Jayhawks Return To Action Against Dartmouth

Dec. 16, 2004

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Kansas Jayhawks (4-3) vs. Dartmouth Big Green (2-3*)
Game #8 – Sat., Dec. 18, 2004 – 1:05 p.m. – Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)

Radio/Television

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

Records

Kansas is 4-3 and won its last game over Western Illinois. Dartmouth is 2-3 heading into a game at Illinois-Chicago on Thursday.

Rankings

None.

Coaches

Bonnie Henrickson is 4-3 in her first year at Kansas and 162-65 in her eighth year as a head coach overall. The Big Green are coached by Chris Wielgus, who is 277-202 in her 18th year at Dartmouth and 314-225 in her 20th year overall, heading into their game at UIC on Thursday.

Jayhawk Storylines

– Kansas is 4-3 after defeating Western Illinois 58-41 on Dec. 8 in Lawrence. KU led the entire game and held WIU to an opponent season-low 13 points in the first half.

– Dartmouth is the fourth straight team KU has played that is either picked to finish first in its respective league, or has the conference preseason player of the year on its squad. The Big Green are picked to win the Ivy League in 2004-05.

– KU is 0-1 all-time against Dartmouth. The Big Green topped KU 86-78 in overtime last year in the first round of the Dartmouth Blue Sky Restaurant Classic with the help of 10 free throws in the extra period. This year’s rematch features seven of the eight players from either team that scored in double figures in last year’s contest.

– Kansas is 2-1 all-time against teams from the Ivy League, KU’s wins came over Harvard (1987) and Princeton (1988).

– KU still has three games before the new year, including two road games. The Jayhawks play at Creighton (Dec. 21), against San Diego State (Dec. 28) and at Ball State (Dec. 30) to complete non-conference play and the 2004 portion of the schedule.

Today’s Game

After a 10-day break for final exams, the Jayhawks (4-3) return to the court to face the Dartmouth Big Green in Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, Dec. 18 at 1 p.m. The game will be aired live on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6.

Dartmouth, the preseason favorite to win the Ivy League, comes to Lawrence after taking a 2-3 record into a matchup at Illinois-Chicago on Thursday.

Through its first five games, Dartmouth had an impressive four players — who all earned all-league honors in 2003-04 — averaging over 12.5 points per game.

Leading the charge for the Big Green is the 2003-04 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Elise Morrison with 16.3 points and 7.0 rebounds per game. Junior guard Jeannie Cullen (12.8 ppg), sophomore forward Ashley Taylor (12.8 ppg) and junior guard Angie Soriaga (12.6 ppg) round out the double-figure scorers.

Kansas takes the floor today for the first time since Dec. 8, when the Jayhawks dispatched Western Illinois, 58-41. KU ranks seventh in the nation in scoring defense, holding its opponents to 49.4 points per game.

Offensively, junior Crystal Kemp has been impressive with 15.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. Junior point guard Erica Hallman is second on the team with 11.0 points per game and freshman Taylor McIntosh is tied with Kemp with 6.6 boards per game.

The game will be a rematch of a meeting in Dartmouth’s tournament last year. The Big Green won that game 96-78 in overtime. Hallman led the Jayhawks with a career-high 20 points, while Soriaga posted a game-high 24 points for Dartmouth.

Dartmouth is coached by Chris Wielgus, who is 277-202 in her 18th year at Dartmouth and 314-225 in her 20th year overall, heading into their game at UIC on Thursday.

Last Time Out

Kansas turned in an impressive effort by beating visiting Western Illinois 58-41, Wednesday, Dec. 8, in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks led the entire game.

KU was led by junior Crystal Kemp who scored a game-high 17 points to go along with her six rebounds. Senior Aquanita Burras also had a double-digit night scoring 14 points. Junior guards Kaylee Brown and Erica Hallman each chipped in with seven points. Freshman Taylor McIntosh continued to control the boards for KU, as she grabbed a team high 10 rebounds.

“Our defense was the difference maker tonight,” head coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “We made them force a lot of shots which they missed.

“On offense, we executed well the whole game,” Henrickson added. “Our execution led to a lot of good looks on the offensive end.”

Kansas held Western Illinois to just 27 percent shooting on the game and forced 18 turnovers that led to 18 Jayhawk points.

Western Illinois was led by 6-7 All-American candidate Zane Teilane who scored 12 points and grabbed a game-high 12 rebounds. She was the lone double figure scorer for Western Illinois. Orinta Kavaliauskaite added nine points, while Laura Reeves and Nicole Shafer each contributed six points.

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.

Jayhawk Starters

KU has used four different starting lineups in seven games with freshman Taylor McIntosh, senior Aquanita Burras and junior Erica Hallman starting each game. Junior Kaylee Brown (5 starts), junior Crystal Kemp (5), 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, also sees time on the wing.

Kemp has posted five double-figure scoring games and led the team in scoring in five times. McIntosh has led the team in rebounding in three games and Hallman has led in assists in five games. The Jayhawks have recorded one double-double, by Crystal Kemp vs. UMKC.

Tonight’s Opponent – Dartmouth Big Green

Dartmouth comes to Lawrence two days after playing at Illinois-Chicago on Thursday. Prior to the game at UIC, the Big Green owned a 2-3 record. The preseason favorite to win the Ivy League, Dartmouth boasts four returning players who were named all-conference last season. Each of those four average of 12.5 points per game led by 2003-04 Ivy League Rookie of the Year Elise Morrison. Morrison paces the Big Green with 16.3 points and 7.0 boards per game.

Junior guard Jeannie Cullen (12.8 ppg), sophomore forward Ashley Taylor (12.8 ppg) and junior guard Angie Soriaga (12.6 ppg) round out the double-figure scorers. Taylor leads the team in rebounding with 7.8 caroms per outing. Soriaga has passed out 17 assists to lead the squad.

As a team, the Big Green are scoring 63.8 points per game on 37.9 percent shooting and pulling down 38.2 rebounds per game. Dartmouth is giving up 65.6 points per game on 36.2 percent shooting and 40.4 boards per game to its opponents (all stats prior to the game at UIC).

Dartmouth is coached by Chris Wielgus, who is 277-202 in her 18th year at Dartmouth and 314-225 in her 20th year overall, heading into its game at UIC on Thursday

Series Notes

Dartmouth leads the all-time series 1-0 after defeating the Jayhawks 86-78 in overtime in first round action of the Dartmouth Blue Sky Restaurant Classic last season. KU coach Bonnie Henrickson has never faced Dartmouth. Big Green coach Chris Wielgus is 1-0 against Kansas.

Kansas/Dartmouth Last Meeting

Despite overcoming a 13-point halftime deficit to force overtime, Kansas fell to the Dartmouth Big Green, 86-78, in first round action of the Dartmouth Blue Sky Restaurant Classic

The Jayhawks jumped out to a quick 6-0 lead to begin the ballgame before Dartmouth rallied back to take a 7-6 lead at the 15:26 mark and proceeded to extend that advantage to 40-27 at halftime. Dartmouth guard Angie Soriaga nailed four three-pointers in the half. Kansas struggled from the field, shooting 38.5 percent. Sophomore Erica Hallman led Kansas with six points at the break.

The Big Green controlled the opening minutes of the second half and extended its lead to as many as 15 points. The game went back and forth until the 3:49 mark when Kansas began to mount its comeback as Hallman nailed a long-range three-pointer to cut the lead to nine. KU went on a 14-2 run to end the half and the game was tied at the end of regulation 67-67.

Dartmouth nailed 10 freethrows in the overtime period to seal the victory.

Kansas was led by Hallman with 20 points, including four three-pointers. Junior Aquanita Burras and sophomore Crystal Kemp each added 13 points and seven boards and junior Larisha Graves added 11 points and a team-best eight rebounds. Kansas shot 41.3 percent from the field and led on the glass 45-41.

Dartmouth was paced by Soriaga with 24 points. Freshman forward Elise Morrison put up 22 points, eight rebounds and seven blocked shots. The Big Green shot 43.8 percent and outshot KU 22-10 from the free throw line.

A Kansas Win Would

Make KU 5-3 for the second straight year … Make KU 1-1 all-time against Dartmouth … Make KU 1-0 against the Big Green in Lawrence, Kan. … Give KU a two-game winning streak … Give Kansas a 5-2 record at home this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 5-3 (.625) at KU and 163-65 (.715) in her career … Make KU 602-401 all-time.

A Kansas Loss Would

Make KU 4-4 for the first time since 2002-03 … Make KU 0-2 all-time against Dartmouth … Make KU 0-1 against the Big Green in Lawrence, Kan. … Give KU its third loss in its last four games … Make the Jayhawks 4-3 at home this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 4-4 (.500) at KU and 162-66 (.711) in her career … Make the Jayhawks 601-402 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 64 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 (71, T-5th), three-pointers attempted (200, 6th) and three-point field goal percentage (35.5 percent, 8th).

– Kemp is a fraction of a percentage out of 10th on the KU career field goal percentage list at 50.6 percent (314-620). Former Jayhawk Kelly Jennings is in 10th at 50.8 percent.

– Last game against Western Illinois, Kemp reached 800 points in her career. She currently sits at 803.

– 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

KU has held four of its last five opponents to under 20 points in the first half (UMKC-19, Denver-15, Washburn-19, Minnesota-27, Western Illinois-13). 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 49.4 points per game which ranks second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally. KU ranks sixth in the league in turnover margin at +4.00.

A Tale Of Two Halves

KU has been impressive in the first half, outscoring its opponents 218-143 (or 31.1-20.4 per game), and leading at the break in six out of seven games. But in the second half, KU is trailing 203-166 and all three losses have come after leading at intermission. As a team, the Jayhawks are averaging 31.1 points per first half on 45 percent (85-of-189) shooting from the field. In the second half, however, KU is connecting on only 36.6 percent (63-of-172) of its shots and averaging 23.7 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-35.3, Aquanita Burras-34.1 and Crystal Kemp-31.4) 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 Dartmouth, the Jayhawks play their second road game of the season at Creighton on Tuesday, Dec. 21 in Omaha, Neb., at 7 p.m. The game against the Bluejays will be KU’s last game before the holiday break.

Kemp Off To A Fast Start

Junior forward Crystal Kemp paces the team with 15.7 points and 6.6 rebounds per game. She has played in all seven games with five starts. She possesses an impressive array of post moves and can knock down the open jumper. The smooth lefty from Topeka, Kan., has come a long way since arriving at KU and as she has accepted the new system of the new coaching staff, she has continued to grow even more in her play. As a freshman, Kemp struggled to be the same player night in and night out, especially offensively. But as a sophomore, Kemp focused on becoming more consistent which she did, scoring in double figures in 23 games and shooting 50 percent from the field. For her efforts, she was named team MVP. This season, Kemp has already faced some of the top competition in the nation and performed well. She held Janel McCarville of Minnesota to 15 points while scoring 17 points of her own. She also outscored 6′-7″ Mid-Con preseason Player of the Year Zane Teilane of Western Illinois, 17-12. She reached 800 career points on Dec. 8 vs. Western Illinois.

Burras An All-Around Threat

Perhaps Kansas’ top all-around player, senior Aquanita Burras does the little things with hustle and intense defense. She is third on the team with 9.6 points and 5.0 rebounds per game. She also ranks second on the team with 20 assists and leads the team with 16 steals. At just 5’9″, she is second on the team with five blocked shots and third on the squad with 10 offensive rebounds. She rarely comes out of the game, averaging 34.1 minutes per game. In three years at KU, she has started all 64 games of her career.

Hallman Adjusting Well To The Point

Junior Erica Hallman, who primarily played on the wing last season, has started all seven games this season at point guard and is getting more and more comfortable with each game. She is second on the team with 11.0 points per game and has connected for a team-best 13 three-pointers made. She provides KU with a solid ball-handling and long-range shooting option. Her 2.1-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks first on the team and sixth in the Big 12. She is in the all-time top 10 at KU for three-pointers made (70, T-6th), three-pointers attempted (199, 6th) and three-point field goal percentage (35.2 percent, 8th).

McIntosh A Crowd Favorite

Freshman forward Taylor McIntosh has quickly become a fan favorite for the Jayhawks in her first season. A Wichita, Kan., native, McIntosh has started all seven games and has made her reputation doing the little things in her young career. She is tied for the team-lead with 6.6 rebounds per game. She is first on the team with 20 offensive rebounds, and her 2.86 offensive boards per game is tied for 11th in the Big 12. On offense, she is steadily improving her ball-handling and is looking to become more reliable with the ball in her hands. She just missed her first career double-double with 11 points and eight rebounds versus Sacred Heart. Her 13 rebounds versus UMKC is the top effort by a KU player this season.

Brown From Downtown

Junior guard Kaylee Brown has played in all seven games with five starts. A hard-nosed player, Brown is not afraid to sacrifice her body to take a charge. She is a patient player who sees the floor well, and has the ability to score from long range. Is second on the team with nine three-pointers made. Has connected for at least one three-pointer in each of the last six games. Owns an average of 7.1 points and 1.3 boards per game.

Waltz Back For Senior Season

Senior Blair Waltz is the only four-year senior on the team. She has played in six games with two starting assignments and averages 3.3 points and 1.5 rebounds per game. Her best game this season was a nine-point, four-assist effort versus Sacred Heart on Nov. 24.

Smith First Off The Bench

Sophomore guard Sharita Smith is in her first full season after missing the first half of her freshman season due to injury. This season, she has been the first player off the bench a team-high four times and is averaging 2.1 points and 1.1 rebounds in 13.3 minutes per game. She had her best game of the season when she had five points, two assists and two steals versus UMKC on Nov. 27. She sees time at point guard and on the wing.

Rhymes A Hard Worker

Sophomore forward Alicia Rhymes is in her third year at KU after spending her first year as a redshirt and last season as a reserve. This season, Rhymes has played in five games with two starting assignments. She has posted 2.4 points and 3.2 rebounds per outing. She is shooting 50 percent from the field on 5-of-10 field goals. One of just four players to stand at least six feet tall, Rhymes operates primarily out of the high post. She was described by the coaching staff as the one player who worked the hardest during summer conditioning. She has not played the last two games.

Boyd Plays Valuable Reserve Role

Freshman forward Jamie Boyd is in her first year with the Jayhawks after a standout career at Underwood (Iowa) High School where she was named Miss Iowa Basketball. She has played in six games this season in a reserve role and has posted 1.7 points and 2.2 boards in 15.2 minutes per game. A physical player who works hard in the low post on defense, she is also capable of knocking down the jumper from the high post.

Hayes Added Late

Junior guard Heather Hayes was a late addition to the team after practice had already begun in October. A native of Derby, Kan., Hayes began her career at Oral Roberts in 2001-02. She spent the first half of her sophomore season at Seward County CC before enrolling at Butler County CC in the spring of 2003. Hayes enrolled at KU in the summer of 2003 and spent the 2003-04 season as a redshirt walk-on with the Jayhawks. She left the team following the season but returned when offered a scholarship by the coaching staff. She has seen action in one game so far.

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.