Women's Basketball Travels To #7/11 Texas A&M Saturday
Jan. 29, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Game Notes in PDF Format
OPENING TIP
The University of Kansas women’s basketball team (12-6, 1-4) travels to College Station to take on the #7/11 Texas A&M Aggies (16-2, 3-2) on Saturday, Jan. 31. Game time is slated for 4 p.m., and will follow the Texas A&M-Oklahoma State men’s game also scheduled at Reed Arena Saturday afternoon. Kansas leads the all-time series with the Aggies 7-6, but Texas A&M owns a five-game winning streak versus the Jayhawks.
FAST BREAKS
-Kansas is facing its second-straight ranked opponent in #7/11 Texas A&M after hosting #15/18 Kansas State in its last outing.
-The Jayhawks are attempting to collect their first road win of the Big 12 season. KU has dropped games at Kansas State and Nebraska. Texas A&M is 7-1 at home on the season, with its lone loss coming at the hands of Baylor in its last home game.
-Junior guard-forward Danielle McCray has posted 20 or more points in eight games this season, including a 26-point performance in her last outing. She has now scored 20 or more points in three-straight games. McCray, who is leading KU with 19.1 points per game, currently ranks second in the Big 12 Conference in scoring behind only Andrea Riley of Oklahoma State.
-Sophomore center Krysten Boogaard has collected 34 rebounds in her last four outings, good for 8.5 boards per game. The 6-foot-5 Canadian is averaging 8.0 rebounds per game during Big 12 Conference action, which ranks her ninth in the conference. Boogaard is averaging 10.5 points and 6.5 rebounds on the season.
-KU has made 96 three-point baskets on the season, while holding its opponents to just 58. The Jayhawks have connected on 96-of-243 shots from beyond the arc, good for 39.5 percent, which ranks first in the Big 12 Conference. KU currently ranks fourth in the NCAA in three-point field goal percentage, led by junior Danielle McCray who has made 40.0 percent of her threes.
-Kansas junior Sade Morris returns to the Jayhawk line up after missing back-to-back games at Nebraska and at home against Kansas State with a grade two concussion. Kansas is without the services of senior Katie Smith and freshman Angel Goodrich, who are out with knee injuries.
A LOOK AT TEXAS A&M
#7/11 Texas A&M enters Saturday’s game in fourth place in the Big 12 standings with a 4-2 mark in conference play and a 16-3 record overall. The Aggies are led on the season by senior Takia Starks with 15.9 points per game. Starks also turns in 4.3 rebounds and 1.7 steals per game. Fellow senior Danielle Gant adds 14.3 points per game, while shooting a team-best 50.2 percent from the field. Gant pulls down 7.1 boards a game to go along with 2.5 steals a game. Senior La Toya Micheaux leads the Aggies with 7.5 caroms per contest, while sophomore Sydney Colson is the top assister with 68 on the season. Texas A&M leads the Big 12 with 12.4 steals per game, while forcing its opponents into 22 turnovers an outing. Texas A&M head coach Gary Blair is 118-61 in his sixth season at the helm of the Aggie program. His overall coaching mark is 525-224 in his 23rd season in the business.
KU-TEXAS A&M SERIES HISTORY
The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 7-6, but have suffered five-straight losses to the Aggies. KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson is 0-4 versus TAMU, including an 0-2 mark in games played in College Station. The following is the complete series history:
A LOOK AT KANSAS
Kansas enters Saturday’s game with a 12-6 overall record, including a 1-4 ledger in Big 12 Conference play. Led by a trio of double figures scorers in Danielle McCray, Sade Morris and Krysten Boogaard, the Jayhawks are out scoring their opponents by 12.4 points per game. McCray tops the Jayhawk scorers with 19.1 points per game, while Morris adds 12.3 and Boogaard turns in 10.5. In addition, LaChelda Jacobs and Nicollette Smith are adding 8.1 and 7.0 points per game, respectively. KU is shooting 45.7 percent from the field, while holding its opponents to just 36.3 percent field goal shooting. Four different Jayhawks are making better than 50.0 percent of their shots, led by Rebecca Feickert at 60.0 percent. The Jayhawks have recorded 146 steals compared to just 115 for their opponents, led by McCray with 32 pilfers. Jacobs is the leader in assists with 75 dimes in 18 games, while Ivana Catic has dished 59 assists and Morris 37. McCray is pulling down a team-leading 8.0 rebounds and Boogaard is grabbing 6.5 per game. Kansas is also shooting well from the three-point line as it has connected on 96-of-243 shots from beyond the arc, good for 39.5 percent, tops in the Big 12 Conference. McCray is leading the way from beyond the arc as she has knocked 34-of-85 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 has connected on 86.4 percent of her foul shots.
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
-Kansas has two players from the state of Texas on its roster in juniors LaChelda Jacobs (Mansfield) and Porscha Weddington (Temple). Texas A&M does not have any native Kansans on its roster, but redshirt-freshman Tyra White and junior Tanisha Smith hail from nearby Kansas City, Mo.
-The Jayhawks and Aggies share just one common opponent outside of conference play this season in Pepperdine. Both teams knocked off the Waves with TAMU defeating Pepperdine, 70-60, and KU defeating Pepperdine, 73-56. Both games were played in Malibu, Calif.
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 13-6 for the first time since the 2005-06 season … Give the Jayhawks a 8-6 mark versus Texas A&M, including a 5-2 mark in games played in College Station … Make KU 77-121 all-time in Big 12 Conference action and a 276-260 all-time mark versus Big 12 Conference schools … Improve Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson to 1-4 versus Texas A&M … Give Henrickson a 70-71 mark at Kansas and a 228-133 overall record … Make Kansas 666-469 all time.
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Drop KU to 12-7 for the second-straight season … Make the series versus TAMU 7-7, including an 0-5 mark for KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson … Give the Jayhawks a 4-3 mark versus the Aggies in games played in College Station … Make KU 76-122 overall versus the Big 12 Conference … Drop Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record at KU to 69-72 and her overall mark to 227-134 … Make Kansas 665-470 all time.
SUTHERLAND STEPS UP
Jayhawk freshman Aishah Sutherland made her presence felt in KU’s last outing as she narrowly missed registering her first career double-double with nine points and 12 boards, both career-highs. Sutherland, who also played a career-best 32 minutes, provided a great boost off the bench as she also collected two steals and a block. Four of her game-high 12 boards come on the offensive glass and she connected on all three of her free throw attempts.
