Kansas Looks to Extend Win Streak at Alabama
Dec. 2, 2011
Game Notes in PDF Format 
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
 |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
|
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
LAWRENCE, Kan. – For just the second time this season, the University of Kansas women’s basketball team will take to the road as the Jayhawks look to improve their 7-0 record at Alabama (5-2) on Sunday, Dec. 4 in a 2 p.m. contest. KU won its only other road test, a 74-73 win at Wake Forest, on Nov. 20.
How to Follow the Jayhawks
Sunday’s contest will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network. Fans can also watch online (for a fee) at www.RollTide.com. Live stats will be available through the KU Athletics website at www.KUAthletics.com.
Fast Breaks
– Kansas is leading the nation with its 51.7 field goal percentage led by Carolyn Davis’ 70.2 percent mark, which ranks in the top five among Division I players.
– In the most recent USA Today/ESPN Coaches Poll, released Nov. 29, Kansas is receiving votes for the second-straight week. The team’s 11 votes put KU at No. 32. Prior to the 2011-12 season, Kansas last appeared in a poll when it received votes on Jan. 17, 2011.
– The Jayhawks are 7-0 for the second-straight season. KU’s best start occurred in 2005-06 when the team reeled off 12 consecutive wins to open the year.
– Kansas is coming off its second-straight game of shooting over 50 percent from the field as the Jayhawks hit a season-high 56.9 percent versus SMU on Dec. 1.
– KU has outrebounded every opponent this season and has also held all seven foes to under 45-percent shooting from the field.
– The trio of Carolyn Davis, Angel Goodrich and Aishah Sutherland has combined for 52 percent of the Jayhawks’ scoring production this season and 39.2 percent of their rebounding.
– Angel Goodrich has five or more assists in 20-straight games. As of Nov. 27, the guard ranked second nationally with her 7.6 apg.
About the Jayhawks
Behind a season-high 56.9 field goal percentage, Kansas defeated SMU 75-52 Thursday night to improve to 7-0 for a second-straight season. KU’s accuracy from the floor was its fifth contest shooting over the 50-percent mark as the team leads the nation with a 51.7 field goal percentage. Leading that mark is junior Carolyn Davis, who ranks in the top five nationally with a 70.2 shooting percentage and team-high 16.2 ppg. Senior Aishah Sutherland junior Angel Goodrich also average double figures for the Jayhawks at 13.6 and 12.7 ppg, respectively. Sutherland also paces Kansas with 9.0 rpg and 10 blocks. Goodrich has been a force on both ends of the court grabbing 4.7 steals per game and dishing 7.6 assists per outing to rank in the top five nationally in both categories. Natalie Knight, who has started all seven games as a true freshman, is behind Goodrich with 2.3 apg but her 45.5 percent shooting from beyond the arc (5-for-11) leads the team.
Sophomore Keena Mays has led the Jayhawks’ bench production adding 8.3 ppg. Sophomore Tania Jackson is second on the team pulling down 5.6 rpg in almost 17 minutes per contest.
Scouting Alabama
Alabama is coming off a busy weekend in which it won the Paradise Jam in St. Thomas going 2-1 over the Thanksgiving holiday. The Crimson Tide is 5-2 overall, including 3-0 in Foster Auditorium, and hosts Southeastern Louisiana Friday night before welcoming Kansas Sunday. Erika Russell loves to shoot the three-pointer and has made 17 treys so far this year to score a team-high 14.0 ppg. Jasmine Robinson is right behind averaging 13.6 ppg. The pair are the only players to start all seven games this season. On the glass, Erin Hogue is tops on the team with 8.3 rpg, while Aneesah Daniels comes off the bench to add 6.0 boards per contest. Daniels is also hitting a team-high 50.0 percent of her shots but has taken just 34 attempts from the floor. Meghan Perkins owns a 40.5 field goal percentage and leads Alabama shooting 86.4 from the free throw line to add 11.3 ppg.
Series History
Kansas and Alabama met for the first time in series history last season on Dec. 12 as KU won 79-57 in Lawrence. Carolyn Davis led all scorers with 24 points while Monica Engelman poured in 22 tallies to go along with a team-high six assists. Aishah Sutherland registered a double-double with 17 points and 12 rebounds, while Keena Mays grabbed a career-high 11 rebounds and tied for the team lead with six assists.
Kansas began the second half with a 13-1 run in the first five minutes to take a commanding 47-30 lead and never let the Crimson Tide get closer than 12 points for the remainder of the game. KU pulled away in the final 2:40, going on an 8-0 run to coast to the 22-point final margin. Kansas shot 58.8 percent from the field and outscored Alabama 48-18 in the paint. Defensively, the Jayhawks held Alabama to 26.6 percent field goal shooting, including 15.8 percent (3-19) from three-point range.
Up Next
The Jayhawks are back in action on Thursday, Dec. 8 to host Wisconsin at 7 p.m. as part of the Big 12/Big Ten Challenge.
