the Mid-American Conference and leads the Bobcats in scoring with 15.0 points per game.

– Kansas and Xavier share one commone opponent in Saint Louis. The Jayhawks defeated SLU, 81-55, while Xavier will face the Billikens in Atlantic 10 Conference action.