Jayhawks Take On Cowgirls In Big 12 Championship Quarterfinals
March 12, 2008
KANSAS CITY, Mo. –
Game Notes
OPENING TIP
The Kansas women’s basketball team will take on Oklahoma State in the quarterfi nals of the 2008 Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Championship on Wednesday, March 12. KU (16-14, 4-12) the 11th seed advanced to the quarterfi nal round with a 73-67 win over Nebraska in the opening round of action. OSU (23-6, 11-5) received a fi rst round bye as the third seed and will be playing its fi rst game in the tournament when it matches up with the Jayhawks. Game time is slated for 8:30 p.m. in Municipal Auditorium with a live telecast on Fox Sports Net.
FAST BREAKS
-Kansas snapped a fi ve-game losing streak with its 73-67 win over Nebraska on Tuesday evening. The win marked the second-straight opening round win in the Big 12 Championship for the Jayhawks. KU is now 8-11 all-time in Big 12 Championship action.
-The Jayhawks are 2-0 on the season in neutral site games. KU defeated Drake 69-64 in Dallas in November and knocked off Nebraska, 73-67, in Kansas City in its last outing.
-KU senior forward Taylor McIntosh recorded her fi fth double-double of the season and ninth of her career with 13 points and 11 rebounds. McIntosh was perfect on the evening making all fi ve of her shots from the fi eld and all three of her free throws. McIntosh’s 100 percent shooting night set a new Kansas record for fi eld goal percentage in a Big 12 Championship game. She also recorded two assists and two blocks.
-Kansas sophomore Kelly Kohn came off the bench with 11 points in KU’s win over Nebraska. It marked the fi rst time this season Kohn has reached double fi gures. She made 4-of-6 shots from the fi eld, including 2-of-4 from three-point range. Kohn also dished two assists in her 16 minutes of action.
A LOOK AT OKLAHOMA STATE
The Cowgirls enter Wednesday’s game with a 23-6 overall mark and fi nished regular season play with an 11-5 ledger in Big 12 games. OSU is led on the season by sophomore guard Andrea Riley with 22.8 points and 3.4 assists per game. Senior guard Danielle Green also scores in double fi gures with 13.3 points per game. Green pulls down 7.4 boards, which ranks second on the team behind junior forward Shaunte’ Smith who grabs 8.4 rebounds per game, while also turning in 9.1 points a game. Senior center Maria Cordero adds 9.6 points and 5.9 caroms per contest. Riley, whose 22.8 points per game ranks sixth nationally, was tabbed fi rst team All-Big 12 in a panel of the league coaches. She was also recently named a second team All-American by Sports Illustrated. Oklahoma State head coach Kurt Budke is 49- 39 in his third season in Stillwater. Budke owns an overall mark of 402-86 in his 17th season.
KANSAS-OKLAHOMA STATE SERIES HISTORY
The Jayhawks lead the all-time series 28-21, including a 5-3 mark in games played at neutral sites. OSU knocked off KU 59-54 in the two teams’ Big 12 Conference opener this season. The Jayhawks and Cowgirls faced off in last year’s Big 12 Conference Championship opening round. KU prevailed in a 71-62 upset of the Cowgirls.
A LOOK AT KANSAS
Kansas enters Wednesday’s contest with a 16-14 overall mark, including a 4-12 record in Big 12 Conference action, after knocking off the sixth-seeded Nebraska Cornhuskers 73-67 on Tuesday evening. Sophomore guard/forward Danielle McCray is the top Jayhawk in scoring (14.5) and rebounding (6.9). McCray also leads the Jayhawks in steals with 49. Fellow sophomore guard Sade Morris is almost in double fi gures in points per game with 9.9 tallies an outing. Morris also gives KU 3.6 boards and 2.4 assists per game. Freshman center Krysten Boogaard was inserted into the starting line-up after the team returned from its holiday break and ranks third on the team in scoring with 9.1 points a game to go along with 5.4 caroms per contest. Boogaard also leads the Jayhawks in blocks with 33 on the season, while shooting 50.0 percent from the fi eld. Senior forward Taylor McIntosh is tied for the team lead in rebounding with 6.9 boards per game, while also dropping in 6.9 points. Junior point guard Ivana Catic is the team-leader in assists with 3.1 dishes per game, while also collecting 42 pilfers on the year. Freshman forward Nicollette Smith comes off the bench to provide 6.1 points per game and leads KU with 41 triples on the season. The Jayhawks are coached by Bonnie Henrickson who owns a 56-63 mark in her fourth season at the helm of the Kansas program. Henrickson owns an overall coaching mark of 214-125 in 11 seasons on the sidelines.
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
-Kansas has two players from the state of Oklahoma in sophomore Sade Morris (Norman) and freshman Nicollette Smith (Tulsa). Oklahoma State does not have any native Kansans on its roster. OSU head coach Kurt Budke is a 1984 graduate of Washburn University in Topeka, Kan.
-KU sophomore guard Sade Morris and OSU junior guard Taylor Hardeman are both graduates of Norman High School in Norman, Okla. The duo teamed up for two seasons under head coach Matilda Mossman, leading Norman High to the Class 6A state title in 2005.
