Women's Basketball Takes On Drake Friday
Nov. 21, 2007
LAWRENCE, Kan. –
Game Notes
OPENING TIP
The University of Kansas women’s basketball team looks to stay in the winning column when they open play in the 2007 SMU Hoops for the Cure Classic in Dallas with a game versus Drake, Friday, Nov. 23, at 5p.m. KU enters the contest with a 2-0 mark after defeating Hartford (76-72) and UMKC (64-58) in Allen Fieldhouse. Drake enters Friday’s match-up with a 2-2 mark, but riding a two-game win streak heading to Dallas.
FAST BREAKS
-Two Jayhawks are averaging double figures in scoring after two games. Sophomores Sade Morris (15.0) and Danielle McCray (12.5) are both turning in 10-plus points per outing, while freshman Nicollette Smith is not far behind with 9.5 tallies per game.
-Two of KU’s three freshman have already had double-digit scoring efforts. Forward Nicollette Smith paced the Jayhawks with 19 points in the season-opener versus Hartford, while center Krysten Boogaard had 10 points in the Jayhawks’ win over UMKC.
-The Kansas bench has outscored their counterparts, 60-41, through the first two games.
– Junior guard Katie Smith recently turned 21. Smith blew out her candles on Sunday, Nov. 18.
KU-DRAKE SERIES HISTORY
The Jayhawks and Bulldogs will be meeting for the 18th time, with KU leading the all-time series 11-6. Drake leads 2-1 in games played on a neutral court. The Jayhawks have come away victorious in the two teams’ last five meetings, however, Drake and KU have not met since the 1992-93 season.
A LOOK AT DRAKE
The Bulldogs are off to a 2-2 mark to open the 2007-08 season. Drake dropped games to Wisconsin Green Bay (78-66) and Iowa (62-50) before picking up consecutive wins over Sacramento State (89-52) and Weber State (78-64). A pair of players are turning in double figures for the Bulldogs with seniors Lindsay Whorton and Jill Martin each posting 17.3 points per game. Martin leads DU on the boards with 7.0 per outing, while Whorton is second on the team with 5.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore Jordann Plummer adds 8.5 points per game, while also leading the Bulldogs with eight steals on the season. Drake has forced their opponents into 81 turnovers, while only committing 50 of their own miscues. The Bulldogs are coached by Amy Stephens, who is 63-63 in her fifth season at the helm of the Drake program. Stephens owns an overall mark of 260-106.
A LOOK AT KANSAS
The Jayhawks enter Friday’s game sporting a 2-0 mark for the third time in four seasons under head coach Bonnie Henrickson. With KU’s 64-58 win over UMKC in its last outing, Henrickson reached the 200 win plateau in just the beginning of her 11th season on the sidelines. Henrickson’s career record stands at 200-111, while her record at KU is 42-49. Senior Taylor McIntosh recorded her first double-double of the season and fifth of her career with 13 points and 12 rebounds versus UMKC. She became the fourth different Jayhawk to score in double figures through the first two games. The Jayhawks have an edge over their opponents in nearly every statistical category through two games, most notabely at the free throw line where they are shooting an outstanding 82.1 percent as a team.
SIX DEGREES OF SEPARATION
– Kansas sophomore Danielle McCray hails from the Kansas City area, while three players on the Drake roster hail from the greater Kansas City area in senior guard Lindsay Whorton (Independence, Mo.), sophomore guard Kaniesha Agee (Kansas City, Mo.) and sophomore forward Monique’ Jones (Lee’s Summit, Mo.).
– Jayhawk senior forward Jamie Boyd is a native of Underwood, Iowa.
– KU sophomore guard LaChelda Jacobs will be having a homecoming of sorts as the Mansfield, Texas native will be playing in her homestate during the tournament. Jacobs’ hometown is just over 30 minutes from Dallas. Her Jayhawk teammate Porscha Weddington is also a Texas native as she hails from Temple, Texas. Kansas versus the
MISSOURI VALLEY CONFERENCE
KU is 74-28 (.725 winning percentage) all-time versus the Missouri Valley Conference. KU has played seven members of the 10-member league. Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson is 3-1 (.750 winning percentage) against the conference, owning a 2-1 mark against Creighton and a 1-0 record versus Northern Iowa. The following is KU’s record versus the Missouri Valley Conference: Team Record Creighton 16-12 Drake 11-6 Illinois State 2-0 Indiana State 1-0 Missouri State 9-3 Northern Iowa 5-0 Wichita State 30-7 Totals 74-28
KU IMPRESSIVE VERSUS NON-CONFERENCE OPPONENTS
The Jayhawks have compiled an impressive record outside the Big 12 Conference in regular-season play. KU owns a 261-136 (.657 winning percentage) record versus non-conference opponents. The Jayhawks’ best non-conference record came during the 2005-06 season as they collected an 11-0 mark against non-conference foes during the regular season and added another out of conference win during the 2006 WNIT with a win over Northern Iowa.
LAST TIME OUT
University of Kansas sophomore Sade Morris scored 13 points, including her team’s last six, as the Jayhawks held off a late rally by UMKC to improve to 2-0 with a 64-58 victory, marking head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s 200th career win. Henrickson, who also coached at Virginia Tech, improves to 200-111 in her career. The Jayhawks got off to a blistering start, using a 17-3 run, which included a stretch of 10 straight KU points from freshman Krysten Boogaard. Kansas also used a stingy defense that held UMKC under ten points for the game’s first 15 minutes. The Jayhawks eventually took a 38-22 cushion into the halftime break. However, Kansas, which lead by as many as 25 in the first half, slowly began to see its lead dwindle in the second. After scoring the second half’s first seven points, sophomore Danielle McCray, who scored 12 in the game, had to sit after picking up her fourth foul, and the Kangaroo’s took advantage. Following a basket by senior Taylor McIntosh made the score 47-26 in favor of KU early in the second, UMKC staged a 14-2 run to close the gap to 49-40 at the ten-minute mark. It was the first time Kansas’ lead fell below double-digits since midway through the first half. However, the Jayhawks answered back, extending their lead back to 15 at the 6:03 mark on a McIntosh jumper. UMKC answered again, though, using a 10-2 run to make the score 60-54 with 1:26 remaining. But Morris, a Norman, Okla., native, stymied the Kangaroo momentum by nailing a jumper with just under a minute to play, giving Kansas an eight-point lead and control of the game. Morris would then add two clutch free-throws with 13 seconds left after UMKC had closed to within four to secure the victory for her team. McIntosh finished with 13 points and 12 rebounds, marking her fifth-career double-double. Boogard also turned in a strong performance in her second-career outing, scoring 10 points while grabbing five boards. KU forced 20 UMKC turnovers which led to 21 points and outscored the Kangaroos in the paint, 28-18. The Jayhawks also held UMKC to just 29.7 percent shooting.
UMKC LEFTOVERS
– Kansas improved to 13-3 all-time against the Kangaroos, including 3-0 under Bonnie Henrickson. The Jayhawks are 8-1 in the series at Allen Fieldhouse.
– Kansas improves to 2-0 for the first time since the 2005-06 season, when the team won its first 12 contests en route to its last postseason appearance (NIT).
– Senior Taylor McIntosh scored 13 points and grabbed 12 boards to collect her fifth career double-double, and first since tallying 19 points and 13 rebounds at Oklahoma State last season.
– McIntosh is the second Jayhawk to record a double-double in as many games. In KU’s season opener against Hartford, freshman Nicollette Smith scored 19 points and collected 10 rebounds.
– Freshman Krysten Boogaard scored 10 straight points during a 17-3 KU run midway through the first half. Boogaard became the second freshman in as many games to collect double-digit points with 10 points on 4-of-8 shooting from the field. Against Hartford, freshman Nicollette Smith scored 19 points.
– Sade Morris scored 10 of her 13 points in the second half, including KU’s final six points in the 64-58 victory. Morris also matched a career high with four assists.
– KU held UMKC without a field goal for a nine-minute, 23-second span during the first half.
– The Jayhawks held UMKC to just 25 percent field goal percentage in the first half, the lowest first half total for a KU opponent since the team held Creighton to 24 percent from the field on Nov. 20 of last season.
MAGNIFICENT MORRIS
KU sophomore guard Sade Morris has been the model of consistency through the first two games of the 2007-08 season. The 5-foot-11 guard is averaging a team-leading 15.0 points per game, while also contributing 4.0 assists and 4.0 rebounds for the Jayhawks. She has connected on 11-of-28 shots from the field, including 2-of-3 from beyond the arc. Morris has also made 6-of-7 from the charity stripe. She scored the final six points of the game for Kansas, in sealing the Jayhawks’ win over UMKC, on her way to 13 points. Morris also dropped in a career-best 17 points in the season-opening win over Hartford.
DELECTABLE DISHES
The Jayhawks have collected 35 assists on their 47 baskets this season. Junior guard Ivana Catic and sophomore guard Sade Morris lead the way with eight assists a piece. Eight of the 11 players who have seen action so far this season have dished at least one assist.
FAST STARTERS
During their first two outings, the Jayhawks have raced out to big first halves. KU has outscored its’ opponents 75-49 during the first 20 minutes of action. While they are averaging 37.5 points per game during the first stanza, KU’s scoring is down in the second period as they average 32.5 points per game during the final period of play.
NIFTY NIC
Freshman forward Nicollette Smith was named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Rookie of the Week by a media voting panel for games from Nov. 5-11. The Tulsa, Okla., native turned in a double-double with 19 points and 10 rebounds, both game highs, in her Jayhawk debut. Smith made 4-of-7 shots from beyond the arc and all seven of her free throw attempts, including going 4-of-4 in the final minute, to lead KU to a 76-72 season-opening win over two-time defending America East champion Hartford. She also had two assists in the Jayhawk win. Smith is the fourth Jayhawk to earn Big 12 Rookie of the Week and first since Kelly Kohn was honored on Dec. 18, 2006.
JAYHAWK POWER
For the first time in the history of the University of Kansas athletics the football, men’s basketball and women’s basketball teams are all boasting undefeated records at the same time. The Jayhawk football team is currently ranked No. 2 in the latest BCS rankings and sports a perfect 11-0 mark heading into Saturday’s match-up with Missouri. The KU men’s basketball team is 3-0 and ranked No. 4 in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Coaches’ Poll, while the Kansas women are 2-0 entering Friday’s game with Drake.
THERE’S NO PLACE LIKE HOME
With just three more wins in Allen Fieldhouse, the Jayhawks will have secured their 300th victory on their home court. KU boasts a 297-132 (.692 winning percentage) mark in the historic building. Kansas has had five undefeated seasons at home, posting a 13-0 mark during the 1990-91 season. KU is 31-21 (.596 winning percentage) at home under head coach Bonnie Henrickson.
HENRICKSON TOPS 200
With a 64-58 win over UMKC, Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson hit the 200 win mark. Henrickson has compiled a 200-111 (.643 winning percentage) in her first 10+ seasons on the sidelines. Through her first decade as a head coach, the Willmar, Minn., native, has averaged right at 20 wins per season.
LEADERS OF THE JAYHAWKS
Seniors Jamie Boyd and Taylor McIntosh and junior Ivana Catic have been named tri-captains for the 2007-08 season. It is the second-straight year for both McIntosh and Catic to be bestowed with the honor, while Boyd is serving as a captain for the first time in her Jayhawk career.
BIG 12 PRESEASON POLL
The University of Kansas was tabbed 10th in the preseason poll voted on by the league’s head coaches. Texas A&M edged two-time defending champion Oklahoma for the top spot in the poll. The Aggies return all five starters from last season’s team and received seven first place votes.
MCCRAY GARNERS PRESEASON BIG 12 HONORS
Kansas sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray was tabbed Preseason All-Big 12 honorable mention in a poll of the league coaches. It was the first such honor for the 5-foot-11 Olathe, Kan., native.
UNITED NATIONS
KU has three international players on its 2007-08 roster. Juniors Ivana Catic and Marija Zinic are both natives of Serbia, while freshman Krysten Boogaard hails from Canada. The trio brings Kansas’ all-time list of international players to nine.
ALL IN THE FAMILY
Three members of the Kansas women’s basketball team come from highly athletic families. Sophomores Kelly Kohn and Porscha Weddington and freshman Krysten Boogaard all have current or former professional athletes in their immediate family. Kohn’s brother, Matt, currently plays indoor football for the Ohio Valley Greyhounds, while Weddington’s father, Michael, played collegiately for Oklahoma and professionally for the Green Bay Packers. Boogaard comes from a hockey family. Her older brother Derek plays in the NHL for the Minnesota Wild, while another brother Aaron plays in the Pittsburgh Penguins minor league organization. Several other members of the Jayhawk roster have collegiate athletes among their family members.
DOUBLE TROUBLE
A pair of Jayhawk forwards have notched double-doubles so far on the season. Senior Taylor McIntosh turned in a 13-point, 12-rebound performance in KU’s win over UMKC, while freshman forward Nicollette Smith also doubled up with 19 points and 10 rebounds in her collegiate debut versus Hartford. McIntosh’s double feature was the fifth of her Kansas career, which leads the Jayhawks. Sophomore guard-forward Danielle McCray has collected two double-doubles in her career.
BIG 12 SHOWING POWER EARLY
The Big 12 Conference is well represented in both the Associated Press and USA Today/ESPN Top 25 polls. Oklahoma, Texas A&M, Baylor and Texas are ranked in both polls, while Oklahoma State, Nebraska, Iowa State and Texas Tech are receiving votes. In addition to KU’s Big 12 competition receiving recognition, non-conference opponent California is tabbed in both Top 25 polls, while other out of conference foes, Xavier, Marquette and Hartford are receiving votes in one or both polls.
G’DAY MATE
In early August, the Jayhawks took a 10-day tour of Australia, playing four games and taking in the sites around the country. KU started in Sydney, visiting the Sydney Opera House, the Harbor Bridge and also taking on the Sydney Sharks. Next up was Brisbane for two games and tours of the Crocodile Hunter’s Zoo and Surfer’s Paradise. The final stop on the tour was Cairnes, where the Jayhawks made an all-day trek to the Great Barrier Reef, bungy jumped in the rain forest and also played their final game. KU completed the tour with a 3-1 mark and left the country with an experience of a lifetime.
WEBCAST AVAILABLE
This season, Kansas fans will be able to watch 18 KU home basketball games live via AT&T Jayhawk All Access on kuathletics.com. To subscribe to Jayhawk All Access, log on to kuathletics.com and click on the All Access logo in the upper right corner of the page.
EXCELLENT EXPOSURE
The Jayhawks television and radio coverage is one of the best in the country. KU will be featured on television 24 times this season, including all 18 contests at Allen Fieldhouse. In addition, each of KU’s 16 regular season home games will be featured nationally on ESPN360.com. Kansas will also appear on national television four times. Among the Jayhawk Radio Network affiliates carrying the 2006-07 season includes WIBW (580 AM), which boasts the 11th largest signal in the country. KLWN (1320 AM) of Lawrence will join KCSP (610 AM), weekend games, and KXTR (1660 AM), weeknight games, are a few of the affiliates fans can use to listen to Jayhawk basketball.
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will return home to Allen Fieldhouse for a five-game homestand. KU will open the homestand with Creighton as they close out November versus the Blue Jays with a 7 p.m., game on Tuesday, Nov. 27. Following the Creighton game, KU will host Saint Louis (Dec. 2), Marquette (Dec. 6), Indiana (Dec. 9) and UC Riverside (Dec. 16).
