🏀 GAME PREVIEW: vs Wright State

BOCA RATON, Fla. – Kansas women’s basketball (5-0) is set to take on Wright State (2-1) in the first round of the FAU Thanksgiving Tournament at 11 a.m. CT on Friday, Nov. 29, in FAU Arena.

GAME INFORMATION:

Kansas vs. Wright State

Date/Time: Friday, Nov. 29 at 11 a.m. (CT)

Where: FAU Arena (Boca Raton, Fla.)

Listen: Jayhawk Radio Network

Watch: CUSA.TV (Subscription required)

TIP-OFF

  • This will mark the first time in program history that Kansas faces off against Wright State.
  • Senior forward Mariane De Carvalho posted a career-high in scoring, finishing with 19 points on 50.0 percent (7-of-14) shooting from the field and had a career-best five made 3-pointers.
  • For the second straight game and third time in her Kansas career, junior forward Tina Stephens finished in double figures in rebounding with 10 boards and six points against Texas State.
  • Freshman guard Holly Kersgieter was second on the team in scoring and rebounds against Texas State finishing with 13 points and seven rebounds.
  • The Jayhawks outrebounded the Bobcats by thirteen and finished with a season-high of 47 boards as a team.
  • Kansas had a steady hand against Texas State shooting 43.3 percent (26-60) from the field and 40.0 percent (10-25) from behind the arc while holding Texas State to 31.1 percent (19-61) from the field and 16.7 percent (4-24) from the 3-point line.
  • For the third straight game, every player that has checked in to the game for Kansas scored.
  • Through five games, the Jayhawks have four players averaging in double figures in points. De Carvalho (14.2), Kersgieter (12.2), sophomore guard Aniya Thomas (11.4) and freshman guard Zakiyah Franklin (10.8).
  • In the 2018-19 season, KU won its first tournament title in the Schneider era at the Duel in the Desert with back-to-back victories. The Jayhawks defeated Washington State in its first game, 71-63, then took down Northwestern, 66-57.

NOTES:

ABOUT WRIGHT STATE

Wright State has nine returning players and brings in four newcomers. The Greyhounds are 2-1 coming into the tournament falling 83-64 to Abilene Christian in its season opener on Nov. 15, then muscled out a 65-60 win over CSU Bakersfield on Nov. 19, and went on to defeat Xavier on the road 86-74 on Nov. 23. The Raiders are a part of the Horizon League lead by third-year head coach Katrina Merriweather who holds a 75-27 record at Wright State.

 

The Raiders have been neck and neck against its opponents. Wright State is averaging 71.7 points per game and a minus-0.6 scoring margin. The Raiders have been controlling the glass in its first three games averaging 51.0 boards a game and out-rebounding opponents by 10.3 rebounds. Wright State forces 17.3 turnovers per game, 8.0 steals, and 3.0 blocks.

 

Last season, Wright State set a program record for wins in a season finishing the season 27-7 and won the Horizon League Championship over Green Bay, 55-52. The win berthed the Raiders’ second NCAA March Madness Tournament appearance in school history. The Greyhounds fell to No. 14 Texas A&M in the first round, 84-61.

ABOUT FAU

The Owls are 4-2 on the season. FAU fell to Iowa in its season opener 85-53 on Nov. 7, then bounced back in a close win against Hampton with a 64-63 on Nov. 14. The Owls were defeated by Richmond on Nov. 14, 57-55, then went on a three-game win streak starting with a dominant win over Siena, 83-39, on Nov. 19, went on to a 79-72 win over Little Rock on Nov. 21, and had a comeback victory on the road against Western Michigan, 80-79, on Nov. 24.

 

FAU is averaging 69.0 points on 38.8 percent shooting from the field and averaging 7.3 3-pointers per game. The Owls have shared the ball well with 13.5 assists a game along with getting 7.7 steals and 2.5 blocks.

ABOUT LOYOLA (MD)

Loyola Maryland has started the season 1-4. The Greyhounds dropped its season opener against Notre Dame, 84-64, on Nov. 8, then dropped the second game against Northwestern, 67-46, on Nov. 10. Loyola rolled through Fairleigh Dickson, 75-46, on Nov. 13, but then lost to Howard, 75-69, om Nov. 20, and fell to St. Francis Brooklyn on Nov. 24, 89-78.

 

The Greyhounds have averaged 65.6 points per game and 7.0 3-pointers. Loyola has forced 20.0 turnovers a game, average 10.6 steals and has done well passing with 16.4 assists.

A Look Back At Texas State

Midway through the first quarter, junior forward Mariane De Carvalho made her second 3-pointer to spark an 11-2 run. Texas State then went on a 7-0 run in the last 1:04 of the first quarter as Kansas took a 25-17 lead into the second quarter. De Carvalho finished with eight points in the first quarter.

 

The second period was back and forth, but the Bobcats were able to close the gap with Da’Nasia Hood drilling a 3-pointer to cap an 8-0 run to end the quarter and close Kansas’ lead to 33-30 entering halftime.

 

The Jayhawks had complete control in the third quarter. Kansas went on a 15-6 run over the span of 6:09 to give the Jayhawks its largest lead in the game up to that point at 16. Junior center Bailey Helgren contributed six points followed by De Carvalho with five points and sophomore guard Aniya Thomas contributing four points.

 

Kansas continued to pull away led by De Carvalho’s six points in the fourth quarter. De Carvalho drilled her third 3-pointer with 52 seconds left in the game to give the Jayhawks its largest lead at 20 points and set her career-high in scoring with 19 points. Kansas ran out the clock and defeated Texas State 68-48.

UP NEXT:

Kansas will take on either of Loyola Maryland and FAU on Saturday, Nov. 30.