Jayhawks Head South To Face #13 Longhorns

Feb. 10, 2009

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Game Notes in PDF Format

OPENING TIP

The University of Kansas women’s basketball team travels to #13/18 Texas for its second-straight road contest on Wednesday, Feb. 11. Game time at the Erwin Center is slated for 7 p.m. Kansas (13-8, 2-6) will be looking its to get back in the win column after falling at Missouri on Saturday afternoon. Texas (17-5, 5-3), winners of three-straight, boasts an 11-1 record at home, including a 3-1 ledger in its Big 12 home games.

FAST BREAKS

-Kansas is attempting to pick up its first Big 12 road win of the season when it travels to #13/18 Texas. KU is 0-4 on the road during conference play in 2008-09.

-The Jayhawks are looking to pick up their third win in Big 12 Conference play and also their first road win in conference play since defeating Missouri in the regular season finale during the 2006-07 season.

-Junior guard-forward Danielle McCray has posted 20 or more points in 11 games this season, including a 20-point performance in her last outing. She has now scored 20 or more points in six-straight games. McCray, who is leading KU with 19.6 points per game, currently ranks second in the Big 12 Conference in scoring behind only Andrea Riley of Oklahoma State.

-Jayhawk freshman Aishah Sutherland has come on strong in KU’s last four outings. Sutherland has averaged 7.0 points and a team-best 7.0 rebounds in the four-game stretch, doubling her season averages of 3.8 points and 3.5 rebounds per game. She has posted double figures in rebounds in two of the four outings.

-KU has made 106 three-point baskets on the season, while holding its opponents to just 69. The Jayhawks have connected on 106-of-269 shots from beyond the arc, good for 39.4 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 LaChelda Jacobs dropped in 17 points in KU’s loss at Missouri, one point shy of tying her career-best of 18. Jacobs made 6-of-10 shots from the field versus MU and also collected four steals.

A LOOK AT TEXAS

#13/18 Texas enters Wednesday’s contest with a 17-5 overall mark, including a 5-3 record in conference action. Texas has won three-straight games, including road wins at Baylor and Oklahoma State, and is 11-1 at home on the season. The Longhorns are led by junior Brittainey Raven, who turns in 13.7 points and 3.3 rebounds per game. Sophomore Kathleen Nash is also dominant for UT as she contributes 13.6 points and a team-leading 6.8 boards per game. Senior Carla Cortijo leads Texas with 5.5 assists per game, while also leading the team with 29 steals. In all, seven UT players have collected 20 or more steals on the season. Texas head coach Gail Goestenkors is 37-18 in her second season in Austin. Her overall coaching record is 435-117 in her 16th season in the business.

KU-UT SERIES HISTORY

The Longhorns lead the all-time series 11-7, and hold a 4-3 advantage in games played in Austin. The two teams have each won on the other’s home court in the last two games in the series with Texas winning last season in Lawrence and KU defeating the Longhorns in the last match up in Austin. KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson is 2-2 versus UT, including a 1-1 mark in games played in Austin.

A LOOK AT KANSAS

Kansas enters Saturday’s game with a 13-8 overall record, including a 2-6 ledger in Big 12 Conference play. Led by a pair of double figures scorers in Danielle McCray and Sade Morris, the Jayhawks are out scoring their opponents by 9.9 points per game. McCray tops the Jayhawk scorers with 19.6 points per game, while Morris adds 11.7. Sophomore Krysten Boogaard is next with 9.6 points per game. In addition, LaChelda Jacobs and Nicollette Smith are adding 8.3 and 6.6 points per game, respectively. KU is shooting 46.1 percent from the field, while holding its opponents to just 37.9 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 168 steals compared to just 145 for their opponents, led by McCray with 35 pilfers. Jacobs is the leader in assists with 85 dimes in 21 games, while Ivana Catic has dished 60 assists and Morris 47. McCray is pulling down a team-leading 7.6 rebounds and Boogaard is grabbing 5.9 per game. Kansas is also shooting well from the three-point line as it has connected on 106-of-269 shots from beyond the arc, good for 39.4 percent, tops in the Big 12 Conference. McCray is leading the way from beyond the arc as she has knocked 40-of-100 shots. Ivana Catic leads the Jayhawks from the foul line as she has connected on 17-of-18 attempts. McCray has connected on 88.2 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 does not have any native Kansans on its roster.

-KU signees Annette Davis (Houston), Carolyn Davis (Houston) and Monica Engelman (San Antonio) all hail from the state of Texas and will join the Jayhawks next season.

-KU and UT did not face any common opponents outside of league competition this season.

LAST TIME VERSUS TEXAS

Despite having the lead for all but 1:29 of the game, the University of Kansas women’s basketball team was edged by Texas, 57-53, in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas, led by Danielle McCray, stifled Texas in the first half, limiting the `Horns to just 23 points on 33.3-percent shooting. McCray finished the opening frame with 15 points, including a stretch in which she scored 12 of KU’s 16 points and helped her team build a lead that it would hold for the remainder of the half. A bucket by Ivana Catic less than two minutes into the second gave KU its biggest lead of the game at 34-25, but Kansas went stagnant from the field over the next eight minutes. The Jayhawks connected on just one field goal during the stretch, and at one points didn’t score for a streak of 5:48. Meanwhile, the Texas offense took advantage, using a 10-2 run to get within one point at the 10:35 mark – the closest it had been since it was 16-15. KU recovered, though, and got its lead back out to five on a jumper by McCray at the 7:11 mark – her first points of the second half. Then, after a quick 6-0 UT run gave the `Horns their first lead of the game, both squads went back and forth over the next three minutes and saw the lead change four times. With Texas up 53-51 with 1:58 left, Krysten Boogaard connected on a jumper to tie the game. However, it would be the last points the Jayhawks would score. UT closed the contest with four straight points from the foul line – part of its 18-21 effort from the charity stripe for the game – and drew a charge on McCray when the Jayhawks had a chance to tie the game to secure the victory. The Jayhawks shot just 35.7-percent in the second half and scored only four points in the final 4:23. KU also turned the ball over 10 times in the second which led to 12 Longhorn points. Kansas did forced Texas into 18 turnovers, but turned them in to just 11 points. McCray paced the Jayhawks, scoring 19 points while grabbing 10 boards. Boogaard finished with 10 points, while LaChelda Jacobs added eight. Sade Morris scored five points and dished out five assists.

A KANSAS WIN WOULD…

Make Kansas 14-8 for the first time since the 2005-06 season … Give the Jayhawks a 8-11 mark versus Texas, including a 4-4 mark in games played in Austin … Mark Kansas’ second-straight win over the Longhorns in Austin … Give Kansas its first Big 12 road win since winning at Missouri on March 1, 2007, snapping a streak of 12 cosecutive losses … Make KU 78-123 all-time in Big 12 Conference action and a 277-262 all-time mark versus Big 12 Conference schools … Improve Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson to 3-2 versus Texas … Give Henrickson a 71-73 mark at Kansas and a 229-135 overall record … Make Kansas 667-471 all time.

A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…

Drop KU to 13-9 for the second-straight season … Make the series versus UT 7-12, including an 2-3 mark for KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson … Give the Jayhawks a 3-5 mark versus the Longhorns in games played in Austin … Make KU 77-124 overall versus the Big 12 Conference … Drop Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record at KU to 70-74 and her overall mark to 228-136 … Make Kansas 666-472 all time.