December 13, 2009

Goodrich's Career Night Leads No. 23 Kansas Past Creighton, 77-56

Dec. 13, 2009

Sutherland Focuses On ‘D’

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Angel Goodrich scored a career high 20 points and dished out eight assists as No. 23 Kansas moved to 7-2 on the season with a 77-56 victory against Creighton at Allen Fieldhouse.

Creighton dropped to 5-3 on the season and 12-20 all-time versus the Jayhawks.

Goodrich, a freshman point guard, had already scored 13 points and made six field-goal attempts, both career highs, after a first half in which the Jayhawks thoroughly dominated their opponents to start the game. Goodrich finished eight of 16 from the field and is now averaging 7.6 points and 8.3 assists on the season.

But despite leading 43-25 at halftime, Kansas failed to match Creighton’s urgency and intensity coming of the locker room at the start the second period. The Bluejays cut the home team’s advantage to 10 points at 50-40 with 14 minutes remaining before the Jayhawks slowly pulled away for a 21-point victory.

Senior guard Danielle McCray had 18 points and six rebounds for Kansas. Sophomore forward Aishah Sutherland chipped in 15 points and 10 rebounds, her third double-double of the season, and junior center Krysten Boogaard added 10 points and five rebounds.

Coach Bonnie Henrickson’s team defense was often the source of instant offense as the Jayhawks forced their opponents into 21 turnovers, turning those giveaways into 24 points. Kansas also held Creighton to 33 percent shooting and limited them to zero fast-break points to its own eight points in transition.

Senior guard Sade Morris had three blocks and played suffocating defense despite having a subpar night shooting from the field. Morris finished with two points on zero of five shooting.

Behind Goodrich’s direction, the Jayhawks shot 42 percent from the field and 50 percent from three-point range, led by Boogaard’s five of six shooting performance.

Kansas also went 24 of 28 from the free-throw line and distributed 13 assists as a team to Creighton’s five. The Jayhawks also got 12 points from their bench, led by junior forward Nicollette Smith’s four points, and turned the ball over only 12 times, a season best.

Kellie Nelson led Creighton with 14 points and also snatched eight rebounds. Sam Schuett also contributed 13 points in a losing cause.

A crowd of 3,122 watched as the Jayhawks won their fourth-straight game. Kansas has four more non-conference games remaining–UC Riverside, at Houston, Pepperdine and New Mexico State–before Big 12 Conference play begins on January 9 at Kansas State.

Kansas will be back in action next Sunday, December 20 at 1 p.m., when it takes on UC Riverside at Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast locally on Sunflower Broadband (Channel 6).