KU Gunning For Best Start In School History Against Pepperdine

Dec. 27, 2005

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Kansas Jayhawks vs. Pepperdine Waves
Game #10 – Wed., Dec. 28, 2005 – 7:05 p.m. – Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)

Live video streaming, Gametracker and post-game results will be available on Kansas Athletics’ official website, kuathletics.com.

Radio
Jayhawk Radio Network. Nate Bukaty (play-by-play), Brenda VanLengen (color).

Television
Sunflower Broadband Channel 6. Kevin Romary (play-by-play), Steven Davis (color).

Records
Kansas is 9-0 to open the season. Pepperdine is 3-8, and has lost its last two.

Rankings
Kansas is receiving votes in the Associated Press poll. Pepperdine is not ranked.

Coaches
Bonnie Henrickson is 21-16 in her second year at Kansas and 179-78 in her ninth season overall. The Waves are coached by Julie Rousseau, who is 15-25 in her second year at Pepperdine and overall.

Series History
Kansas leads Pepperdine 1-0 overall. The first meeting resulted in a 60-59 Kansas win on Dec. 28, 1996 in Malibu, Calif.

Jayhawk Storylines
– A KU win over Pepperdine would give the Jayhawks a 10-0 record, matching the best start in school history also done in 1991-92.
– Kansas is averaging 76.4 points per game this year and has scored at least 70 points in eight of nine games. Last year, the Jayhawks reached 70 points only four times, and averaged 58.0 for the season.
– The Jayhawks are one of eight remaining undefeated teams in the country. Kansas is the only unbeaten team to not receive a vote in the Coaches Top 25 poll.
– Erica Hallman ranks first in the Big 12 with 3.29 three-pointers per game.
– Kansas snapped its second longest non-conference losing streak by defeating Creighton. The Jayhawks had previously fallen to the Bluejays in the last five meetings.
– Kansas wraps up the non-conference slate on Friday against La Salle. Big 12 play gets underway on Jan. 3 when the Jayhawks host Texas in a game televised by CSTV.

The Matchup
The University of Kansas women’s basketball team (9-0) will be looking to equal its best start in school history when it takes on the Pepperdine Waves (3-8) on Wednesday, Dec. 28 in Allen Fieldhouse. Game time is 7:05 p.m. A win over the Waves would match KU’s 10-0 start in 1991-92.
Kansas is coming off a 63-52 victory over Creighton a week ago. After leading 29-27 at the half, the Jayhawks stretched their lead to as many as 13 points in the second stanza. KU’s defense held the Bluejays to 31 percent shooting from the field in the second half. Senior Crystal Kemp led all KU scorers with 16 points to go with eight rebounds. Senior Erica Hallman filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. Senior guard Kaylee Brown was the third Jayhawk to post double-figures with 11 points.
Four players average double-digits in scoring led by Kemp’s 17.6. Hallman is second on the team at 15.6, while Kaylee Brown and Ivana Catic chip in with 13.3 and 11.0, respectively.
Pepperdine, which is 0-5 on the road this year, is coming off a 75-81 double overtime loss at Long Beach State last Wednesday. Leading by 12 with just 3:32 remaining in the game, Pepperdine was unable to hit key free throws down the stretch as the 49ers tied the game at 58-58 with just five seconds remaining. The Waves led the entire first overtime before a 49er basket with four seconds left tied the game at 65-all. In the second overtime, LBSU never trailed in claiming the 81-75 victory.
Sophomore Daphanie Kennedy is leading Pepperdine this season with 12.0 points per game, while Jasmane Clarendon ranks second at 11.6. Both posted their first double-double of the season against Southern two games ago.
The meeting is the second all-time between Kansas and Pepperdine, with KU holding a 1-0 advantage. KU won the first meeting 60-59 on Dec. 28, 1996 in Malibu, Calif.
Pepperdine is under the direction of second-year head coach Julie Rousseau.

Game Promotions
Promotions for the game include Topeka Night ($2 ticket with valid Shawnee County ID), quarter hot dog night and a $25,000 sponsored contest.

More From The Last Game
The University of Kansas women’s basketball team defeated Creighton University, 63-52, Wednesday, Dec. 21 at Allen Fieldhouse. With the victory, the Jayhawks improved to 9-0 on the season.
After leading 29-27 at the half, the Jayhawks stretched their lead to as many as 12 points in the second stanza. KU’s defense held the Bluejays to 31 percent shooting from the field in the second half. The game saw eight lead changes and was tied nine different times.
Senior Crystal Kemp led all KU scorers with 16 points while pulling down eight rebounds. Senior Erica Hallman filled up the stat sheet with 15 points, eight assists and eight rebounds. Senior guard Kaylee Brown was the third Jayhawk to post double-figures with 11 points.
Creighton’s senior guard Kristi Woodard led all players with 23 points. KU held Creighton’s leading scorer Angie Janis to a season-low five points on the night. Kansas converted 16 Bluejay turnovers into 18 points and recorded 10 fast break point to CU’s none.

Head Coach Bonnie Henrickson
Kansas head coach Bonnie Henrickson, one the top young coaches in the nation, is in her second season at the helm of the Jayhawks. In her first year on the Kansas sidelines, Henrickson led KU to its best record in five seasons and highest Big 12 finish in six campaigns. Following the season, Henrickson was honored with the Carol Eckman Award — given by the WBCA to a coach who exemplifies spirit, integrity, and character through sportsmanship, commitment to the student-athlete, honesty, ethical behavior, courage and dedication to purpose. Henrickson came to KU after seven successful seasons at Virginia Tech 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. Overall, the Willmar, Minn., native has been a part of postseason play in 11 of the last 12 seasons. She is 21-16 (.568) at KU and 179-78 (.697) in her career.

Jayhawk Starters
Kansas has used three different starting lineups in nine games with sophomore forward Taylor McIntosh, senior forward Crystal Kemp, freshman point guard Ivana Catic and senior guard Kaylee Brown starting every game. Senior Erica Hallman (6 starts), junior Shaquina Mosley (2) and junior Sharita Smith (1) have all received starting nods at the third guard spot. Hallman has started the last six games.

Today’s Opponent – Pepperdine
Pepperdine enters the game against Kansas on Wednesday, Dec. 28, a week after falling 75-81 at Long Beach State in double overtime. With an overall record of 3-8, the Waves have lost their last two.
Pepperdine, which is 0-5 on the road so far this year, is playing its second of five-straight away games. The team does not play at home again until Jan. 12.
Against Long Beach State, the Waves were led by sophomore Teiosha George with 16 points. Junior Jasmane Clarendon was second on the team with 14 points, including seven in the two overtimes, while Jessica Ross chipped in with 13, freshman Taylor Smith added 12 and Nakeya Isabell ended the night with 10. George completed her first double-double of the year by adding 12 rebounds. Despite outshooting LBSU, 36.3 to 34.8, Pepperdine hit just 54.2 percent from the free throw line including several down the stretch and in the overtime periods.
Sophomore Daphanie Kennedy is leading Pepperdine this season with 12.0 points per game, while Clarendon ranks second at 11.6. Both are coming off their first double-doubles of the season against Southern two games ago.
The Waves return three starters among six letterwinners to a team that finished 12-17 overall and 7-7 in the WCC a season ago.
This year, Pepperdine was picked to finish fourth in the eight-team West Coast Conference preseason coaches poll.
Julie Rousseau owns a 15-25 record in her second season as the head coach of the Pepperdine Waves. She came to Malibu after a four-year stint as an assistant coach with the Stanford Cardinal. Previously, she served as head coach for the WNBA’s L.A. Sparks.

Kansas/Pepperdine Notes
Kansas and Pepperdine are meeting for the second time in history. The first meeting saw the Jayhawks defeat the Waves 60-59 on Dec. 28, 1996 in Malibu. Kansas is 5-1 all-time against teams from the West Coast Conference. Pepperdine junior Lauren Wenski is a native of Lenexa, Kan., and attended St. Thomas Aquinas HS. Former Jayhawk Tameka Dixon played for Julie Rousseau when Rousseau was the head coach for the Los Angeles Sparks during the 1998 season.

Kemp Named Big 12 Player of the Week
Kansas senior Crystal Kemp was named Phillips 66 Big 12 Women’s Basketball Player of the Week by a media voting panel for games played from Dec. 5-11. A Topeka, Kan., native, Kemp posted a double-double with a career-high 28 points to go with 11 rebounds, one steal, one block and one assist while playing a career-high 49 minutes in KU’s double overtime win over Wisconsin. She led Kansas to a come-from-behind win after trailing by as many as 18 points in the first half. Twenty of Kemp’s points came in the second half or overtime periods including a crucial three-point play plus another free throw in the final minutes of the game. For the week, she averaged 22 points and 7.5 rebounds, while shooting 50 percent from the field and 86 percent from the free throw line. She became the first KU player to receive a Player of the Week honor since Lynn Pride on Jan. 3, 2000.

Offensive Explosion
Prior to the Creighton game, KU had scored 70 or more points in every game this season. With an average of 76.4 points per outing. the Jayhawks have reached 70 or more eight times after scoring 70 points just four times all last year. The last time KU averaged 70 or more points for a season was 1999-2000 when the team averaged 70.4. KU’s high scoring game this year came when the squad scored 100 points against New Orleans on Dec. 3. It marked the first time since Dec. 21, 2000 — when KU outscored Mississippi Valley State 116-34 — that Kansas reached 100 points. KU also reached 90 points against Wisconsin — marking the first time in six seasons Kansas scored 90 twice in one season.

Random Notes
– KU trailed by as many as 18 points against Wisconsin. The 14-point halftime comeback for the victory ties for the third-biggest halftime comeback in program history.
– Marija Zinic has seen her minute increase over the last four games. In that span, she has averaged 7.8 points and 6.8 rebounds in 24.8 minutes per contest.
– Kaylee Brown currently ranks third on the KU career free throw percentage at 78.6 percent (55-70).
– The Jayhawks have five 20+ scoring games this year as Crystal Kemp has three and Erica Hallman has two. Kemp posted back-to-back 20-point games against Wisconsin and Florida International.
– Kemp needs three made field goals to crack the KU career list in the category. She has made 493 career baskets heading into the Pepperdine game.
– Hallman is averaging 7.0 rebounds per game in the last three outings.
– Kemp has logged 49, 40 and 39 minutes in the last three games, playing in all but two minutes.

A Kansas Win Would
Make the Jayhawks 10-0 to start the season, matching a program-best start done in 1991-92 … Give the Jayhawks their first 10-game winning streak since winning 11-straight between Dec. 22 and Jan. 30 in the 1993-94 season … Make KU 2-0 all-time against Pepperdine and 1-0 against the Waves in Lawrence … Improve the Jayhawks to 6-1 all-time against West Coast Conference teams … Make the Jayhawks 10-0 at home this season … Improve head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record to 22-16 at Kansas and 180-78 in her career … Make the Jayhawks 619-414 all-time.

A Kansas Loss Would
Make the Jayhawks 9-1 to start the season … Snap KU’s nine-game winning streak … Make KU 1-1 all-time against Pepperdine and 0-1 against the Waves in Lawrence … Make the Jayhawks 5-2 all-time against West Coast Conference teams … Make the Jayhawks 9-1 at home this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 21-17 at Kansas and 179-79 in her career … Make the Jayhawks 618-415 all-time.

Big 12 Preseason Coaches’ Poll
In the only official poll conducted this season, Baylor was picked by the Big 12 Conference coaches to win the Big 12 Championship again in 2005-06. The Lady Bears received six first place votes, while Texas received two first place nods and Texas Tech got four votes for first place. The coaches believe Kansas will be better this season as the Jayhawks were selected to finish sixth (after finishing eighth last season). The only Big 12 North team picked higher than KU was Nebraska, who was picked fifth.

Kansas Inks Seven For `06-’07
Kansas signed seven recruits to National Letters of Intent during the early signing period. Below is a quick look at those seven commitments for next season.
Player (position, height, hometown – high school)
Lindsay Ballweg (guard, 5-10, Overland Park, Kan. – St. Thomas Aquinas HS)
Rebecca Feickert (forward/center, 6-2, Goodrich, N.D. – Sheridan County HS)
LaChelda Jacobs (guard, 5-10, Mansfield, Texas – Mansfield Summit HS)
Kelly Kohn (guard, 5-9, Adrian, Mich. – Adrian HS)
Danielle McCray (forward, 6-0, Olathe, Kan. – Olathe East HS)
Sade Morris (forward, 6-0, Norman, Okla. – Norman HS)
Porscha Weddington (forward, 6-1, Temple, Texas – Temple HS)

An All-Star Staff
Joining Bonnie Henrickson on the sidelines are assistant coaches Karen Lange, Kyra Elzy and Katie O’Connor. Also on staff is director of operations Trena Anderson and administrative assistant Katie Capps. Lange, O’Connor and Anderson followed Henrickson from Virginia Tech, while Elzy and Capps both joined 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 29 years old, Henrickson’s three assistant coaches (Lange, Elzy, O’Connor) have already been part of a combined 19 NCAA tournaments, eight Sweet 16s, five Elite Eights, four Final Fours and two National Championships, combined.

Mosley Tabbed Preseason Big 12 Rookie of the Year
Junior transfer Shaquina Mosley was named the Preseason Newcomer of the Year in a vote of the Big 12 women’s basketball coaches released Oct. 18 by the conference office. A 5-6 junior guard, Mosley transferred to Kansas from Central Arizona Community College. She led her team to the NJCAA national championship last year while being named the 2005 WBCA Junior College/Community College Player of the Year.

Kemp Chosen Preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention
Senior Crystal Kemp was selected as a preseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention pick by a vote of the league coaches as released on Oct. 18. Last season, Kemp was named postseason All-Big 12 Honorable Mention after leading the Jayhawks with 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game. She is just the ninth player in KU history to have amassed over 1,000 career points and 600 career rebounds.

27 Games On TV
With 27 games on the tube, KU’s television package in 2005-06 is the finest in school history and among the very best in the nation for any men’s or women’s team. In fact, other than the Kansas men, no other Big 12 team will play more games on television this season. The next closest team in the league is Texas Tech with 21, followed by Texas (16), Oklahoma (13), Baylor (11), Nebraska (10), Kansas State (9), Colorado (9), Iowa State (7), Missouri (6), Texas A&M (5) and Oklahoma State (4). The only two KU games not on TV are at Texas Tech and at Oklahoma. Overall, KU plays two games on Fox Sports Net, three games on FSN regional television and three contests on CSTV. Locally, 14 games will be produced and aired by Sunflower Broadband in Lawrence, and five contests will be produced by Metro Sports of Kansas City.

Increased Radio Coverage
The Jayhawk Radio Network has improved its coverage over the past two seasons. Stations carrying the Jayhawks include KLWN 1320-AM in Lawrence, KWIC 99.3-FM in Topeka, KFH 98.7-FM in Wichita and KXTR-1660-AM in Kansas City.

Up Next For KU
Kansas returns to Allen Fieldhouse for its 11th-straight regular season home game when it hosts La Salle on Friday, Dec. 30 at 7 p.m. in its final non-conference game of the season. The game will be aired live by Sunflower Broadband Channel 6 in Lawrence. Kansas has never faced La Salle. The Jayhawks begin the new year by hosting Texas on Jan. 3 in its conference opener. That game will be aired live nationally on CSTV.