Kansas Heads To Michigan State For WNIT Third Round Game

March 25, 2008

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Game Notes

OPENING TIP

The University of Kansas women’s basketball team will travel to East Lansing, Mich., for its third round 2008 Postseason WNIT match-up with Michigan State on Thursday, March 27. Kansas (17-15, 4-12 Big 12) advanced to the game after defeating Evansville, 82-60, in Allen Fieldhouse on Monday, March 24. MSU (20-13, 10-8 Big Ten) knocked off Bowling Green, 74-66, in the second round after also receiving a first-round bye. Game time is slated for 6 p.m. (CT) at the Breslin Center.

FAST BREAKS

-Four Jayhawks turned in double-figure performances in KU’s 82-60 win over Evansville, led by sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray’s 20 points. Fellow sophomore guards Sade Morris (16 points) and Kelly Kohn (10 points), along with freshman center Krysten Boogaard (10 points) were also in double digits.

-Junior guard Ivana Catic returned to the starting line-up versus Evansville, after coming off the bench during KU’s previous three outings. Catic turned in a game-high seven assists and had just one turnover in her 25 minutes of play.

-Kansas shot a season-high 69.2 percent from beyond the arc versus the Purple Aces. Sophomores Danielle McCray (2-2), Sade Morris (3-3) and Kelly Kohn (2-2) each made all of their three-point attempts in the game.

-Freshman center Krysten Boogaard pulled down a game-high 11 rebounds in KU’s win over Evansville. Boogaard also tallied 10 points, marking her fourth double-double of the season.

-Kansas is 1-0 versus the Big Ten this season, having defeated Indiana, 69-61, on Dec. 9, 2007.

-Jayhawk reserve forward Rebecca Feickert saw her first action of the season versus Evansville.

A LOOK AT MICHIGAN STATE

The Spartans are 20-13 overall and tallied a 10-8 mark in Big Ten play leading up to Thursday’s game versus the Jayhawks. Michigan State is led on the season by sophomore center Allyssa DeHaan with 14.4 points and 7.5 rebounds. The 6-foot-9 center has recorded 132 blocks on the season, which ranks second in the NCAA. DeHaan has made 48.1 percent of her shots from the field, while also shooting an outstanding 84.9 percent from the charity stripe. Joining DeHaan in double digits is freshman forward Kalisha Keane with 12.2 points per outing. Keane also pulls down 5.6 boards a game, while ranking second on the squad with 57 steals. Freshman guard Brittney Thomas adds 7.5 points, while leading the Spartans with 120 assists and 60 steals in her first college basketball season. Senior guard Courtney Davidson comes off the bench to lead MSU with 42 three-point baskets on the season on her way to 7.5 points per game. Michigan State head coach Suzy Merchant is 20-13 in her first season at the helm of the Spartan program. She owns an overall coaching mark of 221-133 in her 13th season in the business.

KANSAS-MICHIGAN STATE SERIES HISTORY

The Jayhawks and Spartans will be meeting for the first time. Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson is 1-0 versus MSU from her days on the sidelines at Virginia Tech.

A LOOK AT KANSAS

Kansas enters Thursday’s contest with a 17-15 overall mark, including a 4-12 Big 12 Conference record. Sophomore guard/forward Danielle McCray is the top Jayhawk in scoring (14.8) and rebounding (7.1). McCray also leads the Jayhawks in steals with 50. Fellow sophomore guard Sade Morris is almost in double figures in points per game with 9.9 tallies an outing. Morris also gives KU 3.5 boards and 2.5 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 9.4 points a game to go along with 5.6 caroms per contest. Boogaard also leads the Jayhawks in blocks with 35 on the season, while shooting 51.3 percent from the field. Senior forward Taylor McIntosh is second on the team in rebounding with 6.7 boards per game, while also dropping in 6.7 points. Sophomore guard LaChelda Jacobs has been coming on strong as of late and is averaging 6.0 points on the season, while also collecting 49 dimes. Freshman forward Nicollette Smith comes off the bench to provide 5.9 points per game and leads KU with 43 triples on the season. The Jayhawks are coached by Bonnie Henrickson who owns a 57-64 mark in her fourth season at the helm of the Kansas program. Henrickson owns an overall coaching mark of 215-126 in 11 seasons on the sidelines.

SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION

-Kansas has one native of Michigan on its roster in sophomore guard Kelly Kohn of Adrian. Michigan State does not have any Sunflower state natives on its roster.

-KU sophomore Kelly Kohn and Michigan State assistant coach Rick Albro hail from the same hometown in Adrian, Mich.

-Jayhawk Director of Basketball Operations Trena Anderson served in the same capacity at Michigan State from 2001-03.

-Kansas freshman center Krysten Boogaard and Michigan State forward Kalisha Keane and Alisa Wulff are all natives of Canada. Boogaard is from Saskatchewan, while Keand and Wolf hail from Ontario.

-Kansas and Michigan State have five common opponents on the season in Evansville, Hartford, Oklahoma, Kansas State and Indiana. Both teams recorded 3-3 marks against the common foes.

KU IN THE WNIT

KU is playing in the WNIT for the second time under its current format, and also played 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 48 teams. KU is 2-1 in the current WNIT format having knocked off Northern Iowa, 59-49, before falling to Ole Miss, 78-76, in the second round in 2006 to go along with its win over Evansville on Monday.