KU Women To Host Northern Iowa In WNIT

March 14, 2006

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Tickets for the event may be purchased online or by calling 1-800-34-HAWKS. Prices are $8 for adults and $4 for youth. KU students will be admitted with their student ID.

Kansas Jayhawks vs. Northern Iowa Panthers
Game #29 – Thursday, March 16, 2006 – 7 p.m. – Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)

Radio
Jayhawk Radio Network: Nate Bukaty (play-by-play), Brian Hanni (color).

Live video streaming, Gametracker and post-game results will be available on Kansas Athletics’ official website, kuathletics.com.

Television
None.

Records
Kansas is 16-12 overall, 5-11 in the Big 12 and has lost its last two. Northern Iowa is 19-10 overall, 12-6 in the Missouri Valley and has lost three of its last four.

Rankings
None.

Coaches
Bonnie Henrickson is 28-28 in her second year at Kansas and 186-90 in her ninth season overall. The Panthers are coached by Tony DiCecco who is 166-147 in his 11th year at Northern Iowa and as a head coach overall.

Series History
Kansas leads the all-time series over Northern Iowa 4-0 including two meetings in Lawrence and two in Cedar Falls, Iowa. The last meeting saw KU top UNI 95-71 on Dec. 2, 1995 in Allen Fieldhouse.

Jayhawk Storylines
– KU is in the postseason for the first time since 2000 when KU fell 71-69 in double overtime to Vanderbilt in the NCAA first round in Ruston, La. It marks the third time KU has played in a postseason Women’s NIT tournament and the 17th all-time postseason appearance for the Jayhawks.
– Kansas played 14 games against teams who made the postseason this year including seven Big 12 teams, Florida International and Pepperdine. The Jayhawks went 5-9 in those games including a 3-5 record against teams participating in the WNIT.
– Kansas’ 16 wins are the most since 1999-2000. The Jayhawks opened the year with a school-record 12-game winning streak.
– KU is hosting postseason play for the first time since 1997 when it hosted the NCAA first and second rounds. This marks the seventh time KU has hosted a postseason event.
– If Kansas can defeat UNI, the Jayhawks will play either Saturday, March 18 or Sunday, March 19 against Mississippi in Allen Fieldhouse at a time to be determined.

The Matchup
The University of Kansas women’s basketball team (16-12, 5-11 Big 12) under second year head coach Bonnie Henrickson has been selected to play in the postseason WNIT. The Jayhawks will play the University of Northern Iowa (19-10, 12-6 Missouri Valley) on Thursday, March 16 at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse. Should the Jayhawks win, KU would play the University of Mississippi on Saturday, March 18 or Sunday, March 19 at a time to be determined in Allen Fieldhouse.
The postseason appearance is Kansas’ first since 2000 and 17th in school history.
UNI is making its third appearance in the WNIT after finishing third in the Missouri Valley Conference regular-season standings. Ole Miss (16-13) is also making its third WNIT appearance.
KU has never played in the WNIT under its current format, but did play in the NWIT twice — in 1978 and 1991 — when it was an eight-team tournament. The NWIT later went to 16 teams until its final year of 1996. There was no NWIT tournament in 1997. In 1998, the tournament was brought back under the new name WNIT and in 1999, the field expanded to 32 teams. This year, the tournament has expanded to 40 teams.
The Jayhawks enter the postseason led by seniors Crystal Kemp, Erica Hallman and Kaylee Brown who are all having their finest seasons in a Jayhawk uniform. Kemp ranks 22nd in the country with an average of 18.8 points per game to go with 8.3 boards per contest. Hallman is second in scoring with 14.2 points per game and leads the team with 58 three-pointers made. Brown averages 11.3 points per outing while knocking down 55 treys.
Northern Iowa is led by All-Missouri Valley First Team and Defensive Player of the Year Cassie Hager. The 6-7 senior center from Perry, Iowa, averages 16.2 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.2 blocked shots per game. She shoots 52.8 percent from the field and 83 percent from the free throw line. Junior forward Tara King checks in with 14.3 points and 6.0 boards per contest. Junior guard Jessie Biggs posts 9.7 points and a team-best 3.8 assists per outing.
Kansas leads the all-time series against the Panthers 4-0 with all four meetings coming in the mid 1990s. The two last squared off on Dec. 2, 1995 in Lawrence as KU downed UNI 95-71.

More From The Last Game
Kansas couldn’t overcome a hot-shooting Kansas State club and fell to KSU 72-52 in the first round of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship.
After falling behind 12-0 to start the contest, KU used a stingy defense to jump-start the offense and got back in the game with 10 unanswered points. In the process, KU held K-State scoreless for more than six minutes to close within 12-10 at the 10:57 mark. However, KSU hit back-to-back 3-pointers to quickly regain an eight point lead. The Jayhawks tied the game at the 6:55 mark of the first half when senior guard Erica Hallman converted an old-fashioned three-point play to knot the score at 20.
After Kansas tied the score at 24, K-State outscored the Jayhawks 13-3 over the final four minutes of the first half to take a 10-point advantage into halftime.
Near the start of the second half, junior Shaquina Mosley hit a 3-pointer from the baseline, and senior Crystal Kemp knocked down a turn-around jumper to pull KU within eight points 44-36.
Over the next few minutes, both teams traded baskets until KSU went on a 12-4 run to open up a 56-40 lead with just over 8:30 to play.
Kemp, who became just the sixth player in KU history with 1,600 points and 800 rebounds, was KU’s most effective offensive player in the second half. After scoring just three points in the first half (0-3 from the field), she drained 5-of-9 shots in the second half to finish the game with 13 points. She also collected a team-high nine rebounds.
Hallman finished the contest with 10 points and Zinic added 14 to round out KU’s double-figure scorers. Zinic was a perfect 12-of-12 from the free throw line – setting a school record for most FTs made by a KU player in the Big 12 Tournament.

Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson
Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson, one of the top young coaches in the nation, is in her second season at the helm of the Jayhawks. In her first year on the Kansas sidelines, Henrickson led KU to its best record in five seasons and highest Big 12 finish in six campaigns. Following the season, Henrickson was honored with the Carol Eckman Award — given by the WBCA to a coach who exemplifies spirit, integrity, and character through sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and dedication to purpose. Henrickson came to KU after seven successful seasons at Virginia Tech where she compiled a record of 158-62 (.718). Her teams averaged 23 wins per season and advanced to postseason play all seven years including five NCAA appearances. Overall, the Willmar, Minn., native has now been a part of postseason play in 12 of the last 13 seasons. She is 28-28 (.500) at KU and 186-90 (.674) in her career.

Jayhawk Starters
Kansas has used six different starting lineups in 28 games with senior F Crystal Kemp and senior G Kaylee Brown starting every game. Sophomore F Taylor McIntosh (27 starts), senior G Erica Hallman (25), freshman G Ivana Catic (23), junior G Sharita Smith (4), junior G Shaquina Mosley (3), sophomore F Jamie Boyd (1) and freshman G Sophronia Sallard (1) and have all received starting nods. McIntosh, Kemp, Smith, Brown and Hallman have started the last three contests.

Today’s Opponent – Northern Iowa
The University of Northern Iowa Panthers (19-10, 12-6 Missouri Valley) will face Kansas on Thursday, March 16 in the preliminary round of the postseason WNIT. The winner will play the University of Mississippi on Saturday, March 18.
The meeting is the fifth all-time between the two schools with KU holding a 4-0 advantage. Kansas has taken the four meetings by an average margin of 29.75 points. The last meeting saw the Jayhawks down the Panthers 95-71 in Lawrence on Dec. 2, 1995.
UNI is coming off a 62-59 loss to Missouri State in the semifinals of the Missouri Valley Conference Tournament on March 11 in Springfield, Mo. The Panthers were led by junior guard Jessie Biggs with 18 points and seven rebounds in a full 40 minutes. Junior forward Tara King added 15 points. All-MVC First Team selection and Defensive Player of the Year senior center Cassie Hager added 12 points, eight blocks and six rebounds.
Hager paces the UNI attack for the season with 16.0 points, 6.5 rebounds and 4.3 blocks per game. King is second with 14.3 points, while Biggs chips in 10.0 points and a team-high 3.8 assists per outing.
The Panthers score 62.8 points and grab 35.1 rebounds per game while giving up 58.2 points and 34.8 rebounds per contest.
The Panthers are coached by Tony Dicecco, who is 166-147 in his 11th year at Northern Iowa and as a head coach overall.

Kansas/Northern Iowa Notes
Kansas and Northern Iowa are meeting for the fifth time in history with KU owning a 4-0 series advantage. Kansas sophomore Jamie Boyd is a native of Underwood, Iowa. Kansas assistant coach Karen Lange played collegiately at the University of Iowa. KU head coach Bonnie Henrickson previously worked at the University of Iowa as an assistant coach from 1994-96.

The Times They Are A Changing
A quick look at a few of this season’s highlights under second year head coach Bonnie Henrickson…
… First winning season since 1999-2000 … Crystal Kemp named All-Big 12 First Team — the first selection for Kansas since 2000 … A school record average attendance of 3,041, an increase of over 900 per game from last season … First win over a top-25 opponent in 36 tries … Three Academic All-Big 12 First Team honorees … Two Big 12 Player of the Week Awards … Opened season 12-0 to mark the longest winning streak in school history … First 100-point game since 2000 … More games on TV than any other women’s team in the conference.

A Kansas Win Would…
Make the Jayhawks 17-12 overall … Give KU its first postseason win since defeating Marquette in the NCAA Tournament first round in 1999 … Give KU a 5-0 record all-time against Northern Iowa including a 3-0 record in Allen Fieldhouse … Make KU 16-4 at home this season … Make KU 4-3 all-time in postseason Women’s NIT tournaments … Improve head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record to 29-28 at Kansas and 187-90 in her career … Make the Jayhawks 626-426 all-time.

A Kansas Loss Would…
End Kansas’ season with a record of 16-13 overall … Give KU a 4-1 record all-time against Northern including a 2-1 record in Allen Fieldhouse … Make KU 15-5 at home this season … Make KU 3-4 all-time in postseason Women’s NIT tournaments … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 28-29 at Kansas and 186-91 in her career … Make the Jayhawks 625-427 all-time.

Kemp, Hallman Earn All-Big 12
Senior Crystal Kemp was named All-Big 12 First Team and senior Erica Hallman was named Honorable Mention. The all-conference teams, voted on by the league’s coaches, were comprised of 10 first team members, six second team members and 12 honorable mention selections.
Kemp and Hallman earned their honors after both being named Honorable Mention last year during their junior seasons. Kemp becomes the third player in KU history to win first team honors. Former Jayhawk Tamecka Dixon was named first team in the inaugural Big 12 season in 1997, while Lynn Pride was a three-time first team selection from 1998-2000.

Kemp, McIntosh and Boyd Named Academic All-Big 12
Senior Crystal Kemp, sophomore Taylor McIntosh and sophomore Jamie Boyd were named to the 2006 Women’s Basketball Academic All-Big 12 First Team. Kemp, a Topeka, Kan., native majoring in Speech Language and Hearing earned the honor for the third straight year. McIntosh, a Prepharmacy major, and Boyd, a Communication Studies major, both earned the award in their first year of eligibility. Nominated by each institution’s director of student-athlete support services and the media relations offices, the academic all-league women’s basketball squad consisted of 31 first team members combined with seven on the second team. First team members consist of those who have maintained a 3.20 or better GPA, and the second team are those who have a 3.00 to 3.19 GPA.

Most Wins Since 1999-2000
When Kansas defeated Oklahoma State on Jan. 22, it recorded its 13th win of the season to mark the most victories in a season for the Jayhawks since the 1999-2000 season when KU went 20-10 overall, 11-5 in the Big 12 and played in the NCAA Tournament. That team, led by senior Lynn Pride, was the most recent KU team to post a winning record. KU now has 16 victories.

Hallman Reaches 1,000
Senior Erica Hallman cemented her name in the KU record books when she hit a jumper from the right elbow with 19:07 in the first half at Baylor for her 1,000th career point. The Covington, Ky., native is the 19th player in KU history to reach the scoring plateau. Currently at 1,157 points, she is in 15th place on the all-time scoring list, and needs six points to catch Lisa Dougherty for 14th place.

Kemp Among KU’s All-Time Elite
Crystal Kemp became the 18th player in KU history to reach 1,000 career points when she hit a jumper from the right wing with 18:13 on the clock in first half against Texas Tech as a junior last season. Against Birmingham-Southern this year, the Topeka, Kan., native collected her 600th career rebound. Twelve games later against Oklahoma State, she surpassed 700 career boards. At Missouri, she scored her 1,500th point, making her the seventh Jayhawk in history to reach both 1,500 points and 700 rebounds. She reached both 1,600 points and 800 rebounds in the Big 12 Championship against Kansas State as she continues to move up both career lists as she ranks among the top players to ever don the Crimson & Blue.

This & That
– KU trailed by as many as 18 points in the first half of the team’s win against Wisconsin. The 14-point halftime comeback for the victory tied for the third-largest halftime rally in program history.
– Kaylee Brown ranks third on the KU career free throw percentage at 78.6 percent (81-103). Her 77.8 percent shooting this season ranks 10th on the single-season list.
– KU players have recorded 20+ point scoring games 17 times as Crystal Kemp has 12, Erica Hallman has three and Kaylee Brown has two.
– Kemp ranks in the all-time KU top-10 in points (7th-1,605), rebounds (8th-807), field goals made (6th-641), field goals attempted (7th-1,253), field goal percentage (9th-51.2), free throws made (9th-317), free throws attempted (10th-432), free throw percentage (8th-73.4), blocked shots (T-7th-89) and minutes (7th-3,548).
– Hallman ranks second on the all-time KU 3-pointers list with 177 made and 481 attempted. Brown ranks sixth with 105 made and fifth with 331 attempted.
– Hallman ranks third on the all-time assist list with 444 dimes.
– Freshman Ivana Catic’s 133 assists this season rank ninth on the KU single-season list.
– KU’s 50-point loss at Baylor was the largest margin of defeat in school history.
– KU wore red uniforms for the first time at K-State on Jan. 25, and again at Missouri on Feb. 11.

Kemp Named Academic All-District
Senior Crystal Kemp was named ESPN The Magazine Academic All-District VII by the College Sports Information Directors of America on Thursday, Feb. 9. As a first team member, Kemp became eligible for Academic All-America honors to be released at a later date.
The honor is the first for Kemp in her career. She becomes the first KU player to receive an Academic All-District award since Jennifer Jackson was named to the second team in 2001.
A Speech Language and Hearing major from Topeka, Kan., Kemp has been a standout in the classroom throughout her career. She is a two-time Academic All-Big 12 First Team selection and has been a member of the Athletic Director’s Honor Roll every year.
On the court, Kemp is having her best season as a Jayhawk with averages of 19.1 points and 8.2 rebounds per game. She has scored in double figures in every game this season and in her last 24 outings overall. She continues to solidify herself among the elite players to ever don the Crimson and Blue as she is just one of seven Jayhawks in history to reach 1,500 career points and 700 career rebounds.
A student-athlete must have a cumulative GPA of 3.2 or higher to be eligible for the Academic All-District Team.

Seniors Stepping It Up
The senior trio of Crystal Kemp, Erica Hallman and Kaylee Brown are having their best seasons as Jayhawks, ranking 1-2-3 on the KU scoring list.
Kemp is scoring 18.8 points per game after averaging 13.8 a year ago. She has 12 games with 20+ points this season and 10 double-doubles. She is shooting a career-best 53.7 percent from the field this season, and has regained her stroke at the free throw line, shooting a solid 77.6 percent.
Hallman has upped her scoring average to 14.2 this year after scoring 13.1 ppg last year. She is fourth in the conference with 2.23 3-pointers per game and her 58 treys rank in a tie for fifth on the KU single-season list. She has nailed 177 trifectas in her career to rank second on the KU list.
Brown has emerged as a solid third scoring option as a senior, averaging 11.3 points per contest. Last year she averaged 8.9 points per game. Her 55 treys currently rank seventh on the KU single-season list. She has 105 career threes to rank sixth all-time at KU.

Quick Hits
– Kansas’ 66.3 points per game are the most since the Jayhawks averaged 68.4 during the 2000-01 season.
– KU’s 181 steals and 44 blocked shots are both the fewest in school history. The next lowest is 217 steals done last season and 68 blocks done in 1983-84.
– KU’s 425 total assists are its most since 2000-01when the Jayhawks dished 504 assists in 29 games.
– Although Kansas shoots just 69.0 percent from the free throw line this season, the Jayhawks have hit 83.6 percent from the charity stripe over the last 10 outings.
– The Jayhawks’ 138 three-pointers made are the most for the team since KU hit 150 during the 1994-95 season. KU’s 35.8 percent accuracy from 3-point range is the most since 1999-2000 when Kansas shot the same percentage.
– Kansas has won 16 or more games 21 times in school history.
– Senior Erica Hallman is the only player in the Big 12 to average at least 14 points, four assists and four rebounds.
– Senior Crystal Kemp has team’s longest starting streak at 54 games.
– Kansas defeated Creighton (63-52) to go 1-0 against Missouri Valley Conference opponents this season. The Jayhawks are 72-28 all-time against Valley schools.

Kemp Wins Big 12 Player of the Week, Twice
Senior Crystal Kemp has been honored twice this season as the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week by a media voting panel for games played Dec. 5-11, and Dec. 19-Jan. 2. Kemp’s first honor came after averaging 22 points and 7.5 rebounds in wins over UMKC and Wisconsin. She then was named Co-POW along with Oklahoma’s Courtney Paris for games played over the holiday period. In wins over Creighton, Pepperdine and La Salle, the Topeka, Kan., native posted 22.7 points and 8.7 rebounds while leading Kansas to a perfect 11-0 record in non-conference play for the first time in program history. Kemp joined Lynn Pride (1999), Suzi Raymant (1998) and Tamecka Dixon (1997) as the only KU players to win the award twice in a season.

Kemp Chosen Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Senior Crystal Kemp was selected as a preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick by a vote of the league coaches as released on Oct. 18. Last season, Kemp was named postseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after leading the Jayhawks with 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.

Winning The Close Ones
The Jayhawks are 6-0 in games decided by five or fewer points and 3-0 in overtime games. Against Missouri, KU won 81-71 in overtime. KU also has an overtime win at Iowa State and a double overtime win over Wisconsin.

Kansas Inks Seven For `06-’07
Kansas signed seven recruits to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. Below is a quick look at those seven commitments for next season.

Player (position, height, hometown – high school)
Lindsay Ballweg (guard, 5-10, Overland Park, Kan. – St. Thomas Aquinas HS)
Rebecca Feickert (forward/center, 6-2, Goodrich, N.D. – Sheridan County HS)
LaChelda Jacobs (guard, 5-10, Mansfield, Texas – Mansfield Summit HS)
Kelly Kohn (guard, 5-9, Adrian, Mich. – Adrian HS)
Danielle McCray (forward, 6-0, Olathe, Kan. – Olathe East HS)
Sade Morris (forward, 6-0, Norman, Okla. – Norman HS)
Porscha Weddington (forward, 6-1, Temple, Texas – Temple HS)

First Win Over A Top-25 Team Since 2001
Kansas knocked off No. 23/24 Texas on Jan. 3 by a score of 70-61. The win ended a 36-game drought against Top-25 competition since a 69-61 win over No. 6 Iowa State on Feb. 17, 2001. Additionally, the victory ended a six-game losing skid to the Longhorns.

Smith Shuts `Em Down
Junior defensive specialist Sharita Smith has started the last three games because of the pressure she puts on opposing point guards. Whenever she is in the game, she is charged with guarding the opposing team’s top perimeter scoring threat. Some of her most impressive work came in the form of holding Missouri’s LaToya Bond to four points and Iowa State’s Lyndsey Medders to seven points.

Taking Care Of The Ball
The Jayhawks have passed out 425 assists and made 710 field goals, or an assist for every 1.67 field goals made. KU averages 15.18 assists per game while only turning the ball over 14.4 times per game to rank fourth in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio at 1.06. KU has finished a season with a positive assist/turnover ratio only once, in 1986-87, when the team sported a ratio of 1.18. The 14.2 turnovers per game are the fewest since 1986-87 when the Jayhawks averaged just 11.6 miscues per game.

Record Crowds
Kansas enjoyed its highest home attendance average in school history at 3,041 fans per game. In conference games, the average rose to 3,962 per game. The increase was over 900 fans per game from last season’s average. The crowd of 4,025 against La Salle ranked as the third-most in school history for a non-conference game, while the Pepperdine attendance of 3,622 ranked fourth. The 5,634 fans for the Big 12 opener against Texas was the most in the Bonnie Henrickson era, and the ninth-most in school history.

27 Games On TV
With 27 games on the tube, KU’s television package in 2005-06 was the finest in school history and among the very best in the nation for any men’s or women’s team. In fact, other than the Kansas men, no other Big 12 team had more games on television this season. The next closest team in the league is Texas Tech with 21, followed by Texas (16), Oklahoma (13), Baylor (11), Nebraska (10), Kansas State (9), Colorado (9), Iowa State (7), Missouri (6), Texas A&M (5) and Oklahoma State (4). The only two KU games not on TV are at Texas Tech and at Oklahoma. Overall, KU had two games on Fox Sports Net, three games on FSN regional television and three contests on CSTV. Locally, 14 games were produced and aired by Sunflower Broadband in Lawrence, and five contests were produced by Metro Sports of Kansas City.

Mosley Reinstated
Head coach Bonnie Henrickson announced Feb. 20 the reinstatement of junior guard Shaquina Mosley. Mosley was suspended at Henrickson’s discretion on Feb. 14 and missed games against Nebraska and at Iowa State. The Lancaster, Calif., native resumed practice with the team on Feb. 20.

Sallard Out
Freshman reserve guard Sophronia Sallard is currently not playing for medical reasons. Her status for the remainder of the season is unknown. The Syracuse, N.Y., native has played in 15 games with averages of 1.8 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.5 minutes per game.

An All-Star Staff
Joining Bonnie Henrickson on the sidelines are assistant coaches Karen Lange, Kyra Elzy and Katie O’Connor. Also on staff is director of operations Trena Anderson and administrative assistant Katie Capps. Lange, O’Connor and Anderson followed Henrickson from Virginia Tech, while Elzy and Capps both joined KU from Western Kentucky. Prior to WKU, Elzy also worked as an administrative assistant for Henrickson at Virginia Tech. At an average age of less than 29 years old, Henrickson’s three assistant coaches (Lange, Elzy, O’Connor) have already been part of a combined 19 NCAA tournaments, eight Sweet 16s, five Elite Eights, four Final Fours and two National Championships, combined.

Increased Radio Coverage
The Jayhawk Radio Network has improved its coverage over the past two seasons. Stations carrying the Jayhawks include KLWN 1320-AM in Lawrence, KWIC 99.3-FM in Topeka, KFH 98.7-FM in Wichita and KXTR-1660-AM in Kansas City.

Jayhawks Run The Table In Non-Conference
With a 75-72 win over La Salle on Dec. 30, Kansas did something it had never done before by starting a season 11-0 and finishing the non-conference part of the schedule undefeated. The perfect start surpassed the 1991-92 team which went 10-0 before becoming the first of nine straight Jayhawk teams to advance to the NCAA Tournament.

12-0 Not A Bonnie Best
Kansas started the season 12-0 which was not Bonnie Henrickson’s best career start. Her 1998-99 Virginia Tech team won 18 straight to open the season, and her last Hokie team in 2003-04 also rattled off 12.

KU Tough When Scoring 70
Kansas has scored 70 or more points in 13 games. After scoring 57 points at Oklahoma, the Jayhawks’ scoring average dipped just below 70 for the season. KU now sits on 66.3 per outing. Last year, the Jayhawks reached 70 points only four times all season. The last time KU averaged 70 or more points for an entire season was 1999-2000 when the team averaged 70.4. KU’s high scoring game this year came when the squad scored 100 points against New Orleans on Dec. 3. It marked the first time since Dec. 21, 2000 — when KU outscored Mississippi Valley State 116-34 — that Kansas reached 100 points. KU also reached 90 points against Wisconsin — marking the first time in six seasons Kansas scored 90 twice in one season. KU is 12-1 when scoring 70 or more this year.

Serbian Sensations
Kansas welcomed the addition of two international players in 2005-06 with the addition of freshmen Ivana Catic and Marija Zinic — both natives of Serbia & Montenegro. The duo has extensive experience playing together on various teams in their home country. The pair brings Kansas’ all-time list of international players to eight. Other international players to suit up for KU include Bente Dahl (Oslo, Norway – 1985), Sandra de Bruin (Beetgum, Holland – 1990), Suzi Raymant (Melbourne, Australia – 1996-2000), Fernanda Bosi (Americana, Brazil – 2000-01), Leila Mengüç (Stockholm, Sweden – 2000-04) and Valerie Migicovsky (North Bay, Ontario – 2001-03).

No Place Like Home
Kansas played an unprecedented 21 games in Allen Fieldhouse this season including two exhibition contests, all 11 non-conference matchups and eight Big 12 games. The game against Nebraska on Jan. 7 was the first road game for the Jayhawks this season. KU was originally scheduled to play in the UNO Lady Privateer Tournament in New Orleans on Dec. 2-3, but those games were moved to Lawrence as a result of Hurricane Katrina.