Davis, Sutherland Power Jayhawks to Road Win at Missouri
Jan. 15, 2012
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COLUMBIA, Mo. – Forwards Aishah Sutherland and Carolyn Davis combined for 48 points as the duo powered the Kansas women’s basketball team to a 72-63 win at Border Showdown rival Missouri Sunday afternoon. The victory improved the Jayhawks to 3-1 in Big 12 Conference play (14-2- overall) for the first time since 1999-2000.
Sutherland tied a career-high as she poured in 24 points on 9-for-11 shooting from the field. She was also perfect in all six attempts from the foul line and was just shy of a double-double with a team-high nine rebounds. Davis also added 24 tallies for her seventh contest with 20 or more points this season.
One of the top field goal percentage teams in the nation, Kansas proved why on Sunday as it had one of its best shooting days of the season. The Jayhawks finished the contest 28-for-53 from the floor (52.8 percent) for its top field goal percentage in Big 12 play this year. The Tigers (10-5, 0-4 Big 12) hit 42.9 percent from the field.
Davis and Sutherland got the Jayhawks started early scoring 14 of the team’s first 16 points to help Kansas build up an early lead, with its largest advantage coming at the 10:12 mark, 18-12. The momentum soon swung in the home team’s favor as Missouri used an 11-2 run to take its first lead of the game, 23-22, with 6:20 remaining in the opening half.
The teams traded points over the next four minutes but it was all KU in the final two. Junior Angel Goodrich scored back-to-back baskets with two drives to the hole. As Missouri attempted to counter in the final minute, the Tigers turned the ball over for the ninth time of the half with 30 seconds to go and junior Monica Engelman converted on the opposite end right as the shot clock expired to help KU to a 33-31 halftime lead.
Sutherland found her rhythm at the top of the key and was nearly perfect from the field in the first 20 minutes going 6-for-7 for 12 points heading into the break, while Davis was dominant down low chipping in nine points.
BreAnna Brock paced the Tigers in the first half scoring 14 of her game-high 26 points. She also led MU on the boards with eight rebounds during the game. Kansas’ defense limited Christine Flores to just six points in the contest, despite her league-leading 20.0 points per game average.
KU’s hot hand continued into the second half. Through the first 10 minutes of the final frame, the Jayhawks were 8-for-11 from the field (72.7 percent) and ended the half shooting 54.2 percent.
After a Missouri bucket in its first trip down the court of the second half knotted the score at 33-all, Kansas responded with eight unanswered points to take a 41-33 lead with just over 17 to play in the game and never trailed again. At the 9:19 mark the Tigers cut their deficit to single digits and then scored another bucket to get within eight, 55-48. Davis responded with a pair of free throws and Engelman, who had nine points and four assists in the game, knocked down a fast break layup to push KU’s advantage back to 11, 59-48, with 6:44 on the clock.
The Jayhawks never allowed MU closer than nine points for the remainder of the game.
Goodrich reached an important milestone during the contest. With her team-high six assists, the guard became the fifth player in Jayhawk history to reach 400 career assists.
Kansas concludes its two-game road swing when it travels to Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Jan. 18. Tip-off from Stillwater is scheduled for 7 p.m.
