Jayhawks Renew In-State Rivalry With K-State On Saturday

Jan. 7, 2005

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Kansas (7-5, 0-1) vs. No. 22/20 Kansas State (9-3, 0-1)

Game #13 – Sat, Jan. 8, 2005 – 7 p.m. – Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)

Radio/Television

Jayhawk Radio Network: Nate Bukaty (play-by-play) and Brian Hanni (color analyst) call the action. CSTV: Carter Blackburn (play-by-play) and Ann Schatz (color) call the action. Russ Merrill is the producer.

Records

Kansas is 7-5 overall, 0-1 in the Big 12, and has won two of its last three games. K-State is 9-3 overall, 0-1 in the Big 12 and has won five of its last six. Both are coming off losses on Wednesday.

Rankings

Kansas is not ranked. KSU is ranked No. 22 in the Associated Press Poll and No. 20 in the ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll (Jan. 3 – Jan. 9 polls).

Coaches

Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson is 7-5 in her first year at KU and 165-67 in her eighth year as a head coach overall. The Wildcats are coached by Deb Patterson, who is 160-98 in her ninth year at Kansas State and overall.

Jayhawk Storylines

– KU is 7-5, 0-1 after falling 66-51 on Wednesday at No. 7/7 Texas. Junior Erica Hallman dropped an impressive 20 points to tie a career-high.

– Junior Crystal Kemp leads KU in scoring and rebounding with 16.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. She ranks eighth and seventh in the conference in those categories, respectively.

– Taylor McIntosh is the top freshman rebounder in the conference at 6.7 boards per game, and ranks 13th overall in the league.

– KU ranks in the top-20 nationally in scoring defense (53.5 ppg) and top-30 nationally in fewest turnovers per game (14.7).

– Hallman ranks fourth in the league and in the top-30 in the country in assists per game with 5.42 dimes per game.

– The game marks Kansas’ Big 12 home-opener. K-State is playing its second-straight league game on the road.

Tonight’s Game

The University of Kansas women’s basketball team (7-5, 0-1) returns to Allen Fieldhouse for its Big 12 home-opener when it takes on No. 22/20 Kansas State (9-3, 0-1) on Saturday, Jan. 8 in Allen Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. The game will be aired live on College Sports Television (CSTV).

In the first league game of the season on Wednesday, the Jayhawks gave No. 7/7 Texas all it could handle in Austin before falling to the Longhorns 66-51. Led by junior Erica Hallman, who tied a career-high with 20 points, KU cut the UT lead to 50-47 at the 8:41 mark. Texas responded with a 10-0 run, but the Jayhawks fought back to within nine before the Longhorns iced the game at the free throw line.

“Tonight, we got pushed by a good team,” UT head coach Jody Conradt said. “I have a great deal of respect for Bonnie (Henrickson) and what she will undoubtably do at Kansas. When they came back to within three points, it wasn’t that we were relaxing. Kansas made some pretty incredible shots with us in their faces.”

For the season, junior Crystal Kemp has been impressive with 16.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. Hallman is second on the team with 12.8 points to go with 5.4 assists per game. Senior Aquanita Burras rounds out the double-figure scorers with 10.9 points per game. KU is outscoring its opponents 61.1 to 53.5 points per game.

Kansas State, which is picked to finish third in the conference, returns three starters among nine letterwinners to a team that went 25-6 overall and 14-2 to tie for first in the Big 12 last season. The Wildcats fell 78-59 in their Big 12 opener on Wednesday at Iowa State. Senior Kendra Wecker leads KSU with 21.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Seniors Megan Mahoney and Laurie Koehn add 12.0 and 11.8 points per game, respectively. K-State is averaging 73.2 points per outing while giving up 53.5.

The matchup will mark the 88th all-time meeting between the two schools with KSU owning a 47-40 advantage. In Lawrence, KU leads the series 22-20.

Last Time Out

Kansas kept the game close in the second half but fell to No. 7 Texas 66-51, Wednesday, Jan. 5, in Austin. KU cut the Texas lead to 50-47 in the second half but UT held on for the victory.

The Jayhawks had three players in double figures. Junior Erica Hallman led KU with 20 points as she connected on 4-of-7 from three-point range. Junior Crystal Kemp and senior Aquanita Burras each chipped in with 10 points. Burras also grabbed a team-high seven rebounds.

“We made a really good run in the second half,” head coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “Erica Hallman helped us keep it close because she maintained her poise. She played confident and got separation and hit some tough shots. We’ve tried to get Erica some more shots, since she has deep range. That was important for us tonight during our run.”

Tiffany Jackson and Heather Schreiber each had big games for Texas. Jackson hit 9-of-13 shots to finish with a game-high 21 points. Schreiber scored18 points for UT while Jamie Carey added 10 points in the win.

The Longhorns were helped by 12-of-14 shooting from the free throw line. The Jayhawks shot just five free throws in the game.

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 12 games with freshman Taylor McIntosh, senior Aquanita Burras and junior Erica Hallman starting each game. Junior Kaylee Brown (10 starts), junior Crystal Kemp (10), 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 nine contests, and the team owns a record of 5-4 in that stretch.

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 10 double-figure scoring games and led in scoring seven times. Kemp and McIntosh have each led on the glass in four games and Hallman has led in assists in 10 games. KU has recorded five double-doubles, including four by Kemp and one by McIntosh.

Tonight’s Opponent – Kansas State Wildcats

Kansas State (9-3, 0-1 Big 12) enters the game against Kansas after falling 78-59 at Iowa State on Wednesday in Ames, Iowa. The Wildcats, who are picked to finish third in the Big 12, return three starters among nine letterwinners to a team that went 25-6 overall and 14-2 to tie for first in the Big 12 in 2003-04. KSU finished last season ranked No. 8 in the nation by the Associated Press and No. 15 in the USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll.

Leading the Wildcats is senior forward Kendra Wecker with 21.0 points and 9.0 rebounds per game. Seniors Megan Mahoney and Laurie Koehn add 12.0 and 11.8 ppg, respectively.

Against Iowa State, sophomore Claire Coggins stepped up with 18 points, while Wecker added 16 points and eight boards. KSU shot 35.8 percent in the game while ISU scorched the nets for 64.6 percent, including 10-of-14 three pointers.

The Wildcats are averaging 73.2 points and 38.8 rebounds per game and shooting 35.6 percent from the field while giving up just 53.5 points on 36.1 percent shooting and 30.9 rebounds per game.

K-State is coached by Deb Patterson, who is 160-98 in her ninth year at KSU and overall.

Kansas vs. K-State Series Notes

Kansas State leads the all-time series 47-40. Since the inception of the Big Conference, the series is tied 9-9. In Lawrence, the Jayhawks lead the series 22-20 all-time. KU’s last win came on Jan. 27, 2001 when the Jayhawks downed the Wildcats 65-62 in Manhattan. KSU has won the last six meetings, spanning the last three years.

Kansas/Kansas State Last Meeting

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas fell to No. 9 Kansas State, 81-51, in front of 4,564 fans on Feb. 11, 2004. The loss dropped KU to 9-12 on the season and 2-8 in Big 12 play while K-State improved to 18-3 overall and 9-1 in the conference.

Kansas State, led by Ohlde’s game-high 23 points, took a 10-point lead at the 12:27 mark and extended it to as many as 21 in the first half. The Jayhawks could not get it going in the first half as the Wildcats limited them to just 34 percent from the field. Sophomore Erica Hallman, who ended the game with a team-high 14 points, paced the `Hawks in the first half with 11 points.

Kansas State extended its halftime lead of 43-29, to a 20-point margin with 10 minutes remaining in the second half. Kansas fought to pull within 16, then saw K-State end the game on a 20-6 run to make the final tally 81-51.

Wecker dropped in 21 for the Wildcats, while Megan Mahoney grabbed a game-high 10 boards.

Kansas/K-State Connections

– A total of eight players (4 KU, 4 KSU) hail from the state of Kansas, including four (2 KU-Kemp, McIntosh, 2 KSU-Koehn, Wecker) who are expected to start.

– KU guard Heather Hayes and KSU center Jessica McFarland both graduated from Derby High School in Derby, Kan.

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 8-5 for the second straight season … Make KU 1-1 in Big 12 play … Make KU 41-47 all-time against Kansas State … Improve KU’s record against KSU in Lawrence to 23-20 … Snap a six-game losing streak to K-State … Snap a streak of 30 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 its third win in the last four games … Give KU a 7-2 record at home this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 8-5 (.615) at KU and 166-67 (.712) in her career … Make KU 605-403 all-time.

A Kansas Loss Would

Make KU 7-6 for the first time since 2002-03 … Make KU 0-2 in Big 12 play … Drop KU to 40-48 all-time against Kansas State … Narrow KU’s advantage over KSU in Lawrence to 22-21 … Extend KSU’s winning streak in the series to seven … Extend KU’s streak to 31 straight losses to opponents ranked in the top-25 … Make KU 0-3 against ranked opponents this season … Give KU a two-game losing streak … Make the Jayhawks 6-3 at home this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 7-6 (.538) at KU and 165-68 (.708) in her career … Make KU 604-404 all-time.

Protecting The Ball

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

– KU ranks fourth in the Big 12 in turnover margin at +3.67.

– Point guard Erica Hallman ranks fifth in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio at 2.03-to-1.

– The Jayhawks have a positive team assist/turnover ratio at 1.03-to-1.

– KU ranks 30th nationally in fewest turnovers per game with 14.7 (NCAA stats through 1/3)

Streaks And Career Leaders

– Senior Aquanita Burras owns the team’s longest starting streak at 69 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 (82, 5th), three-pointers attempted (226, 5th) and three-point field goal percentage (36.3 percent, 5th). Only Suzi Raymant and Charisse Sampson

– Hallman also has cracked the KU all-time top-10 in assists. Currently at 253 career assists, Hallman sits in ninth place and needs 39 more dimes to catch Angela Aycock (292 career assists from 1992-95) for eighth place. Lynn Pride sits in seventh place with 296.

– Junior Crystal Kemp is currently in 10th place on the KU career field goal percentage list at 50.9 percent (351-of-690).

– At her current pace, Kemp appears to be on track to become KU’s 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 885 career points and a current season average of 16.0 points per game, she is on pace to reach the milestone during the Missouri game on Feb. 5.

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 53.5 points per game which ranks in a tie for third in the Big 12. KU has ranked in the top 20 nationally — and as high as fifth — in scoring defense.

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 five outings, the Jayhawks have converted 62-of-80 free throws for 77.5 percent.

A Tale Of Two Halves

KU has been impressive in the first half, outscoring its opponents 388-287 (or 32.3-to-23.9 points per game), and leading at the break in nine out of 12 games. But in the second half, KU is trailing 355-345 and three of five losses have come after leading at intermission. As a team, the Jayhawks are averaging 32.3 points per first half on 46.1 percent (155-of-336) shooting from the field. In the second half, however, KU is connecting on only 38.3 percent (124-of-324) 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 trend seems to be improving after KU scored 48 second half points at Ball State (16 more than the first half) and played two basically identical halves at Texas.

Logging The Minutes

Three players (Erica Hallman-35.42, Aquanita Burras-33.67 and Crystal Kemp-32.00) are playing 32 minutes per game or more, and each rank in the top nine in the conference in time played per game. Burras (2), Hallman (2) and Kemp (2) and have also each played at least two complete game. Only six players have played in every game, and nine out of 10 players average 14.0 minutes per game or more. Against Texas, all five starters played 34 or more minutes.

Kemp Off To A Fast Start

Junior forward Crystal Kemp paces the team with 16.0 points and 8.1 rebounds per game. She has played in all 12 games with 10 starts. She possesses an impressive array of post moves and can knock down the open jumper. She posted three straight double-doubles against Creighton, San Diego State and Ball State, and owns four for the season. 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 15 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 10.9 points and 5.4 rebounds per game. She also ranks second on the team with 40 assists and leads the team with 22 steals. At just 5’9″, she is second on the team with seven blocked shots and third on the squad with 21 offensive rebounds. She rarely comes out of the game, averaging 33.7 minutes per game. In three years at KU, she has started all 69 games of her career.

Hallman Adjusting Well To The Point

Junior Erica Hallman, who primarily played on the wing last season, has started all 12 games this season at point guard and is getting more and more comfortable with each game. She is second on the team with 12.8 points per game and leads the team with 24 three-pointers made. She provides KU with a solid ball-handling and long-range shooting option. Her 2.03-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks first on the team and fifth 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 (82, 5th), three-pointers attempted (226, 5th) and three-point field goal percentage (36.3 percent, 5th). Against Ball State, she moved into the KU top-10 in assists and currently sits in ninth with 253 career dimes. She has tied her career-high with 20 points twice this season including last game at Texas.

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, T-Mac has started all 12 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 37 offensive rebounds. Her 3.08 offensive boards per game ranks fourth in the Big 12. Her 6.7 rpg 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 12 games with 10 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 21 three-pointers made, and has connected for at least one three-pointer in each of the last 11 games. She owns an average of 9.3 points and 1.5 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 2.3 points and 1.3 assists in 14.1 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 backs up Hallman at point guard and also plays 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 11 games this season in a reserve role and has posted 2.3 points and 2.5 boards in 14.0 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.

Up Next For KU

After the game with Kansas State, the Jayhawks stay at home for a game against Iowa State on Wednesday, Jan. 12 at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be aired live on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6. KU then goes back on the road to face Texas A&M on Jan. 15 at 7 p.m.

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.

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 played 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 will become 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.