Jayhawks To Take On Texas In Big 12 Opener

Jan. 3, 2005

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Kansas (7-4, 0-0) at No. 4/3 Texas (7-3, 0-0)

Game #12 – Wed., Jan. 5, 2005 – 7:06 p.m. – Frank Erwin Center (16,755)

Radio/Television

Jayhawk Radio Network: Nate Bukaty (play-by-play) and Brian Hanni (color analyst) call the action. CSTV: Beth Mowins (play-by-play) and Debbie Antonelli (color) call the action. Jesse Christensen is the producer.

Records

Kansas is 7-4 and is on a two game winning streak. Texas is 7-3 and is coming off a loss to Rutgers.

Rankings

Kansas is not ranked. Texas is ranked No. 4 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 3 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll (Dec. 27 – Jan. 2 polls).

Coaches

Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson is 7-4 in her first year at Kansas and 165-66 in her eighth year as a head coach overall. The Longhorns are coached by Jody Condradt, who is 737-210 in her 29th year at Texas and 854-272 in her 36th year overall.

Jayhawk Storylines

– KU is 7-4 after defeating Ball State 80-66 on Dec. 30 in Muncie, Ind. Junior Crystal Kemp posted her third straight double-double of the season with 14 points and 18 rebounds. Senior Aquanita Burras posted a season-high 20 points and junior Kaylee Brown added a career-high 19 points.

– Kemp ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring with 16.5 points per game and fourth in the league with 8.2 boards per game.

– Taylor McIntosh is the top freshman rebounder in the conference at 6.7 boards per game.

– After shooting 56.7 percent from the free throw line in its first seven games, KU has shown improvement from the charity stripe, hitting 78.7 percent in its last four outings. In addition, the Jayhawks have shot 81 percent in their last three contests.

– KU is 5-9 all-time against Texas, and 5-6 against UT since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. Despite playing in different divisions, the two teams have met five times in the last three seasons.

– The game is the Big 12 opener for both teams, and it marks the second year in a row the two teams have met to kick off league play. KU is 3-5 in Big 12 openers all-time including a 2-2 mark in road games.

Tonight’s Game

The University of Kansas (7-4, 0-0 Big 12) hits the road for its first Big 12 game of the season when it takes on Texas (7-3, 0-0 Big 12) on Wednesday, Jan. 5, in the Frank Erwin Center at 7 p.m. in Austin, Texas. The game will be aired live on College Sports Television (CSTV).

Kansas will face the Longhorns after topping Ball State 80-66 in the Jayhawks’ first road win of the season on Dec. 30. KU got all 80 points from its starting lineup. Senior Aquanita Burras posted a season-high 20 points to lead the Kansas attack, while junior Kaylee Brown added a career-high 19 points. Junior Crystal Kemp continued her impressive play, posting her third-straight double-double with 14 points and a career-high 18 rebounds. KU was particularly impressive in the second half, scoring 48 points in the period on 53.6 percent shooting.

Kemp leads the team with 16.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game, which ranks third and fourth in the Big 12, respectively. Hallman is second on the team with 12.2 points to go with 5.5 assists per game. Senior Aquanita Burras rounds out the double-figure scorers with 11.0 points per game. In the last three outings, Hallman has averaged a team-best 17.7 points per game.

Texas is coming off a 51-47 loss to Rutgers on Jan. 2 in Austin. The loss snapped a 41-game home winning streak for the Longhorns. UT placed two players in double-figures as senior Jamie Carey scored 13 points and sophomore center Tiffany Jackson added 12. For the season, Jackson leads the team with 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Carey is second on the team with 13.6 points per game. Senior forward Heather Schreiber adds 10.6 points per game. Junior guard Nina Norman passes out 3.4 assists per game to lead UT.

The matchup will mark the 15th all-time meeting between the two schools with UT owning a 9-5 all-time advantage. The Longhorns have won the last five meetings in the series. KU’s last win in the series was a 70-60 victory on Feb. 3, 2001, in Austin.

Last Time Out

Kansas recorded its first road win of the season on Thursday, Dec. 30, 2004, as it defeated Ball State by a score of 80-66 in Muncie, Ind. The Jayhawks improved to 7-4 on the season.

In the final tune-up before its Big 12 opener, KU placed all five starters in double figures. Senior Aquanita Burras and junior Kaylee Brown each recorded career-high scoring nights. Burras led the charge with a game-high 20 points on 8-of-12 shooting, while Brown added 19 points.

Junior Erica Hallman scored 16 points, while fellow junior Crystal Kemp recorded her fourth double double of the season as she posted 14 points to go with a career-high 18 rebounds.

Freshman Taylor McIntosh rounded out the double-figure scorers with 11 points.

“It was nice to get a victory on the road,” head coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “We will now prepare for the Big 12 season.”

The Jayhawks led 32-28 at the half, but came out firing in the second period as they shot 54 percent in the half to pull away in the contest.

The Jayhawks held Ball State leading scorer Kate Endress to 6-of-25 shooting from the field. Endress led the Cardinals with 15 points, while teammate Tina Bolte added 10 points.

Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson

Head coach Bonnie Henrickson, in her first season at the helm of the Jayhawks, is one the hottest young coaches in the nation. Henrickson comes to KU after seven successful seasons at Virginia Tech University where she compiled a record of 158-62 (.718). Her teams averaged 23 wins per season and advanced to postseason play all seven years, including five NCAA appearances. When Henrickson took over at Tech for the 1997-98 season, she orchestrated the biggest turnaround in school history. She guided her team to a 22-10 record, the school’s first Atlantic 10 Conference title and an NCAA second-round appearance just one season after the Hokies had finished last in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 10-21 record. Overall, the Willmar, Minn., native has been a part of 11 straight postseason teams entering the 2004-05 season.

Jayhawk Starters

KU has used four different starting lineups in 11 games with freshman Taylor McIntosh, senior Aquanita Burras and junior Erica Hallman starting each game. Junior Kaylee Brown (9 starts), junior Crystal Kemp (9), sophomore Alicia Rhymes (2) and senior Blair Waltz (2) have also made starts. The combo of McIntosh, Burras, Hallman, Brown and Kemp have started the last eight contests, and the team owns a record of 5-3 in that stretch.

Up Next For KU

After the game at Texas, the Jayhawks return home on Saturday, Jan. 8 to play Kansas State at 7 p.m. on CSTV. KU also plays at home on Jan. 12 versus Iowa State at 7 p.m.

A Quick Look At the Jayhawks

Junior Crystal Kemp (Topeka, Kan.), the returning team MVP, anchors the inside game. At 6-2, Kemp is the tallest player on the KU roster. Sophomore Alicia Rhymes (Shreveport, La.), freshman Jamie Boyd (Underwood, Iowa) and freshman Taylor McIntosh (Wichita, Kan.) bolster the Jayhawk frontcourt.

On the perimeter, Henrickson has six quality players to work with. Junior Erica Hallman (Covington, Ky.) carries the brunt of the workload at the point, while junior Kaylee Brown (Arcadia,Okla.), senior Blair Waltz (Leawood, Kan.), senior Aquanita Burras (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and sophomore Sharita Smith (Dallas, Texas) operate on the wings. Junior Heather Hayes (Derby, Kan.), a late addition to the team, also plays on the wing.

Kemp has posted nine double-figure scoring games and led KU in scoring in seven times. Kemp and McIntosh have each led the team in rebounding in four games and Hallman has led in assists in nine games. KU has recorded five double-doubles, including four by Kemp and one by McIntosh.

Tonight’s Opponent – Texas Longhorns

Texas (7-3, 0-0 Big 12) enters the game against Kansas after having a 41-game home winning streak ended by Rutgers on Jan. 2. The Scarlet Knights defeated the Longhorns 51-47. Texas returns four starters among 11 letterwinners to a team that went 30-5 overall and 14-2 to win the Big 12 in 2003-04. The Longhorns finished last season ranked No. 4 in the nation by the Associated Press and are the concensus pick to win the conference this year.

The Longhorns are led by sophomore center Tiffany Jackson with 15.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game. Senior guard Jamie Carey and senior forward Heather Schreiber round out the double-figure scorers with 13.6 and 10.6 points per game, respectively. Despite falling three times (against Georgia, UCLA and Rutgers), UT is outscoring its opponents 71.3 ppg to 51.3 ppg. The Longhorns are averaging 41.5 rebounds per game and shooting 47.6 percent from the field while giving up just 33.0 rebounds per game and allowing a mere 34.3 percent from the field by opponents.

Last game against Rutgers, Carey led UT with 13 points and Jackson added 12. Schreiber led on the glass with eight boards to go with six points.

Texas is coached by Jody Conradt, who is 737-210 in her 29th year at UT and 854-272 in her 36th year overall.

Kansas vs. Texas Series Notes

Texas leads the all-time series 9-5, and 6-5 since the inception of the Big 12 Conference. KU’s last win came on Feb. 3, 2001 when the Jayhawks downed the Longhorns 70-60 in Austin. UT has won the last five meetings, including two conference tournament games in the last three years.

Kansas/Texas Last Meeting

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas fell to No. 3 Texas, 73-54, in Allen Fieldhouse in front of 961 fans. The loss dropped KU to 7-5 on the season and 0-1 in Big 12, play while Texas improved to 13-1 overall and 1-0 in the conference.

The Jayhawks looked poised in the first half as they matched the Longhorns’ buckets and did not let them take more than a five-point lead until eight minutes into the game. Kansas, led by sophomore Tamara Ransburg’s 16 points on 8-of-10 shooting, pulled to within one with just under six minutes remaining in the half before UT took over and went on an 18-8 run to close the first half with a 38-24 edge.

KU opened the second half by cutting the ‘Horns’ halftime lead of 14 to only six with 15:30 left. Texas, led by Stacy Stephens’ 26 points on a 12-of-17 effort, improved its lead to 16 before pulling away in the last two minutes of the contest for a 73-54 victory.

Kansas/Texas Connections

– KU sophomore Sharita Smith is a native of Dallas, Texas. UT has eight players from the state of Texas including Tiffany Jackson who is also from Dallas.

– UT has two players from the Kansas City area. Tamra Cobbins attended Schlagle HS on the Kansas side, while Erneisha Bailey attended Pembroke Hill HS on the Missouri side.

An All-Star Staff

Joining Bonnie Henrickson on the sidelines in her first season at KU are assistant coaches Karen Lange, Kyra Elzy and Katie O’Connor. Also joining the staff is director of operations Trena Anderson and administrative assistant Katie Wulf. Lange, O’Connor and Anderson followed Henrickson from Virginia Tech, while Elzy and Wulf both join KU from Western Kentucky. Prior to WKU, Elzy also worked as an administrative assistant for Henrickson at Virginia Tech. At an average age of less than 28 years old, Henrickson’s three assistant coaches (Lange, Elzy, O’Connor) have already been a part of 19 NCAA tournaments, eight Sweet 16s, five Elite Eights, four Final Fours and two National Championships, combined.

A Kansas Win Would

Make KU 8-4 for the first time since 1988-89 … Make KU 1-0 in Big 12 play … Make KU 6-9 all-time against Texas … Tie the series against UT at 3-3 in games played in Austin, Texas … Snap a five-game losing streak to Texas … Snap a streak of 29 straight losses to opponents ranked in the top-25 … Give KU its first win over a ranked opponent since a 69-61 over No. 6 Iowa State on Feb. 17, 2001 … Give KU three-straight wins and five wins in its last six games … Give KU a 2-2 record on the road this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 8-4 (.667) at KU and 166-66 (.716) in her career … Make KU 605-402 all-time.

A Kansas Loss Would

Make KU 7-5 for the third straight season … Make KU 0-1 in Big 12 play … Drop KU to 5-10 all-time against Texas … Give UT a 4-2 advantage in games played in Austin, Texas … Extend UT’s winning streak in the series to six … Extend KU’s streak to 30 straight losses to opponents ranked in the top-25 … Make KU 0-2 against ranked opponents this season … Snap a two-game winning streak … Make the Jayhawks 1-3 on the road this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 7-5 (.583) at KU and 165-67 (.711) in her career … Make KU 604-403 all-time.

Protecting The Ball

The Jayhawks have taken care of the ball well this season. Consider the following:

– KU ranks third in the Big 12 in turnover margin at +3.82.

– Point guard Erica Hallman ranks sixth in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio at 2.10-to-1.

– The Jayhawks have a positive team assist/turnover ratio at 1.04-to-1.

Streaks And Career Leaders

– Senior Aquanita Burras owns the team’s longest starting streak at 68 games. She has started every game of her Kansas career.

– Junior Erica Hallman is in the all-time top 10 at Kansas for three-pointers made (78, 5th), three-pointers attempted (219, 5th) and three-point field goal percentage (35.6 percent, 8th).

– Hallman also has cracked the KU all-time top-10 in assists. Currently at 249 career assists, Hallman sits in 10th place and needs one more dime to catch Sandy Shaw (250 career assists from 1985-88) for ninth place. Angela Aycock sits in eighth place with 292.

– Junior Crystal Kemp is currently in ninth place on the KU career field goal percentage list at 51.1 percent (346-of-677).

– At her current pace, Kemp appears to be on track to become Kansas’ 18th all-time 1,000-point scorer, and first since Jaclyn Johnson, Brooke Reves and Jennifer Jackson all accomplished the feat during the 2000-01 season. With 875 career points and a current season average of 16.5 points per game, she is on pace to reach the milestone during the Oklahoma game on Feb. 2.

Taking A Charge

On the defensive end, KU has drawn 19 charges while being called for just five all season. Junior Erica Hallman has drawn eight charges, while juniors Crystal Kemp and Kaylee Brown have each taken four. Senior Aquanita Burras (2) and sophomore Alicia Rhymes (1) have also drawn at least one charge.

Tenacious D

KU has held five opponents to under 20 points in the first half (UMKC-19, Denver-15, Washburn-19, Western Illinois-13, San Diego State-17). At Minnesota, the Jayhawks held the Gophers to 27 points, which was a Minnesota season-low. Prior to playing KU, the Gophers averaged 40.5 points in the first half. Additionally, KU is is holding all opponents to 52.4 points per game which ranks fourth in the Big 12.

Improving At The Line

After shooting 56.7 percent (59-of-104) from the free throw line in its first seven games, Kansas has started to show improvement at the charity stripe. In the last four outings, the Jayhawks have converted 59-of-75 free throws for 78.7 percent. In the last three games, the Jayhawks have shot 81 percent from the line.

A Tale Of Two Halves

KU has been impressive in the first half, outscoring its opponents 362-253 (or 32.9-to-23.0 points per game), and leading at the break in nine out of 11 games. But in the second half, KU is trailing 323-320 and three of four losses have come after leading at intermission. As a team, the Jayhawks are averaging 32.9 points per first half on 46.5 percent (144-of-310) shooting from the field. In the second half, however, KU is connecting on only 38.0 percent (114-of-300) of its shots and averaging 29.1 points. As a team, KU has shot at least 10 percentage points lower in the second half than the first half in eight games. The Jayhawks bucked that trend last time out against Ball State by scoring 48 points in the second half (16 more than the first half) and shooting 53.6 percent in the second half (compared to 44.8 percent in the first half).

Logging The Minutes

Three players (Erica Hallman-35.09, Aquanita Burras-33.09 and Crystal Kemp-31.82) are playing 31 minutes per game or more, and each rank in the top nine in the conference in time played per game. Kemp (2), Hallman (2) and Burras (1) have also each played at least one complete game. Only six players have played in every game, and nine out of 10 players average 14.5 minutes per game or more.

Kemp Off To A Fast Start

Junior forward Crystal Kemp paces the team with 16.5 points and 8.6 rebounds per game. She has played in all 11 games with nine starts. She possesses an impressive array of post moves and can knock down the open jumper. She has posted a double-double in each of the last three games and is averaging 16 points and 15 rebounds per game in that span. She has already faced some of the top competition in the nation and performed well. She held Janel McCarville of Minnesota to 15 points while scoring 17 points of her own. She also outscored 6′-7″ Mid-Con preseason Player of the Year Zane Teilane of Western Illinois, 17-12. She reached 800 career points on Dec. 8 vs. Western Illinois and is 25 short of reaching 900.

Burras An All-Around Threat

Perhaps Kansas’ top all-around player, senior Aquanita Burras does the little things with hustle and intense defense. She is third on the team with 11.0 points and 5.3 rebounds per game. She also ranks second on the team with 38 assists and leads the team with 21 steals. At just 5’9″, she is second on the team with seven blocked shots and third on the squad with 18 offensive rebounds. She rarely comes out of the game, averaging 33.1 minutes per game. In three years at KU, she has started all 68 games of her career.

Hallman Adjusting Well To The Point

Junior Erica Hallman, who primarily played on the wing last season, has started all 11 games this season at point guard and is getting more and more comfortable with each game. She is second on the team with 12.2 points per game and leads the team with 20 three-pointers made. She provides KU with a solid ball-handling and long-range shooting option. Her 2.10-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks first on the team and sixth in the Big 12. She dished a career-high 13 assists against Dartmouth on Dec. 18, which ranks second on the KU single game list. She is in the all-time top 10 at KU for three-pointers made (76, 5th), three-pointers attempted (213, 6th) and three-point field goal percentage (35.3 percent, 8th). Against Ball State, she moved into the KU top-10 in assists and currently sits in 10th with 249 career dimes. At Creighton on Dec. 21, she tied a career-high 20 points.

McIntosh A Crowd Favorite

Freshman forward Taylor McIntosh has quickly become a fan favorite for the Jayhawks in her first season. A Wichita, Kan., native, McIntosh has started all 11 games and has made her reputation doing the little things in her young career. She is second on the team with 6.7 rebounds per game and first on the team with 35 offensive rebounds. Her 3.18 offensive boards per game ranks in a tie for third in the Big 12. Her 6.7 rpg also ranks first in the Big 12 among freshmen. On offense, she is steadily improving her ball-handling and is looking to become more reliable with the ball in her hands. She recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Dartmouth. She posted a career-high 13 rebounds versus UMKC on Nov. 27. She owns three double-figure scoring games.

Brown From Downtown

Junior guard Kaylee Brown has played in all 11 games with nine starts. A hard-nosed player, Brown is not afraid to sacrifice her body to take a charge (she has taken four this season). She is a patient player who sees the floor well, and has the ability to score from long range. Brown is second on the team with 19 three-pointers made, and has connected for at least one three-pointer in each of the last 10 games. She owns an average of 9.5 points and 1.6 boards per game. She posted a career-high 19 points at Ball State.

Smith First Off The Bench

Sophomore guard Sharita Smith is in her first full season after missing the first half of her freshman season due to injury. This season, she has been the first player off the bench a team-high seven times and is averaging 2.5 points and 1.4 assists in 14.9 minutes per game. She had her best game of the season when she had 10 points, two assists and two rebounds versus Dartmouth on Dec. 18. She operates at point guard and on the wing.

Waltz Back For Senior Season

Senior Blair Waltz is the only four-year senior on the team. She has played in eight games with two starting assignments and averages 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Her best game this season was a nine-point, four-assist effort versus Sacred Heart on Nov. 24.

Rhymes A Hard Worker

Sophomore forward Alicia Rhymes is in her third year at KU after spending her first year as a redshirt and last season as a reserve. This season, Rhymes has played in eight games with two starting assignments. She has posted 1.9 points and 3.0 rebounds per outing. She is shooting 46.2 percent from the field on 6-of-13 field goals. One of just four players to stand at least six feet tall, she operates primarily out of the high post. She was described by the coaches as the player who improved the most during summer workouts.

Boyd Plays Valuable Reserve Role

Freshman forward Jamie Boyd is in her first year with the Jayhawks after a standout career at Underwood (Iowa) High School where she was named Miss Iowa Basketball. She has played in 10 games this season in a reserve role and has posted 2.5 points and 2.8 boards in 14.7 minutes per game. A physical player who works hard in the low post on defense, she is also capable of knocking down the jumper from the high post.

Hayes Added Late

Junior guard Heather Hayes was a late addition to the team after practice had already begun in October. A native of Derby, Kan., Hayes began her career at Oral Roberts in 2001-02. She spent the first half of her sophomore season at Seward County CC before enrolling at Butler County CC in the spring of 2003. Hayes enrolled at KU in the summer of 2003 and spent the 2003-04 season as a redshirt walk-on with the Jayhawks. She left the team following the season but returned when offered a scholarship by the coaching staff. She has seen action in one game so far.

Preseason Polls

Texas was picked by both the conference media and league coaches to win the Big 12 Championship in 2004-05. In the Coaches Poll, Texas received 11 first place votes and Kansas State took one first place nod. In the Media Poll, Texas received 12 first place votes while K-State received two votes. Kansas was picked to finish 11th in both preseason polls.

Kansas Signs Four

Kansas signed four players during the early signing period for the 2005-06 season including Ivana Catic (E-von-uh Cot-ich), Shaquina Mosley (Sha-KWAH-nah MOSE-lee), Jennifer Orgas (Or-GUS) and Sophronia Sallard (Suh-FRONE-yuh SUH-lard). Catic, Orgas and Sallard will join the Jayhawks as freshmen, while Mosley will be a junior after transferring from Central Arizona College.

Kansas Signees At-a-Glance

Ivana Catic (point guard, 5-8, Wheeling, W.V. – Mt. deChantal Academy)

Shaquina Mosley (point guard, 5-6, Lancaster, Calif. – Antelope Valley HS/Central Ariz. College)

Jennifer Orgas (forward, 6-2, Omaha, Neb. – Skutt Catholic HS)

Sophronia Sallard (guard/forward, 5-10, Syracuse, N.Y. – Nottingham HS)

Program Milestones

With a 67-44 win over Denver on Nov. 30, Kansas became the 30th school in NCAA Division I history to record 600 wins. Two days later on Dec. 2, Kansas played its 1,000th all-time game against Washburn.

Random Notes

– Kansas is playing its 37th season of women’s basketball, and it’s 32nd season of basketball in Allen Fieldhouse.

– Bonnie Henrickson is the fifth head coach in KU history.

Home Court Advantage

Kansas fans have plenty of opportunities to check out the Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse this season. KU plays a total of 18 games this year in Lawrence including two exhibition games, eight non-conference contests and eight conference matchups. Other than conference play, KU only plays three road games. KU played at No. 14 Minnesota on Dec. 5, at Creighton on Dec. 21 and at Ball State on Dec. 30.

20 Games On TV

KU’s television package in 2004-05 is the finest in school history. The Jayhawks play four times on national television (two each on Fox Sports Net and CSTV), four times on Metro Sports out of Kansas City, nine times on Sunflower Broadband in Lawrence, once on the Jayhawk Television Network and at least two other road Big 12 games. All 16 regular season home games are on the tube, in addition to games at Texas, Colorado, Kansas State and Iowa State.

Increased Radio Coverage

The Jayhawk Radio Network has improved its coverage of the Jayhawks in 2004-05. Stations carrying the Jayhawks included KLWN 1320-AM in Lawrence, KWIC 99.3-FM in Topeka, KFH 98.7-FM in Wichita and either KMBZ 980-AM or KXTR-1660-AM in Kansas City.

Woodard To Be Enshrined In Women’s HOF

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame announced its seventh group of inductees, the Class of 2005, on Sunday, November 14. The six members of the Class of 2005 are Joe Ciampi, Kelli Litsch, Hunter Low, Edna Tarbutton, Dixie Woodall and Lynette Woodard.

Woodard, a Kansas legend, scored 3,649 points to become the all-time leading scorer in Division I women’s collegiate basketball en route to becoming a four-time Kodak All-American and winning the 1981 Wade Trophy. She then went on to become a two-time Olympian, serving as captain of the USA’s 1984 gold medal-winning squad, and the first female to play for the Harlem Globetrotters before playing professionally in Japan and Italy and two seasons in the WNBA.

The six individuals in the Class of 2005 will be formally enshrined as members of the Hall of Fame during a weekend of induction festivities to be held Friday and Saturday, June 10-11, 2005, in Knoxville.

Woodard becomes the second Jayhawk to be enshrined to in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, joining former Kansas coach Marian Washington who was enshrined in June of 2004.