Davis Records Perfect Game as Kansas Defeats Colorado 79-72
Feb. 16, 2010
BOULDER, Colo. –
Freshman Carolyn Davis did not miss a single shot all night, shooting 10-for-10 from the field and 8-for-8 from the free-throw line to lead Kansas to a 79-72 victory against Colorado at the Coors Events Center.
Kansas improves to 15-9 overall and 5-6 in Big 12 action, including its first win in Boulder since the 2004-05 season. Colorado drops its seventh-straight contest for a 12-12 overall record and 2-9 mark in league play.
Davis was one point shy of her career-high and tied the Big 12 Conference record for field goal percentage in a single game, as the freshman from Houston, Texas recorded 28 points in the contest, to go along with nine rebounds and three blocked shots. She also made two pivotal free throws in the final minute, which gave Kansas a five-point advantage with just 25 ticks left on the clock.
The Jayhawks led throughout the entire second-half, but the Buffaloes remained a threatening force and eventually pulled within three with 4:42 remaining in the game. With both teams in the double bonus, it became a battle at the charity stripe, but Kansas kept its composure, making 15-of-18 free throws in the final four minutes, including a perfect 6-for-6 in last 18 seconds.
Freshman Monica Engelman also exhibited great poise in the final minutes, as she made all four of her free throw attempts with less than a minute to play. Engelman finished the game with 16 points and tied her career-high in assists (six) and steals (three).
Senior Sade Morris was the third Jayhawk in double figures, as she finished with 18 points on 5-for-11 shooting from the field and 7-for-12 from the line. Morris also added five rebounds and five assists in her 38 minutes of play.
Unlike the second half which was a constant back-and-forth battle, the first period featured several extensive runs. Kansas jumped out to a 6-2 lead to open the contest, but the momentum quickly shifted as Colorado then went on a 17-2 run over the next four minutes, fueled by back-to-back three pointers from CU’s senior guard Bianca Smith.
Trailing 19-8 at the 13:21 mark, the Jayhawks tightened their defense and increased the intensity on the offensive glass, which allowed Davis to score nine consecutive points, four of which came off of put-backs. The Jayhawks closed out the half on a 25-4 run, but Spears nailed a three as time expired to keep the halftime margin within single digits at 33-26.
The Buffaloes had five players reach double digits, including freshman Chucky Jeffery, who tallied a team-leading 19 points and five assists. Junior forward Britney Spears recorded 17 points and 11 rebounds, while Smith chipped in 14.
The Jayhawks will stay on the road for their next contest, as they travel to Lubbock, Texas to play the Red Raiders of Texas Tech at 5 p.m. on Sunday, Feb. 21. The game will be televised on ESPNU
