Jayhawks Get Second Road Test At Creighton

Dec. 20, 2004

Kansas Jayhawks (5-3) vs. Creighton Bluejays (5-3)
Game #9 – Tues., Dec. 21, 2004 – 7:05 p.m. – Omaha Civic Auditorium (9,377)

Radio/Television
Jayhawk Radio Network: Nate Bukaty (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (color analyst) call the action. TV: None.

Records
Kansas is 5-3 and is on a two game winning streak. Creighton is 5-3 and has won three of its last four.

Rankings
None.

Coaches
Bonnie Henrickson is 5-3 in her first year at Kansas and 163-65 in her eighth year as a head coach overall. The Bluejays are coached by Jim Flanery, who is 53-21 in his third year at Creighton and overall.

Jayhawk Storylines
– Kansas is 5-3 after defeating Dartmouth 84-51 on Dec. 18 in Lawrence. KU led the entire game for the second straight game on its way to scoring a season-best 84 points.
– Numerous player career-highs were set by the Jayhawks against Dartmouth, including freshman Taylor McIntosh’s first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, junior Kaylee Brown’s 18 points and junior Erica Hallman’s 13 assists.
– KU is 14-11 all-time against Creighton. KU and CU last met in 2002. The two teams had met 19 straight years until last season.
– Kansas is 71-27 all-time against teams from the Missouri Valley Conference. The Jayhawks own a winning record against each of the seven MVC teams it has faced.
– KU still has two games before the new year. The Jayhawks play against San Diego State (Dec. 28) in Allen Fieldhouse and at Ball State (Dec. 30) to complete non-conference play and the 2004 portion of the schedule.

Tonight’s Game
After a convincing 84-51 win over Dartmouth on Saturday, the University of Kansas women’s basketball team (5-3) will get its second road test of the season on Tuesday, Dec. 21 when the Jayhawks play Creighton (5-3) at 7:05 p.m. in the Omaha Civic Auditorium.

Kansas’ win over Dartmouth was a day full of career-bests for the Jayhawks. Among the many players to record career-highs in various statistical categories, freshman Taylor McIntosh recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds, junior Kaylee Brown ripped the nets for 18 points and junior Erica Hallman passed out 13 assists. Hallman’s 13 dimes tied the second-best effort in school history.

While scoring a season-best 84 points, Kansas also continued it’s strong defensive play and still ranks second in the Big 12 holding opponents to just 49.6 points per game.

Creighton hosts Kansas after picking up a narrow 58-57 win over Nebraska on Saturday. Picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference, the Bluejays are led by senior guard Laura Spanheimer who poured in 21 points against the Huskers and is averaging 18.8 points per game this season.

The game will mark the 26th meeting in the all-time series between the two schools in women’s basketball with Kansas owning a 14-11 advantage. KU and CU last met two years ago in Lawrence when the Bluejays defeated the Jayhawks 72-58. Current Kansas senior Aquanita Burras paced KU in the game with 15 points, while Spanheimer recorded a game-high 20 points for Creighton. In Omaha, the series is tied 6-6.

Last Time Out
Kansas outscored visiting Dartmouth 43-20 in the second half to cruise to an easy 84-51 victory on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse. KU shot 50 percent from the field in the game.

After hitting her first seven shots of the contest, junior forward Crystal Kemp paced five Jayhawks in double-figures as she scored a game-high 24 points, hitting 12-of-18 shots. Junior Kaylee Brown also had a big day with a career-high 18 points. Senior guard Aquanita Burras added 12 points, while sophomore guard Sharita Smith chipped in with 10 points.

Freshman forward Taylor McIntosh posted the first double-double of her career with 11 points and 10 rebounds. Junior guard Erica Hallman dished out a career-high 13 assists, which placed her in a tie for second on the school’s single-game assist list. Lisa Braddy collected a school-record 18 assists for the Jayhawks in a game against Creighton on Dec. 22, 1989.

“I thought we looked impressive on both ends today,” head coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “We maximized our offensive possessions with great looks at the basket.”
Kansas forced 18 Dartmouth turnovers in the contest which led to 26 Jayhawk points.
“We came out with fresh bodies after not playing for nine days and we played very well,” added Henrickson.

Forward Ashley Taylor led the Big Green (3-4) with 14 points, while center Elise Morrison added 10. Dartmouth shot just 16 percent (4-of-25) from the field and missed all six of its three-point tries 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.

Jayhawk Starters
KU has used four different starting lineups in eight games with freshman Taylor McIntosh, senior Aquanita Burras and junior Erica Hallman starting each game. Junior Kaylee Brown (6 starts), junior Crystal Kemp (6), sophomore Alicia Rhymes (2) and senior Blair Waltz (2) have also made starts. The combo of McIntosh, Burras, Hallman, Brown and Kemp have started the last five contests.

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.) carries 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 six double-figure scoring games and led the team in scoring in six times. McIntosh has led the team in rebounding in four games and Hallman has led in assists in six games. KU has recorded two double-doubles, including one by Kemp and one by McIntosh.

Tonight’s Opponent – Creighton Bluejays
Creighton (5-3) enters the game against Kansas after defeating Nebraska 58-57 on Dec. 18 in Omaha. Picked to finish second in the Missouri Valley Conference, Creighton returns three starters among 10 letterwinners to a team that finished 24-9 and was crowned the postseason WNIT champions in 2003-04. The Bluejays are paced by all-conference performer senior guard Laura Spanheimer with 18.8 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Junior forward Angie Janis is second on the team with 17.3 ppg and leads the team with 7.4 boards per outing. Junior guard Kristi Woodard rounds out the double-figure scorers with 14.5 ppg.

Creighton has already faced four foes that KU has either already played or will play this season. Both KU and CU have already beaten UMKC and fallen to Minnesota.
Last game against Nebraska, Spanheimer led the charge with 21 points, while Janis, Woodard and Christy Erickson all reached double figures in rebounds.

As a team, the Bluejays are scoring 74.4 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting and pulling down 40.0 rebounds per game. Creighton is giving up 72.4 points per game on 45.1 percent shooting and 40.6 boards per game to its opponents.

Creighton is coached by Jim Flanery, who is 53-21 in his third year at Creighton and overall.

Kansas/Creighton Last Meeting
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Ball handling problems and the three-point shooting of Creighton, led to a 72-58 setback for Kansas, Saturday, Dec. 14, 2002 in front of 803 fans at Allen Fieldhouse.

Laura Spanheimer led four Bluejay (4-2) scorers in double figures with a game-high 20 points and six rebounds. Christy Neneman added 14 points and Teresa Wessling and Codi Walker scored 10 points apiece. Dayna Finch had a solid outing off the bench, adding a team-high five assists. Creighton hit nine three pointers with Spanheimer leading the long distance barrage with four trey’s.

Sophomore Aquanita Burras collected 15 points to lead the Jayhawks in scoring, despite taking only six shots. Burras was 4-for-6 from the field, nailing the `Hawks lone three pointer, and sunk all six of her free throw attempts. The freshmen duo of Tamara Ransburg (12 points) and Crystal Kemp (11 points) were the other two Jayhawks to score in double figures, with Ransburg adding six rebounds to tie Burras for a game-high total. Freshman Erica Hallman had a game-high five assists.

KU struggled against Creighton’s tough full-court press defense in the first half, committing 17 turnovers. The Bluejays led by as many as 14 points in the first stanza, but the Jayhawks managed to whittle the deficit down to nine trailing 33-24 heading into the lockerroom. KU committed 25 turnovers in the game, while Creighton had 18.
Both teams shot over 50 percent from the field in the second half (KU 52.9%, CU 53.3%), but it was the Bluejays’ three-point shooting that made the difference. Creighton nailed 6-of-13 from downtown, while Kansas was just 1-for-2.A

Kansas vs. Creighton Series Notes
Kansas leads the all-time series 14-11, although Creighton has taken the last four meetings. The two teams first squared off in 1980, as KU defeated CU 75-39. The Jayhawks took the first five games in the series, and also own the longest win streak in the series, taking six straight meetings between 1993 and 1998. Creighton’s current four-game winning streak is its longest in the series.

Kansas Win Would
Make KU 6-3 for the first time since 2000-01 … Make KU 15-11 all-time against Creighton … Make KU 7-6 against the Bluejays in Omaha, Neb. … Give KU a three-game winning streak … Give Kansas a 1-1 record on the road this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 6-3 (.625) at KU and 164-65 (.716) in her career … Make KU 603-401 all-time.

A Kansas Loss Would
Make KU 5-4 for the second straight season … Make KU 14-12 all-time against Creighton … Make KU 6-7 against the Bluejays in Omaha, Neb. … Snap a two-game winning streak … Make the Jayhawks 0-2 on the road this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 5-4 (.556) at KU and 163-66 (.712) in her career … Make the Jayhawks 602-402 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 65 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 (203, 6th) and three-point field goal percentage (35.0 percent, 8th).
– Hallman is approaching the KU all-time top 10 in assists. Currently at 233 career assists, Hallman needs 14 more dimes to catch Jaclyn Johnson for 10th place.
– Junior Crystal Kemp is currently in ninth place on the KU career field goal percentage list at 51.1 percent (326-638).
– 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 six opponents to under 20 points in the first half (UMKC-19, Denver-15, Washburn-19, Minnesota-27, Western Illinois-13, Dartmouth-31). 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 49.6 points per game which ranks second in the Big 12 and seventh nationally (national stats through 12/13). KU ranks third in the league in turnover margin at +4.63, and fourth in field goal percentage defense holding opponents to 35.4 percent from the field.

A Tale Of Two Halves
KU has been impressive in the first half, outscoring its opponents 259-174 (or 32.4-to-21.8 points per game), and leading at the break in seven out of eight games. But in the second half, KU is trailing 223-209 and all three losses have come after leading at intermission. As a team, the Jayhawks are averaging 32.4 points per first half on 47.1 percent (105-of-223) shooting from the field. In the second half, however, KU is connecting on only 37.6 percent (79-of-210) of its shots and averaging 26.1 points. Last time out against Dartmouth, KU scored a season-high 43 second half points but the trend of shooting a lower percentage prevailed as the Jayhawks shot 42.1 percent in the second half after shooting 58.8 percent in the first period.

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-35.1, Aquanita Burras-33.5 and Crystal Kemp-31.1) are playing 31 minutes per game or more, and each rank in the top 10 in the conference in time played per game. Of KU’s 10 players, nine are playing over 15 minutes per contest.

Up Next For KU
After the game at Creighton, the Jayhawks return to Allen Fieldhouse for a matchup against San Diego State on Tuesday, Dec. 28 at 7 p.m. on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6. The Jayhawks end non-confernce play on Thursday, Dec. 30 at Ball State at 6 p.m. After the new year, KU kicks off Big 12 play at Texas on Jan. 5.

Kemp Off To A Fast Start
Junior forward Crystal Kemp paces the team with 16.8 points and 6.3 rebounds per game. She has played in all eight games with six 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 9.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. She also ranks second on the team with 25 assists and leads the team with 17 steals. At just 5’9″, she is second on the team with five blocked shots and third on the squad with 12 offensive rebounds. She rarely comes out of the game, averaging 33.5 minutes per game. In three years at KU, she has started all 65 games of her career.

Hallman Adjusting Well To The Point
Junior Erica Hallman, who primarily played on the wing last season, has started all eight games this season at point guard and is getting more and more comfortable with each game. She is second on the team with 10.1 points per game and is tied for the most on the team with 13 three-pointers made. She provides KU with a solid ball-handling and long-range shooting option. Her 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio ranks first on the team and fifth in the Big 12. She dished a career-high 13 assists against Dartmouth on Dec. 18, which ranks second on the KU single game list. She is in the all-time top 10 at KU for three-pointers made (70, T-6th), three-pointers attempted (203, 6th) and three-point field goal percentage (35.0 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 eight games and has made her reputation doing the little things in her young career. She is the team-leader with 7.0 rebounds per game and is also first on the team with 26 offensive rebounds. Her 3.25 offensive boards per game ranks fourth 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 recorded her first career double-double with 11 points and 10 rebounds against Dartmouth. 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 eight games with six starts. A hard-nosed player, Brown is not afraid to sacrifice her body to take a charge (she has taken three this season). She is a patient player who sees the floor well, and has the ability to score from long range. Is tied for the team-lead with 13 three-pointers made. Has connected for at least one three-pointer in each of the last seven games. Owns an average of 8.5 points and 1.8 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 five times and is averaging 3.1 points and 1.3 rebounds in 15.0 minutes per game. She had her best game of the season when she had 10 points, two assists and two rebounds versus Dartmouth on Dec. 18. 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 six games with two starting assignments. She has posted 2.2 points and 3.3 rebounds per outing. She is shooting 45.5 percent from the field on 5-of-11 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 player who worked the hardest during summer conditioning.

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 seven games this season in a reserve role and has posted 2.0 points and 2.9 boards in 15.1 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.