🏀 GAME PREVIEW: vs. West Virginia
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas women’s basketball team (11-1, 0-1) is prepped to host West Virginia (11-1, 1-0) in its Big 12 home opener on Wednesday, Jan. 8, in Allen Fieldhouse at 7 p.m. CT.
GAME INFORMATION:
Kansas vs. No. 19/20 West Virginia
Date/Time: Wednesday, Jan. 8 at 7 p.m. (CT)
Where: Allen Fieldhouse (Lawrence, Kan.)
Listen: Jayhawk Radio Network with Jimmy Chavez and David Lawrence
Watch: Big 12 NOW on ESPN+ with Josh Klingler, Brenda Vanlengen and Jill Dorsey Hall
TIP-OFF
- This will be the 16th meeting between the Jayhawks and Mountaineers in program history. West Virginia leads the all-time series 11-4.
- With an 11-1 record, Kansas is tied with three other teams for the best win percentage at 91.7%. The three other teams are all in the Big 12 Conference: Baylor, West Virginia and Texas Tech.
- Kansas had its 11-game win streak snapped by OSU, where KU fell, 67-49. The 11-0 start by the Jayhawks is the best start since the 2005-6 season and under head coach Brandon Schneider.
- In the last outing, Kansas outrebounded Oklahoma State by one board, 43-42. That marks the Jayhawks 11th game where it outrebounded its opponent.
- Playing in her first Big 12 Conference game, freshman guard Zakiyah Franklin led the team in scoring with 17 points, two points shy of her career-high. Franklin shot 8-of-19 (43%) from the field, grabbed five boards and forced two steals.
- Senior forward Mariane De Carvalho finished with nine points against Oklahoma State. De Carvalho shot 4-of-7 (57.1%) from the field and also led the team in rebounding with six.
SCOUTING THE MOUNTAINEERS
West Virginia is 11-1 on the season and 2-0 when playing on the road. The Mountaineers come into Allen Fieldhouse on a seven-game win streak.
WVU won its Big 12 opener against Kansas State, 74-63, and is ranked No. 19 in the latest AP Poll.
Head coach Mike Carey is in his 19th season at West Virginia a 404-205 record and a career record of 692-308.
The Mountaineers are averaging 71.1 points per game on 42.2% shooting from the field and 34.5% from the three-point line. WVU has had strong defense forcing its opponents to 18.1 turnovers and 7.8 steals per game.
Junior guard Kysre Gondrezick has led the Mountaineers with 17.4 points a game on 41.5% shooting from the field and 40.5% from beyond the arc. Backing up Gondrezick in the backcourt has been senior guard Tynice Martin with 15.6 points per contest on 40.0% shooting from the field.
LAST TIME OUT
KU went on an 8-3 run around the 3:15 mark of the first quarter to lead OSU, 17-11. The Cowgirls responded by using a 10-0 run to close the gap halfway through the second quarter and took a two-point lead heading into halftime, 31-29.
Oklahoma State took control in the third quarter outscoring Kansas 16-7 and took an 11-point edge into the final quarter, 47-36. The Cowgirls continued to roll in the fourth, opening with an 8-2 run and went on to defeat the Jayhawks, 67-49.
The Jayhawks will hit the road to Fort Worth, Texas, to face TCU on Sunday, Jan. 12, at 2 p.m. CT.
