KU Women To Face Western Illinois

Dec. 7, 2004

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Kansas Jayhawks (3-3) vs. Western Illinois Westerwinds (2-3)

Game #7 – Wed., Dec. 8, 2004 – 7:05 p.m. – Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)

Radio/Television

Jayhawk Radio Network: Nate Bukaty (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (color analyst) call the action. Sunflower Broadband Channel 6: Kevin Romary (play-by-play) and Lynn Harrod (color) call the action.

Records

Kansas is 3-3 and has lost its last two. Western Illinois is 2-3 after winning its last game at Bradley.

Rankings

None.

Coaches

Bonnie Henrickson is 3-3 in her first year at Kansas and 161-65 in her eighth year as a head coach overall. The Westerwinds are coached by Leslie Crane, who is 100-75 in her seventh year at Western Illinois and overall.

Jayhawk Storylines

– Kansas is 3-3 after falling to No. 18 Minnesota 62-45 on Sunday in Minneapolis. KU led from the tip to the 14:47 mark of the second half before the Gophers’ size and depth were too much to overcome.

– Junior Crystal Kemp led all-scorers in the game against Minnesota with 17 points. She also had the task of defending All-American Janel McCarville in the post, who finished with 15 points.

– KU is 0-1 all-time against Western Illinois. The Westerwinds topped KU 48-46 in the Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic on Dec. 7, 2002. Four current Jayhawks played in the last meeting including senior Aquanita Burras who had a game-high 19 points. Three Westerwinds who played in the last meeting are still on the team, in addition to Becky Tyo who is now an assistant coach at WIU.

– Kansas is 20-4 all-time against teams from the Mid-Continent Conference including a 47-36 win over UMKC earlier this season.

– After the game against Western Illinois, KU will get a needed break before its next game. The WIU contest represents the seventh game of the season in a span of 17 days, and the Jayhawks don’t play against until Dec. 18 versus Dartmouth.

Today’s Game

Kansas (3-3) returns to Lawrence to face the Western Illinois Westerwinds (2-3) on Wednesday, Dec. 8 at 7 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse. The game, aired live on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6, will be the sixth home game for the Jayhawks in their first seven games.

KU will be playing its fourth game in a nine-day span, while Western Illinois will be taking the floor for the first time since Dec. 1.

On Sunday at Minnesota, the Jayhawks jumped out to great start and led the Golden Gophers, 19-4, eight minutes into the game. Minnesota made a push midway through the first half, but the Jayhawks fought back and held the lead at halftime, 33-27. KU was able to keep up its pressure for five minutes in the second half before the size and depth of Minnesota became too much to overcome.

Junior forward Crystal Kemp, who had the primary task of guarding All-American and Player of the Year candidate Janel McCarville, led all scorers with 17 points. Junior Erica Hallman continued her strong play, posting 11 points including several acrobatic shots in the lane. Junior Kaylee Brown posted her second double-figure scoring game of the season with 10 points.

For the season, Kemp leads KU with 15.5 points on 59.7 percent shooting and 6.7 rebounds per game. Hallman is second on the team with 11.7 points to go with 4.3 assists per contest. KU is scoring 54.3 points per game on 40.6 percent shooting and grabbing 32.3 rebounds per outing. KU opponents are averaging 50.8 points on 37.2 percent shooting and pulling down 36.0 rebounds per contest.

Western Illinois defeated Bradley 72-57 in Peoria, Ill., on Dec. 1. WIU is paced by junior center Zane Teilane, who is averaging a double-double with 17.4 points and 10.6 boards per game.

WIU is coached by Leslie Crane, who is 100-75 in her seventh year with the Westerwinds and overall. KU and WIU have met only once before with the Westerwinds pulling out a 48-46 victory in the Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic on Dec. 7, 2002.

Last Time Out

Kansas hit the road for the first time this season and fell 62-45 at Minnesota. The Jayhawks led by six at the break, but scored just 12 second half points to drop to 3-3 on the season.

Junior forward Crystal Kemp, who had the primary task of guarding All-American and Player of the Year candidate Janel McCarville, led all scorers with 17 points. Kemp held McCarville to five points and four turnovers in the first half before she finished the game with 15 points. Juniors Erica Hallman and Kaylee Brown also reached double-figures, with Hallman scoring 11 points and Brown chipping in with 10. Rounding out the scoring for the Jayhawks was senior Aquanita Burras, who added seven points.

The Golden Gophers had three players in double-figures led by McCarville’s 15 points, while sophomore Liz Podominick added 14 points and junior Katie Alsdurf scored 13.

The Jayhawks, who led the entire first half, jumped out to a quick 19-4 lead, eight minutes into the game, and took a 33-27 lead into the locker room at intermission. The Gophers tied the game at the 14:47 mark in the second half on two Podominick free throws, and then took over the lead for good on a bucket by Podomick the next time down the floor. Kansas hit just 5-of-18 from the field in the second half.

Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson

Head coach Bonnie Henrickson, in her first season at the helm of the Jayhawks, is one the hottest young coaches in the nation. Henrickson comes to KU after seven successful seasons at Virginia Tech University 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. When Henrickson took over at Tech for the 1997-98 season, she orchestrated the biggest turnaround in school history. She guided her team to a 22-10 record, the school’s first Atlantic 10 Conference title and an NCAA second-round appearance just one season after the Hokies had finished last in the Atlantic 10 Conference with a 10-21 record. Overall, the Willmar, Minn., native has been a part of 11 straight postseason teams entering the 2004-05 season.

Finding The Right Mix

KU has used four different starting lineups in its first six games with freshman Taylor McIntosh, senior Aquanita Burras and junior Erica Hallman starting each game. Junior Kaylee Brown (4 starts), junior Crystal Kemp (4), sophomore Alicia Rhymes (2) and senior Blair Waltz (2) have also made starts.

A Quick Look At the Jayhawks

Junior Crystal Kemp (Topeka, Kan.), the returning team MVP, anchors the inside game. At 6-2, Kemp is the tallest player on the KU roster. Sophomore Alicia Rhymes (Shreveport, La.), freshman Jamie Boyd (Underwood, Iowa) and freshman Taylor McIntosh (Wichita, Kan.) bolster the Jayhawk frontcourt.

As a result of a lack of height, Henrickson may choose to go with a four-out, one-in type of offense, and she has six quality players to work with on the perimeter. Junior Erica Hallman (Covington, Ky.) will carry the brunt of the workload at the point, while junior Kaylee Brown (Arcadia,Okla.), senior Blair Waltz (Leawood, Kan.), senior Aquanita Burras (Colorado Springs, Colo.) and sophomore Sharita Smith (Dallas, Texas) will operate on the wings. Junior Heather Hayes (Derby, Kan.), a late addition to the team, will also see time on the wing.

Tonight’s Opponent – Western Illinois Westerwinds

Western Illinois (2-3) enters the game against Kansas (3-3) after last taking the court at Bradley on Dec. 1 when it defeated the Braves 72-57. The Westerwinds have already faced one Big 12 opponent, Nebraska. NU defeated WIU 74-71 in the Westerwinds’ season-opener in the preseason WNIT. Western Illinois returns three starters among nine letterwinners to a team that went 20-9 overall and 13-3 to finish first in the Mid-Continent Conference in 2003-04.

Last game against Bradley, the Westerwinds were paced by junior center Zane Teilane with 22 points, nine boards and four blocks. Senior guard Rita Costans added 15 points and three assists. Junior forward Samantha Greer and senior guard Jessica Cook added 12 and 10 points, respectively. WIU dominated the game from the free throw line, hitting 18-of-22 attempts.

Through five games, Teilane leads the team with 17.4 points and 10.6 rebounds per game. Cook is posting 15.2 points and Castans adds 10.8 points per game.

Western Illinois is scoring 67.6 points per game on 41.4 percent shooting and grabbing 37.4 boards per game, while giving up 64.8 points per game on 41.9 percent shooting and 35.6 boards per game.

Western Illinois is coached by Leslie Crane, who is 100-75 in her seventh year at WIU and overall.

Series Notes

Western Illinois leads the all-time series 1-0 after defeating the Jayhawks 48-46 in the championship game of the Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic in 2002-03. KU coach Bonnie Henrickson has never faced WIU as a head coach. WIU coach Leslie Crane is 1-0 against Kansas.

Kansas/Western Illinois Last Meeting

Paced by Tugba Palazoglu’s 17 points, WIU handed KU its first loss of the 2002-03 season, 48-46, to win the Holiday Inn Jayhawk Classic.

Tournament MVP Aquanita Burras led KU in scoring for the third straight game, tallying a game-high 19 points and six steals. The sophomore concluded the tournament scoring 37 points on 5-of-7 shooting from 3-point range, adding 11 steals.

After taking a quick 3-2 lead to start the game, the Jayhawks trailed the Westerwinds until the 1:44 mark in the first-half, when they retook the lead 27-24 on a Burras three-pointer. KU went on a 16-4 run to lead 30-24 at the break. Burras and Palazoglu led their respective teams with 12 first-half points as Kansas shot 50 percent from the field and Western Illinois 36 percent.

The Jayhawks clung to their lead in the early part of the second half, but poor shooting and 15 second-half turnovers proved costly. The pesky Westerwinds slowly chipped away at the lead and finally overtook KU at the 7:54 mark on a basket by Palazoglu, to put Western Illinois up for good, 39-38. The Jayhawks were held to 4-of-18 shooting (22 percent) in the second-half.

Sophomore Blair Waltz was the other KU player to finish in double figures with 11 points on 5-of-11 shooting. Freshman Tamara Ransburg, who made the all-tournament team, led the Jayhawks with a game-high 12 rebounds and six blocked shots, to go with five points.

Becky Tyo was the other Westerwind player to finish in double figures, scoring 10 points and a team-high four steals.

A Kansas Win Would

Make KU 4-3 for the first time since 2002-03 … Make KU 1-1 all-time against Western Illinois … Make KU 1-1 against WIU in Lawrence, Kan. … Snap a two-game losing streak … Give Kansas a 4-2 record at home this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 4-3 (.571) at KU and 162-65 (.714) in her career … Make the Jayhawks 601-401 all-time.

A Kansas Loss Would

Make KU 3-4 for the first time since 2001-02 … Make KU 0-2 all-time against Western Illinois … Make KU 0-2 against WIU in Lawrence, Kan. … Give KU a three-game losing streak … Make the Jayhawks 3-3 at home this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 3-4 (.429) at KU and 161-66 (.709) in her career … Make the Jayhawks 600-402 all-time.

Returning For The Jayhawks

Kansas returns seven players and three starters from 2003-04, led by team MVP junior Crystal Kemp who averaged 13.4 points and 5.8 rebounds last year. Other returners with starting experience include senior Blair Waltz, senior Aquanita Burras, junior Kaylee Brown, junior Erica Hallman and sophomore Sharita Smith. Also returning is sophomore Alicia Rhymes.

The Newcomers

Joining the team in 2004-05 are three newcomers including two freshmen and one junior. Below is a quick look at the new faces.

No., Name, Pos., Ht., Cl., Notes

10, Jamie Boyd, F, 6-0, Fr., Winner of the 2004 Ms. Iowa Basketball award.

13, Taylor McIntosh, F, 5-11, Fr., Wichita Heights product scored over 1,400 points.

22, Heather Hayes, G, 5-8, Jr., Began her career at Oral Roberts. Spent last season as a redshirt walk-on for the Jayhawks.

An All-Star Staff

Joining Bonnie Henrickson on the sidelines in her first season at KU are assistant coaches Karen Lange, Kyra Elzy and Katie O’Connor. Also joining the staff is director of operations Trena Anderson and administrative assistant Katie Wulf. Lange, O’Connor and Anderson followed Henrickson from Virginia Tech, while Elzy and Wulf both join 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 28 years old, Henrickson’s three assistant coaches (Lange, Elzy, O’Connor) have already been a part of 19 NCAA tournaments, eight Sweet 16s, five Elite Eights, four Final Fours and two National Championships, combined.

Random Notes

– Senior Aquanita Burras owns the team’s longest starting streak at 63 games. She has started every game of her Kansas career.

– Junior Erica Hallman is in the all-time top 10 at Kansas for three-pointers made (70, T-6th), three-pointers attempted (199, 6th) and three-point field goal percentage (35.2 percent, 8th).

– Junior Crystal Kemp has been moving in and out of the top 10 on the KU all-time free throw percentage list (minimum 50 made). She currently has connected on 171-of-238 free throws for 71.8 percent, which moves her eight one thousandths of a percent out of 10th place.

– Kemp ranks in a tie for 10th (with former Jayhawk Kelly Jennings) on the KU career field goal percentage list at 50.8 percent (306-602).

– Kemp’s 2004-05 season field goal percentage of 59.7 (40-67) ranks fifth in the Big 12 and 30th in the nation through games of Dec. 6.

– Kansas is playing its 37th season of women’s basketball, and it’s 32nd season of basketball in Allen Fieldhouse.

– Bonnie Henrickson is the fifth head coach in KU history.

Program Milestones

With a 67-44 win over Denver on Nov. 30, Kansas became the 30th school in NCAA Division I history to record 600 wins. Two days later on Dec. 2, Kansas played its 1,000th all-time game against Washburn.

Tenacious D

Before the game at Minnesota, KU held three-straight opponents to under 20 points in the first half (UMKC-19, Denver-15, Washburn-19). At Minnesota, the Jayhawks held the Gophers to 27 points, which was a Minnesota season-low. Prior to playing KU, the Gophers averaged 40.5 points in the first half.

Additionally, KU is is holding all opponents to 50.8 points per game which ranks second in the Big 12 and 13th in the nation. KU also ranks fifth in the conference in turnover margin at +3.83.

A Tale Of Two Halves

KU has been impressive in the first half, outscoring its opponents 187-130, and leading at the break in five out of six games. But in the second half, KU is trailing 175-139 and all three losses have come after leading at intermission. As a team, the Jayhawks are averaging 31.2 points per first half on 44.2 percent shooting from the field. In the second half, however, KU is connecting on only 36.4 percent of its shots and averaging 23.2 points.

Putting In Their Time

Part of the reason KU has had trouble holding off opponents in the second half is the amount of minutes that several of the players are having to play. Three players (Erica Hallman-35.2, Aquanita Burras-34.7 and Crystal Kemp-31.0) are playing 31 minutes per game or more, and each rank in the top nine in the conference in time played per game. Of KU’s 10 players, nine are playing over 13 minutes per contest.

Up Next For KU

After the game with Western Illinois, the Jayhawks get a needed rest before returning to Allen Fieldhouse for a game against Dartmouth on Saturday, Dec. 18 at 1:05 p.m., aired live on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6. Following the Dartmouth game, KU will play its second road game on Dec. 21 at Creighton. The game against the Bluejays will be KU’s last game before the holiday break.

Preseason Polls

Texas was picked by both the conference media and league coaches to win the Big 12 Championship in 2004-05. In the Coaches Poll, Texas received 11 first place votes and Kansas State took one first place nod. In the Media Poll, Texas received 12 first place votes while K-State received two votes. Kansas was picked to finish 11th in both preseason polls.

Kansas Signs Four

Kansas signed four players during the early signing period for the 2005-06 season including Ivana Catic (E-von-uh Cot-ich), Shaquina Mosley (Sha-KWAH-nah MOSE-lee), Jennifer Orgas (Or-GUS) and Sophronia Sallard (Suh-FRONE-yuh SUH-lard). Catic, Orgas and Sallard will join the Jayhawks as freshmen, while Mosley will be a junior after transferring from Central Arizona College.

Kansas Signees At-a-Glance

Ivana Catic (point guard, 5-8, Wheeling, W.V. – Mt. deChantal Academy)

Shaquina Mosley (point guard, 5-6, Lancaster, Calif. – Antelope Valley HS/Central Ariz. College)

Jennifer Orgas (forward, 6-2, Omaha, Neb. – Skutt Catholic HS)

Sophronia Sallard (guard/forward, 5-10, Syracuse, N.Y. – Nottingham HS)

Home Court Advantage

Kansas fans have plenty of opportunities to check out the Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse this season. KU plays a total of 18 games this year in Lawrence including two exhibition games, eight non-conference contests and eight conference matchups. Other than conference play, KU will only take to the road three times. KU played at No. 14 Minnesota on Dec. 5, and will also play at Creighton on Dec. 21 and at Ball State on Dec. 30.

20 Games On TV

KU’s television package in 2004-05 is the finest in school history. The Jayhawks play four times on national television (two each on Fox Sports Net and CSTV), four times on Metro Sports out of Kansas City, nine times on Sunflower Broadband in Lawrence, once on the Jayhawk Television Network and at least two other road Big 12 games. All 16 regular season home games are on the tube, in addition to games at Texas, Colorado, Kansas State and Iowa State.

Increased Radio Coverage

The Jayhawk Radio Network has improved its coverage of the Jayhawks in 2004-05. Stations carrying the Jayhawks included KLWN 1320-AM in Lawrence, KWIC 99.3-FM in Topeka, KFH 98.7-FM in Wichita and either KMBZ 980-AM or KXTR-1660-AM in Kansas City.

Woodard To Be Enshrined In Women’s HOF

The Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame announced its seventh group of inductees, the Class of 2005, on Sunday, November 14. The six members of the Class of 2005 are Joe Ciampi, Kelli Litsch, Hunter Low, Edna Tarbutton, Dixie Woodall and Lynette Woodard.

Woodard, a Kansas legend, scored 3,649 points to become the all-time leading scorer in Division I women’s collegiate basketball en route to becoming a four-time Kodak All-American and winning the 1981 Wade Trophy. She then went on to become a two-time Olympian, serving as captain of the USA’s 1984 gold medal-winning squad, and the first female to play for the Harlem Globetrotters before playing professionally in Japan and Italy and two seasons in the WNBA.

The six individuals in the Class of 2005 will be formally enshrined as members of the Hall of Fame during a weekend of induction festivities to be held Friday and Saturday, June 10-11, 2005, in Knoxville.

Woodard becomes the second Jayhawk to be enshrined to in the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame, joining former Kansas coach Marian Washington who was enshrined in June of 2004.