Jayhawks Extend Win Streak, Defeat Nebraska, 70-57
Feb. 28, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Led by Danielle McCray’s 18 points and six rebounds, the Kansas women’s basketball team extended its win streak to three games as it defeated the Nebraska Cornhuskers, 70-57, in Allen Fieldhouse Saturday night.
While much of the game was hotly contested, turnovers doomed the Huskers in the second half. The Jayhawks, who led by as many as 16 points, forced 17 NU turnovers and turned them into 24 points.
McCray opened the second half with a quick basket and the Jayhawks turned another Husker turnover into an Ivana Catic lay-up to take back the lead, 32-31, one minute into the period. The two teams continued to trade leads for the next seven minutes until KU slowly started to take control. Junior Sade Morris and Catic scored 10 of KU’s 11 points during a four-minute stretch that gave the Jayhawks some breathing room. Kansas went up, 48-39, on another Catic lay-up with 9:32 left on the clock.
Kansas kept the game in hand from that point on, never allowing NU to come within single digits again. Freshman Aishah Sutherland did not play in the first half, but gave a strong second-half performance, grabbing eight rebounds, blocking three shots and scoring 12 points in 18 minutes of play.
The Jayhawks struck first when Danielle McCray put Kansas on the board with a drive to the basket and subsequent foul. The basket counted and McCray sunk the free throw to give KU a 3-0 lead. The Jayhawks continued on a 10-0 run before Nebraska scored its first basket at the 16:15 mark.
The Cornhuskers then went on a 10-2 run of their own and back-to-back KU turnovers allowed NU to climb back within five points midway through the first period. Kansas countered with strong defense and built the lead back up to 11, but the Huskers fought back to take their first lead of the game with just over two minutes remaining in the half. Nebraska would then take a slim 31-28 advantage to the locker room.
Everyone got involved in the first half for the Jayhawks as seven different players scored, led by McCray and Nicollette Smith’s nine points apiece. Smith was 3-of-4 from three-point land and grabbed four rebounds in the first half. Smith finished with nine points and five rebounds.
Catic tallied a season-high 10 points on 5-of-10 shooting while Smith dished out a career-high tying four assists.
KU will return to action on Wednesday evening when they play host to Baylor. Game time is slated for 7 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse.
