Women's Basketball Welcome #5/6 Baylor To Allen Fieldhouse For Senior Night
March 3, 2009
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Game Notes in PDF Format
OPENING TIP
The University of Kansas (16-11, 5-9) women’s basketball team hosts Baylor (23-4, 11-3) on Wednesday, March 4 for “Senior Night.” The Jayhawks and Bears will tip-off at 7 p.m., in Allen Fieldhouse. Following the game, Kansas will honor its three seniors Ivana Catic, Katie Smith and Marija Zinic, along with junior Rebecca Feickert, who will be playing her last game in a Jayhawk uniform Wednesday.
FAST BREAKS
-Kansas is attempting to collect four-straight wins in conference play for the first time since the 1999-2000 season, when they finished with an 11-5 mark in league play and had a five-game winning streak against Big 12 foes.
-The Jayhawks are 12-3 in home games on the season, including a 4-3 mark in Big 12 Conference games played in Allen Fieldhouse. KU has won back-to-back home games in conference play with wins over Iowa State and Nebraska.
-Junior guard-forward Danielle McCray has scored 20 or better in 14 games on the season, including nine of the last 12 outings. McCray, who is leading KU with 19.4 points per game, ranks second in the Big 12 Conference in scoring behind only Andrea Riley of Oklahoma State.
-Kansas junior Sade Morris has now scored in double figures in six-straight games with 15 points in KU’s win over Nebraska. On the season, Morris has tallied 10 or more points in 19-of-25 games. Morris averages 12.0 points per game on the season, second best on the team.
-KU sophomore forward Nicollette Smith scored 13 points in the Jayhawks win over Oklahoma State and followed that up with a nine-point performance against Nebraska. Smith scored all 13 of her points at Oklahoma State in the second half of play, including eight during a decisive stretch of play for KU. She then scored all nine of her points versus Nebraska in the opening frame.
-Jayhawk senior Ivana Catic had an oustanding game in KU’s home win over Nebraska. Catic knocked down 5-of-10 shots on her way to a season-high 10 points. She also dished two assists and had just one turnover in her 34 minutes of play. Catic has scored 15 points in KU’s last two games, both wins, despite averaging just 2.7 points per game on the season.
A LOOK AT BAYLOR
The #5/6 Bears are 23-4 overall and 11-3 in the Big 12 Conference entering Wednesday’s game at Kansas. Baylor is one of six ranked teams in the Big 12 and is still battling for the Big 12 title with two games remaining in the regular season. Baylor has been led on the season by Danielle Wilson with 15.1 points and 9.6 rebounds, but Wilson was injured in the Bears’ last outing at Texas and did not return to the game following her injury. Senior Jessica Morrow is averaging 10.9 points per game and leads BU with 33 three-point baskets on the season, while senior Jhasmin Player is turning in 10.6 points and 5.5 rebounds per game. Senior Rachel Allison is nearly in double figures with 9.0 points per game, to go along with 5.8 caroms per contest. Sophomore Kelli Griffin leads the Bears with 93 assists and sophomore Melissa Jones is the top in steals with 40.Head coach Kim Mulkey, who led the Bears to the 2005 NCAA title, is 231-64 in her ninth season at the helm of the BU program. Mulkey’s overall coaching mark is the same.
KU-BAYLOR SERIES HISTORY
The Bears lead the all-time series 12-6, including an 4-3 mark in games played on Lawrence. Baylor has won 10-staight games in the series, including last season’s 59-35, win in Waco. KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson is 0-4 versus BU.
A LOOK AT KANSAS
Kansas enters Wednesday’s game with a 16-11 overall record, including a 5-9 ledger in Big 12 Conference play after picking up three-straight wins over Iowa State, Oklahoma State and Nebraska in its last three outings. Led by a pair of double figures scorers in Danielle McCray and Sade Morris, the Jayhawks are out scoring their opponents by 8.1 points per game. McCray tops the Jayhawk scorers with 19.4 points per game, while Morris adds 12.0. Sophomore Krysten Boogaard is next with 9.0 points per game. In addition, Nicollette Smith and LaChelda Jacobs are adding 7.6 and 7.3 points per game, respectively. KU is shooting 45.4 percent from the field, while holding its opponents to just 38.1 percent field goal shooting. Three different Jayhawks are making better than 50.0 percent of their shots, led by Rebecca Feickert at 60.0 percent. The Jayhawks have recorded 199 steals on the season, led by McCray with 39 pilfers. Jacobs is the leader in assists with 93 dimes, while Ivana Catic has dished 82 assists and Morris 60. McCray is pulling down a team-leading 7.7 rebounds and Boogaard is grabbing 5.3 per game. Kansas is also shooting well from the three-point line as it has connected on 127-of-331 shots from beyond the arc, good for 38.4 percent, tops in the Big 12 Conference. McCray is leading the way from beyond the arc as she has knocked 50-of-128 shots. Ivana Catic leads the Jayhawks from the foul line as she has connected on 26-of-30 attempts. McCray has connected on 85.5 percent of her foul shots.
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
-Kansas has two players from the state of Texas in juniors LaChelda Jacobs (Mansfield) and Porscha Weddington (Temple). Baylor 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 BU did not face any common opponents outside of league competition this season.
LAST TIME VERSUS BAYLOR
Sophomore guard LaChelda Jacobs led Kansas with nine points in her return to her home state, but #6/7 Baylor claimed a 59-35 win over the Jayhawks, spoiling the Mansfield, Texas native’s return home. The Jayhawks got on the board first with a baseline jumper from sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray on their opening possession, but Baylor took over from there. A three-point basket by senior guard Angela Tisdale gave BU its first lead of the game at 3-2 and they never trailed again. The Bears overwhelmed KU inside, racing out to a 33-13 halftime lead behind nine points by center Danielle Wilson. BU controlled a 23-13 advantage on the boards through the first 20 minutes of play and held the Jayhawks to just 27.3 percent shooting from the field. Despite a slow start, KU kept the scoring margin closer in the second half as Kansas had 22 points and Baylor tallied 26. The Jayhawks also held the Bears to a 23.1 shooting percentage in the final 20 minutes, while the Jayhawks hit 37.5 percent. In addition to Jacobs’ nine points, senior forward Taylor McIntosh turned in eight points and McCray finished with six. McIntosh and sophomore guard Sade Morris each pulled down seven rebounds to lead the Jayhawks on the backboards. Junior forward Rachel Allison led Baylor with 11 points and eight rebounds, while junior forward Jessica Morrow finished with 10 points in the win.
A KANSAS WIN WOULD…
Make Kansas 17-11 for the first time since the 2005-06 season … Give the Jayhawks a 7-12 mark versus Baylor, including an 4-4 mark in games played in Lawrence … Give Kansas its first four-game conference win streak since collecting five-straight Big 12 Conference wins during the 1999-2000 season … Mark KU’s sixth conference win of the season, the most conference victories in a season under head coach Bonnie Henrickson (2005,06; 5-11) … Make KU 81-126 all-time in Big 12 Conference action and a 280-265 all-time mark versus Big 12 Conference schools … Improve Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson to 1-4 versus Baylor … Give Henrickson a 74-76 mark at Kansas and a 232-138 overall record … Make Kansas 670-474 all time.
A KANSAS LOSS WOULD…
Drop KU to 16-12 overall and 5-10 in Big 12 play … Make the series versus BU 6-13, including an 0-5 mark for KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson … Give the Jayhawks a 3-5 mark versus the Bears in games played in Lawrence … Make KU 80-127 overall versus the Big 12 Conference … Drop Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record at KU to 73-77 and her overall mark to 231-139 … Make Kansas 669-475 all time.
