Kansas Women's Basketball Defeats Missouri, 75-58
Jan. 14, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Junior Sade Morris tied a career high with 20 points and sophomore Nicollette Smith added a season-high 16 points as the Kansas women’s basketball team defeated the Missouri Tigers 75-58, Wednesday night in Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks improved to 12-3 and 1-1 in conference play. Missouri, led by Alyssa Hollins and ShaKara Jones’ combined 28 points, fell to 9-6 and 0-2 in the conference.
Sophomore Nicollette Smith hit three consecutive three pointers to give the Jayhawks the early lead, 11-7, four minutes into the first period. The two teams then traded leads for much of the first half until junior Sade Morris made back-to-back baskets to start the Jayhawks on a 9-2 run.
As a result, KU took a 36-29 advantage into the locker room. Morris led all scorers with 12 points on 6-of-8 shooting in the first half.
KU controlled play throughout the second half, never leading by fewer than nine points. The Jayhawks stretched the lead to as many as 19 points on a pair of LaChelda Jacobs’ free throws late in the game.
Kansas shot 58 percent from the field and 64 percent from behind the arc. Comparatively, Missouri shot just 30 percent from the field and 27 percent from three-point range.
Smith was Kansas’ most efficient shooter, going 6-for-7 (86 percent) from the field and tying a career high with four three-pointers.
Junior Danielle McCray scored eight of her 12 points in the second half to become the third Jayhawk in double figures. Sophomore Krysten Boogaard led the Jayhawks with 11 rebounds and McCray and Smith each grabbed seven boards as KU outrebounded the Tigers 38-28.
Senior Ivana Catic dished out six assists and the KU bench outscored Missouri’s 18-3.
The Jayhawks take the court again when they play host to Texas Tech on Saturday at 7 p.m.
