Jayhawks Host Tigers In Border Showdown
Jan. 12, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Game Notes in PDF Format
OPENING TIP
The University of Kansas hosts Missouri on Wednesday, Jan. 14 in its Big 12 Conference home opener. Game time is scheduled for 7 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse, with a live broadcast on MetroSports. KU (11-3, 0-1) is looking to pick up its first conference win of the season after falling at Kansas State in its opener. Missouri (9-5, 0-1) is also looking to pick up its first conference victory after dropping a home game to Texas A&M in its last outing.
FAST BREAKS
-Kansas is looking to remain unbeaten at home when it plays host to Missouri. The Jayhawks have collected a perfect 8-0 mark in Allen Fieldhouse this season.
-The Jayhawks are looking to improve to 1-1 in Big 12 Conference play for the first time since the 2005-06 season.
-Junior guard-forward Danielle McCray has scored in double figures in 12-of-14 games this season and leads the Jayhawks with 18.1 points per game. McCray currently ranks third in the Big 12 Conference in scoring behind only Andrea Riley of Oklahoma State and Brittany Spears of Colorado.
-Kansas has implored five different starting line-ups on the season, with seven different players earning atleast one start.
-Kansas is making 46.6 percent of its shots from the field. The Jayhawks made a season-best 67.9 percent of their shots at Pepperdine. The Jayhawks were especially hot in the second half versus the Waves as they connected on 18-of-23 buckets.
-KU has made 82 three-point baskets on the season, while holding its opponents to just 42. The Jayhawks have connected on 82-of-201 shots from beyond the arc, good for a Big 12 Conference best 40.8 percent. KU currently ranks second in the NCAA, shooting 40.8 from beyond the arc.
-The Jayhawks are out-rebounding their opponents by just over seven rebounds per game, led by McCray’s 8.4 caroms per contest.
A LOOK AT MISSOURI
Missouri is 9-5 on the season, including an 0-1 mark in league play after falling to Texas A&M in Columbia on Saturday. Junior forward Jessra Johnson and senior guard Alyssa Hollins top the Tigers in the scoring column as Johnson posts 13.9 points per game and Hollins comes into Wednesday’s contest averaging 13.6 tallies per game. Johnson also tops the Tigers on the boards as she pulls down a team-best 7.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard RaeShara Brown is second on the team with 6.1 boards per game, while sophomore center Shakara Jones adds 10.6 points and 4.1 rebounds a game. Head coach Cindy Stein is 169-147 in her 11th season at the helm of the MU program. Stein’s overall coaching mark is 234-172 in her 14th season in the business.
KU-MU SERIES HISTORY
The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 39-35, and owns an 18-11 advantage in games played in Lawrence. The two teams have split the Border Showdown in each of the last three seasons. KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson is 5-4 versus MU, including a 3-1 mark in games played in Lawrence. The following is the complete series history:
A LOOK AT KANSAS
Kansas is off to an 11-3 start to the 2008-09 season behind the strong play of its junior class. Led by a trio of guards in Danielle McCray, Sade Morris and LaChelda Jacobs, the Jayhawks are outscoring their opponents by 16.6 points per game. McCray tops the Jayhawk scorers with 18.1 points per game, while Morris adds 12.3 and Jacobs turns in 8.2. In addition, sophomores Krysten Boogaard and Nicollette Smith are adding 11.0 and 7.1 points per game, respectively. KU is shooting 46.6 percent from the field, while holding its opponents to just 35.3 percent field goal shooting. Four different Jayhawks are making better than 50.0 percent of their shots, led by Rebecca Feickert at 60 percent. The Jayhawks have recorded 118 steals compared to just 88 for their opponents, led by McCray with 26 pilfers. Jacobs is the leader in assists with 64 dimes in 14 games, while Ivana Catic has dished 44 assists and Morris 36. McCray is pulling down a team-leading 8.4 rebounds and Boogaard is grabbing 5.7 per game. Kansas is also shooting well from the three-point line as it has connected on 82-of-202 shots from beyond the arc, good for 40.8 percent, tops in the Big 12 Conference. McCray is leading the way from beyond the arc as she has knocked 27-of-70 shots. Ivana Catic leads the Jayhawks from the foul line as she has connected on 17-of-18 attempts, good for 94.4 percent. McCray is over 80 percent for the season as she has connected on 85.7 percent of her foul shots.
Katie Smith SUFFERS TORN ACL
Kansas senior captain Katie Smith suffered a torn anterior cruciate ligament in her left knee in the closing minutes of the Jayhawks’ game at Kansas State. Smith will take some time to make a decision on whether or not she will conclude the season playing with a brace on her knee or opt for immediate surgery, which would mark the conclusion of her Jayhawk career.
BORDER SHOWDOWN
Wednesday marks the ninth Kansas-Missouri meeting of the 2008-09 academic year in the annual Border Showdown with the women’s basketball game in Lawrence. The winner of KU-MU head-to-head competition are awarded points. Currently, Missouri holds an advantage against Kansas, 7.5 to 5.5. Though the state rivalry dates back to the pre-Civil War era, the athletics rivalry started in 1891 with football and 1907 in men’s basketball. The Border Showdown trophy has been presented six times with MU winning four times – 2003, 2005, 2007 and 2008 – and KU twice in 2004 and 2006.
