KU Women Set To Host #20/21 Texas A&M Saturday Evening
Jan. 25, 2008
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Game Notes
OPENING TIP
The Kansas women’s basketball team plays host to #20/21 Texas A&M on Saturday evening. KU, 12-6 overall and 1-4 in conference play, will welcome the Aggies to Lawrence as both teams try to pick up their second Big 12 Conference win of the season. TAMU, 13-6 overall and also sporting a 1-4 in league play, enters Saturday’s match-up 1-2 in road league contests. The game is slated for an 7 p.m. tip-off in Allen Fieldhouse.
FAST BREAKS
-Kansas is 9-1 at home on the season, but 3-5 in games away from Allen Fieldhouse.
-KU will be facing its fourth ranked team on the season when they host to #20/21 Texas A&M. KU is 0-3 versus ranked teams with losses to #11 Cal, #24/25 Oklahoma State and #6/7 Baylor. The Jayhawks’ last opponent, Colorado, was ranked before falling out of the Top 25 right before tip-off on Tuesday.
-Kansas sophomore Danielle McCray has posted double-doubles in each of the last two games. McCray had 15 points and 12 rebounds in a win over Missouri and 12 points and 10 boards at Colorado. In her last two outings, she is averaging 13.5 points and 11.0 rebounds.
-The Jayhawks are ranked No. 29 in the latest collegerpi.com rankings, with a strength of schedule listed as the 18th best in the country. Texas A&M is tabbed at No. 18 in the latest RPI rankings, posting a strength of schedule listed as the sixth best in the NCAA.
A LOOK AT TEXAS A&M
The Aggies are 13-6 on the season, including a a 1-4 mark Big 12 games. Texas A&M is 3-3 in road games entering Saturday’s contest, including a 1-2 mark on the road in conference play. TAMU is led on the season by junior guard Takia Starks with 17.3 points per game. Stakrs, a preseason All-Big 12 honoree, pulls down 4.6 rebounds and also has recorded 26 steals on the season. Junior forward Danielle Gant is the team’s leading rebounder with 7.2 caroms per contest, while also collecting double figures in scoring at 14.2 points per game. Gant owns a team-best 37 pilfers on the season and has amassed 17 blocks. Senior guard A’Quonesia Franklin adds 8.4 points per game and a squad-best 4.8 assists per outing. Franklin joined Starks on the preseason All-Big 12 team. The Aggies average 10.4 steals per game, while forcing their opponents into 22.4 miscues each game. Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 86-56 in his fifth season in College Station. Blair owns an overall mark of 494-219 in his 23rd season in the business.
KANSAS-TEXAS A&M SERIES HISTORY
The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 7-5, however, Texas A&M leads 3-2 in games played in Lawrence. Kansas took the first six games in the series, but the Aggies have now won four-straight. KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson is 0-3 versus TAMU, including a 0-1 mark in games played in Lawrence.
A LOOK AT KANSAS
Kansas enters Saturday’s contest with a 12-6 overall mark, including a 1-4 Big 12 Conference record after falling at Colorado 59-41 in its last outing. The Jayhawks are 9-1 in home games with their lone loss coming against nationally-ranked Oklahoma State. Sophomore guard/forward Danielle McCray is the top Jayhawk in scoring (14.9) and rebounding (7.4). Fellow sophomore guard Sade Morris is also in double figures in points per game with 11.6 tallies an outing. Morris also gives KU 4.4 boards and 2.5 assists per game. Freshman center Krysten Boogaard was inserted into the starting line-up after the team returned from its holiday break and ranks third on the team in scoring with 8.2 points a game to go along with 4.3 caroms per contest. Boogaard also leads the Jayhawks in blocks with 14 on the season. Senior forward Taylor McIntosh is second on the team in rebounding with 7.3 boards per game, while also dropping in 7.9 points. McIntosh is the team leader in field goal percentage as she connects on 52.7 percent of her shots. Junior point guard Ivana Catic is the team-leader in assists with 3.8 dishes per game, while also leading the Jayhawks in steals with 31 pilfers on the year. Freshman forward Nicollette Smith comes off the bench to provide 6.1 points per game and leads KU with 27 triples on the season. The Jayhawks are coached by Bonnie Henrickson who owns a 52-55 mark in her fourth season at the helm of the Kansas program. Henrickson owns an overall coaching mark of 210-117 in 11 seasons on the sideline.
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
– Kansas has two players from the state of Texas on its roster in sophomores LaChelda Jacobs (Mansfield) and Porscha Weddington (Temple). Texas A&M does not have any native Kansans on its roster, but freshman Tyra White hails from nearby Kansas City, Mo. White is out for the season with a torn ACL.
– KU and TAMU have gone up against two common opponents prior to Big 12 play. Both teams faced SMU and Indiana. The Aggies were 2-0 against the two teams, while Kansas picked up a win over Indiana, but fell to the Mustangs.
