Jayhawks Run Past UC Riverside Behind Morris' Career High

Dec. 16, 2007

Final Stats | Quotes | Notes |

LAWRENCE, Kan. –

Sophomore Sade Morris scored a career-high 20 points, leading the <?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>University of Kansas to a 62-49 win over UC Riverside on Sunday night in Allen Fieldhouse.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>

The win was KU’s fifth in a row and improved the Jayhawks to 8-1, while the Highlanders fell to 2-7.

Kansas, showing no rust following a week-long break for final exams, jumped on UCR early, opening up a 13-4 margin just four minutes into the game. Riverside, though, went on 8-0 runs on two occasions in the first half, with the second giving the Highlanders their first lead at 24-23 with under five minutes to play in the frame.

The Jayhawks, however, scored the half’s final six points, highlighted by a three-point play from sophomore LaChelda Jacobs to take a 34-28 lead into the break.

Both teams continued to battle back-and-forth throughout the early portion of the second half as well. Neither squad led by more than six points until Kansas went on a 9-1 run midway through the second, which was capped by a jumper from junior Ivana Catic. The junior guard continued her solid play by finishing with five points, three assists and six rebounds.

UC Riverside never got closer than 10 after Kansas’ pivotal run and scored only 10 points over the game’s final nine minutes as the Jayhawks’ defense held the Highlanders to just 39.2-percent shooting in the game.

Without the services of its leading scorer Danielle McCray, KU hit exactly half of its shots on the game, including a blistering 57.1-percent clip in the second half, and turned 15 UCR turnovers into 16 points.

Senior Taylor McIntosh scored a season-high 14 points and grabbed eight boards, while Jacobs added nine points off the bench.

Kansas will next be in action again Wednesday when the team travels to San JoseState for a game that tips off at 9 p.m. CST. The Jayhawks don’t return home until a Dec. 30 game against BostonUniversity.