Jayhawk Women Head To Ball State

Dec. 29, 2004

Game Notes in PDF Format
Download Free Acrobat Reader

Kansas Jayhawks (6-4) at Ball State Cardinals (4-6)

Game #11 – Thurs., Dec. 30, 2004 – 7 p.m. – Worthen Arena (11,500)

Radio/Television

Jayhawk Radio Network: Nate Bukaty (play-by-play) and Brian Hanni (color analyst) call the action. TV: None.

Records

Kansas is 6-4 after defeating San Diego State on Tuesday. Ball State is 4-6 after defeating Saint Louis on Tuesday.

Rankings

None.

Coaches

Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson is 6-4 in her first year at Kansas and 164-66 in her eighth year as a head coach overall. The Cardinals are coached by Tracy Roller, who is 62-40 in her fourth year at Ball State and overall.

Jayhawk Storylines

– Kansas is 6-4 after defeating Ball State 71-45 on Dec. 28 in Lawrence. Junior Crystal Kemp posted her third double-double of the season, and second-straight, with 18 points and 10 rebounds.

– Kemp ranks third in the Big 12 in scoring with 16.8 points per game and sixth in the league with 7.7 boards per game.

– The Jayhawks rank second in the Big 12 in scoring defense, holding all opponents to an average of 51.0 points per game. KU has also ranked in the top 10 nationally in scoring defense, and as high as fifth.

– After shooting 56.7 percent from the free throw line in its first seven games, KU has shown improvement from the charity stripe, hitting 75.5 percent in its last three outings.

– KU is 1-0 all-time against Ball State. The two teams met last season when KU defeated BSU 70-55 on Dec. 13, 2003 in Lawrence.

– Kansas is 7-2 all-time against teams from the Mid-American Conference.

– The game against Ball State signals the end of non-conference play for the Jayhawks. KU opens Big 12 play on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at Texas. The Jayhawks play their conference home-opener on Saturday, Jan. 8 against Kansas State.

Tonight’s Game

The University of Kansas (6-4) hits the road for its final non-conference game when it takes on Ball State (4-6) on Thursday, Dec. 30, in Worthen Arena at 7 p.m. in Muncie, Ind.

Kansas will take the floor after a 71-45 win over San Diego State on Dec. 28. The Jayhawks jumped out to a quick lead and used a 24-0 run in the first half to cruise to the victory. KU placed three players in double figures led by junior Crystal Kemp who notched her third double-double of the season with 18 points and 10 rebounds. The Jayhawks used the free throw line extensively, hitting 19-of-26 attempts.

For the season, Kemp has been impressive with 16.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. Hallman is second on the team with 11.8 points to go with 5.6 assists per game. Senior Aquanita Burras rounds out the double-figure scorers with 10.1 points per game.

BSU is coming off a 75-60 win over Saint Louis on Dec. 28. The win was the Cardinals’ second victory over SLU this season. Four Ball State players scored in double figures led by senior guard/forward Kate Endress with 18 points. Sophomore center Becca Bajorek added a double-double with 15 points and 12 boards. For the season, Endress leads the team with 14.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. Sophomore guard Tina Bolte is second on the team with 9.9 points per game. Sophomore guard Kelsey Corbin passes out a team-high 3.2 assists per game.

The matchup will mark the second all-time meeting between the two schools. Kansas won the first meeting, 70-55, on Dec. 13, 2003 in Lawrence.

Last Time Out

Kansas returned from its holiday vacation with a lopsided 71-45 victory over visiting San Diego State University on Tuesday. The Jayhawks forced 20 Aztec turnovers in the game.

The Jayhawks (6-4) had three players in double-figures. Junior Crystal Kemp led the charge as she scored a game-high 18 points on 6-of-10 shooting from the field. Kemp notched a double-double as she grabbed a game-high 10 rebounds. Junior Erica Hallman added 17 points as she also hit 6-of-10 field goals. Hallman also dished out a game-high five assists. Jayhawk junior Kaylee Brown rounded out the double-figure scoring for KU as she scored 11 points.

Senior Aquanita Burras added nine points, while freshman Jamie Boyd came off the bench to score five. All nine Jayhawk players who played scored in the game.

“Our ball pressure forced them to pick the ball up and make bad passes,” head coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “I though Sharita (Smith) gave us great energy off the bench. We also had great energy from the crowd tonight.”

The Aztecs (3-6) were led by the 12 points of Michelle Strawberry.

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 10 games with freshman Taylor McIntosh, senior Aquanita Burras and junior Erica Hallman starting each game. Junior Kaylee Brown (8 starts), junior Crystal Kemp (8), 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 seven contests, and the team owns a record of 4-3 in that stretch.

Taking Care of the Ball

The Jayhawks have taken care of the ball well this season. Consider the following:

– KU ranks third in the Big 12 in turnover margin at +4.30.

– Through games of Dec. 28, KU ranked fourth in the conference, and among the top 30 nationally for fewest turnovers per game at 14.5.

– Point guard Erica Hallman ranks fifth in the Big 12 in assist/turnover ratio at 2.33-to-1.

– The Jayhawks have a positve team assist/turnover ratio at 1.03-to-1.

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 eight double-figure scoring games and led KU in scoring in seven times. McIntosh has led the team in rebounding in four games and Hallman has led in assists in eight games. KU has recorded four double-doubles, including three by Kemp and one by McIntosh.

Tonight’s Opponent – Ball State Cardinals

Ball State (4-6) enters the game against Kansas after defeating Saint Louis 75-60 on Dec. 28. Ball State returns two starters among eight letterwinners to a team that went 13-16 overall and 7-9 to tie for fifth in the Mid-American Conference in 2003-04. Picked to finish fifth in the MAC West Division this season, the Cardinals have wins over Wagner, Seton Hall and Saint Louis, twice.

The Cardinals are led by senior guard/forward Kate Endress with 14.9 points and 6.0 rebounds per game. No other BSU player averages double-figure scoring, but seven players are averaging more than five points per game. Sophomore guard Kelsey Corbin paces the team with 3.2 assists per game.

Last game against SLU, four players scored in double figures led by Endress with 18 points. Sophomore center Becca Bajorek added 15 points and 12 boards. Corbin and sophomore guard Tina Bolte added 16 and 10 points, respectively. The Cardinals were helped by outscoring the Billikens 23-11 at the free throw line.

As a team, the Cardinals are scoring 65.4 points per game on 39.7 percent shooting and pulling down 39.6 rebounds per game. BSU is giving up 71.0 points per game on 43.6 percent shooting and 38.8 boards per game to its opponents.

Ball State is coached by Tracy Roller, who is 62-40 in her fourth year at BSU and overall.

Kansas/Ball State Last Meeting

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas survived a second-half flurry by Ball State to top the Cardinals, 70-55, in Allen Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks, led by junior Aquanita Burras’ career-high 24 points on an 11-for-15 effort, jumped out to an early 20-5 lead in the first seven minutes of the contest. Ball State, which was paced by senior Johna Goff and sophomore Dana Collins, who each scored 12 points, answered with a 13-8 run to close the first half. KU, which shot 51 percent in the first period, took a seven point advantage, 31-24, into halftime.

Burras, along with sophomore Tamara Ransburg, who notched the seventh double-double of her career (11 points and 12 boards) and first of the season, helped the Jayhawks survive a Ball State surge in the second half. The Cardinals opened the second half with a 13-6 run to take their first lead of the game at the 15:01 mark. Kansas, which was down by as many as eight points, tackled the gap by going on a 27-4 run in the final 10 minutes, ending the game with a 70-55 victory.

Kansas vs. Ball State Series Notes

Kansas leads the all-time series 1-0, with the first meeting taking place last season in Lawrence. On Dec. 13, 2003, KU defeated BSU, 70-55, in Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas is 7-2 all-time against teams in the Mid-American Conference.

A Kansas Win Would

Make KU 7-4 for the second straight season … Make KU 2-0 all-time against Ball State … Make KU 1-0 against the Cardinals in Muncie, Ind. … Give KU its second straight win and fourth win in its last five games … Give Kansas a 1-2 record on the road this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 7-4 (.636) at KU and 165-66 (.714) in her career … Make KU 604-402 all-time.

A Kansas Loss Would

Make KU 6-5 for the first time since 2000-01 … Make KU 1-1 all-time against Ball State … Make KU 0-1 against BSU in Muncie, Ind. … Give KU its second loss in the last three games … Make the Jayhawks 0-3 on the road this season … Make head coach Bonnie Henrickson’s record 6-5 (.545) at KU and 164-67 (.710) in her career … Make KU 603-403 all-time.

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 67 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 (76, 5th), three-pointers attempted (213, 6th) and three-point field goal percentage (35.7 percent, 8th).

– Hallman is approaching the KU all-time top-10 in assists. Currently at 244 career assists, Hallman needs three dimes to catch Jaclyn Johnson for 10th place (247 career assists from 1998-2001), and just six assists to catch Sandy Shaw (250 career assists from 1985-88) for ninth place.

– Junior Crystal Kemp is currently in ninth place on the KU career field goal percentage list at 51.1 percent (339-664).

– At her current pace, Kemp appears to be on track to become Kansas’ 18th all-time 1,000-point scorer, and first since Jaclyn Johnson, Brooke Reves and Jennifer Jackson all accomplished the feat during the 2000-01 season. With 861 career points and a current season average of 16.8 points per game, she is on pace to reach the milestone during the Oklahoma game on Feb. 2.

– 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.

Tenacious D

KU has held five opponents to under 20 points in the first half (UMKC-19, Denver-15, Washburn-19, Western Illinois-13, San Diego State-17). 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 51.0 points per game which ranks second in the Big 12. Through games of Dec. 20, the Jayhawks ranked fifth nationally in scoring defense.

Improving At The Line

After shooting 56.7 percent (59-of-104) from the free throw line in its first seven games, Kansas has started to show improvement at the charity stripe. In the last three outings, the Jayhawks have converted 40-of-53 free throws for 75.5 percent.

A Tale Of Two Halves

KU has been impressive in the first half, outscoring its opponents 330-225 (or 33.0-to-22.5 points per game), and leading at the break in eight out of 10 games. But in the second half, KU is trailing 285-272 and three of four losses have come after leading at intermission. As a team, the Jayhawks are averaging 33.0 points per first half on 46.6 percent (131-of-281) shooting from the field. In the second half, however, KU is connecting on only 36.4 percent (99-of-272) of its shots and averaging 27.2 points. As a team, KU has shot at least 10 percentage points lower in the second half than the first half in the last eight games.

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-34.70, Aquanita Burras-32.60 and Crystal Kemp-31.00) are playing 31 minutes per game or more, and each rank in the top 12 in the conference in time played per game.

Up Next For KU

After the game with Ball State, the Jayhawks kick off Big 12 play at Texas on Wednesday, Jan. 5 at 7 p.m. KU returns home on Saturday, Jan. 8 to play Kansas State at 7 p.m. Both games will be aired live on CSTV.

Kemp Off To A Fast Start

Junior forward Crystal Kemp paces the team with 16.8 points and 7.7 rebounds per game. She has played in all 10 games with eight 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, she 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. Kemp currently ranks in the top 25 in the country shooting 56.6 percent from the field.

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 10.1 points and 5.2 rebounds per game. She also ranks second on the team with 33 assists and leads the team with 21 steals. At just 5’9″, she is second on the team with six blocked shots and third on the squad with 15 offensive rebounds. She rarely comes out of the game, averaging 32.6 minutes per game. In three years at KU, she has started all 67 games of her career.

Hallman Adjusting Well To The Point

Junior Erica Hallman, who primarily played on the wing last season, has started all 10 games this season at point guard and is getting more and more comfortable with each game. She is second on the team with 11.8 points per game and is leads the team with 18 three-pointers made. She provides KU with a solid ball-handling and long-range shooting option. Her 2.33-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 (76, 5th), three-pointers attempted (213, 6th) and three-point field goal percentage (35.3 percent, 8th). At Creighton on Dec. 21, she tied a career-high 20 points.

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 10 games and has made her reputation doing the little things in her young career. She is second on the team with 7.0 rebounds per game and first on the team with 33 offensive rebounds. Her 3.30 offensive boards per game ranks second 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. She posted a career-high 13 rebounds versus UMKC on Nov. 27.

Brown From Downtown

Junior guard Kaylee Brown has played in all 10 games with eight starts. A hard-nosed player, Brown is not afraid to sacrifice her body to take a charge (she has taken four this season). She is a patient player who sees the floor well, and has the ability to score from long range. Brown is second on the team with 16 three-pointers made, and has connected for at least one three-pointer in each of the last nine games. She owns an average of 8.5 points and 1.7 boards per game.

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 six times and is averaging 2.8 points and 1.0 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 operates at point guard and on the wing.

Waltz Back For Senior Season

Senior Blair Waltz is the only four-year senior on the team. She has played in eight games with two starting assignments and averages 2.9 points and 1.4 rebounds per game. Her best game this season was a nine-point, four-assist effort versus Sacred Heart on Nov. 24.

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 seven games with two starting assignments. She has posted 2.1 points and 3.3 rebounds per outing. She is shooting 46.2 percent from the field on 6-of-13 field goals. One of just four players to stand at least six feet tall, she operates primarily out of the high post. She was described by the coaches as the player who improved the most during summer workouts.

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 nine games this season in a reserve role and has posted 2.8 points and 3.1 boards in 16.1 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)

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.

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 only plays three road games. KU played at No. 14 Minnesota on Dec. 5, at Creighton on Dec. 21 and also plays 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.