Kansas and TCU Square Off on the Hardwood

Game 25: TCU at Kansas
Date Wednesday, Feb. 17
Time 7 p.m. (CT)
Location Lawrence, Kansas
Arena Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)
Series Tied 4-4
Television Jayhawk Television Network
Radio

Jayhawk Radio Network
Online: KUAthletics.com

Notes Kansas
Stats at a Glance KU TCU
Record 5-19 13-11
Points/GM 53.6 72.2
Field Goal % 35.6 42.8
3-Point Field Goal % 31.2 39.1
Free Throw % 67.6 73.1
Rebounds/GM 32.8 36.1
Assists/GM 10.3 15.1
Blocks/GM 3.5 4.9
Steals/GM 7.6 9.0

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Although Kansas women’s basketball has concluded several Big 12 series, the Jayhawks face TCU for the first time in conference action on Wednesday, Feb. 17 at 7 p.m., inside Allen FIeldhouse.
 
Around the Arena
New this season is KU’s first Go Red for Women game, all fans wearing red will receive $5 admission when purchased at the Kansas Athletics ticket office the day of game. If buying tickets prior to the game, use the “GORED” promo code to have the opportunity to purchase a discounted $5 ticket. All fans in attendance will receive a pom giveaway, while supplies last. Additionally, the first 200 KU students in the doors will get free corn dogs and Lays chips.
 
Kansas FastBreaks

  • Kansas and TCU are all knotted up at four games apiece in the overall series. KU owns a 2-1 mark against the Horned Frogs inside Allen Fieldhouse.
  • Kansas has a record of 410-174 (.705) in Allen Fieldhouse. Over the last five seasons, Kansas has posted a 65-38 mark on its home court. This season, Kansas owns a 4-9 mark at home.
  • The Jayhawks took advantage of K-State’s zone defense, sinking a season-high 13 shots from long range. The last time Kansas netted 13 buckets from the three-point line was against Iona (11/26/14).
  • Redshirt junior guard Timeka O’Neal notched a new career high in scoring against the Wildcats with 18 points. O’Neal’s six triples on the night were the most in a single game for any Jayhawk this season.
  • When Brandon Schneider-coached teams are leading with less than five minutes to play, his overall record is 351-12, and 5-0 at Kansas.
  • During her career, sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge has hit 35.4 percent of her attempts from behind the arc, which is closing in on Kansas’ all-time three-point field percentage top-10.
  • Freshman guard Kylee Kopatich is averaging 32.6 minutes per game during her rookie season. Her minutes per game rank sixth in the Big 12 and second among freshmen in the league.
  • Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen has swatted away a team-high 33 blocks this season, averaging 1.4 per game, for 75 blocks in her career. She needs 20 more to crack Kansas’ top-10 season list and 10 to etch her name into the junior record.
  • Freshman guard Jayde Christopher has dished out three or more assists on nine occasions, including a career-high mark of six against Northern Illinois (11/27).  She is second on the team in assists with 50 on the year. Aldridge leads the squad with 51 and tallied six against Texas Tech (1/30), for her second five-assist effort this season.

 
About the Jayhawks
The Jayhawks (5-19, 0-13 Big 12) will look to uphold their winning record against TCU, currently at 2-1, on Wednesday inside Allen Fieldhouse. The last time the Horned Frogs came to Lawrence, on Jan. 14 of last season, they bested Kansas, 80-63, for their first-ever road win over the Jayhawks. The Jayhawks now look to end a 15-game losing streak and earn their first conference victory this season.
 
A list of season-high marks was not enough to help Kansas earn its first Big 12 win of the season in Saturday’s Sunflower Showdown, as the Kansas State Wildcats emerged with the 81-76 victory inside Bramlage Coliseum. For the second-consecutive game and third time this season, the Jayhawks allowed their opponent to notch 80 or more points; all of which have resulted in a loss for Kansas. On the offensive end, a barrage of three-pointers carried the Jayhawks to their highest output in Big 12 play this season, netting 67 points. A season-high 13 baskets from beyond the arc improved upon the team’s previous mark of 10, set in its preceding game against Baylor. Kansas also dished out more assists (19) against the Wildcats than in any other contest this season, after entering Saturday’s game averaging 9.9 per game. Kansas saw season-high production from its bench as well, accounting for over half the offense with 36 points, and redshirt junior guard Timeka O’Neal led the way with 18 points of her own.
 
O’Neal averaged 31.6 percent shooting from three-point range before Saturday’s matchup with Kansas State, knocking down 12-of-38 attempts on the season. The Raytown, Missouri native connected on 6-of-12 attempts against the Wildcats for a career-high 18 points. Freshman guard Kylee Kopatich contributed a career-high three triples to finish the night with 11 points, marking her 14th double-figure scoring performance of the season. Freshman forward Tyler Johnson recorded 10 points to round out the trio of double-digit scorers, putting in 4-of-9 attempts and pulling down four rebounds.        
 
Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen led the Jayhawks in assists for the first time this season against Kansas State, dishing out a career-high five dimes. For the sixth time this season, freshman guard Jayde Christopher tallied four or more assists. Christopher leads the Jayhawks in four-assist games this season. Freshman guard Aisia Robertson and sophomore guard Chayla Cheadle each handed out three assists, well above their season averages of 1.1 and 1.3 per game, respectively.
 
Three of the last four contests between the Jayhawks and Horned Frogs have ended in favor of TCU. A Kansas win would be its first since the 19-point comeback, overtime victory over Navy on Dec. 13, and set the tone for a rematch with the Horned Frogs in Fort Worth on Feb. 29. 
 
Scouting the Horned Frogs
TCU is 13-11 on the season, and 5-8 in the Big 12 after completing a season sweep of Iowa State on Saturday, defeating the Cyclones, 79-69, inside Ed & Rae Schollmaier Arena. The Horned Frogs own a 3-6 record in road games this season, but are 1-4 in games outside of the Lone Star State. The winner of Wednesday’s contest will take the lead in the overall series between the Jayhawks and Horned Frogs, which currently sits at 4-4. 
 
The Horned Frogs were picked to finish fifth in the Big 12 by the coaches’ preseason poll, after tying with Oklahoma State, Iowa State and Texas for the third-best conference record (9-9) a season ago. In her first season at the helm, head coach Raegan Pebley helped the Horned Frogs earn a bid to the Women’s National Invitational Tournament (WNIT), and win their first postseason game since 2008. Nine letterwinners and three starters return from last year’s squad, including senior guard Zahna Medley, who was named to the preseason All-Big 12 First Team for the second-consecutive season, and senior guard Veja Hamilton, who was named a preseason Honorable Mention All-Big 12 selection.
 
Last season, Medley led the Horned Frogs in points per game (15.6), assists (129), free-throws (102), free-throw percentage (.879), three-pointers (72), and three-point percentage (.381). Medley currently leads the team in each of those categories except three-point percentage, as sophomore guard Toree Thompson’s .429 average is slightly above Medley’s .418 average. Among the Big 12, Medley ranks sixth in points per game (16.0), seventh in assists (3.75), tied for third in free throws made (77), first in free throw percentage (87.5), fourth in three-point percentage (.418) and second in three-pointers made (64).
Hamilton currently averages 9.8 points and 4.0 rebounds per game. Shooting just 1-of-7 from beyond the arc on the season, Hamilton is the only starting guard for TCU that isn’t a threat from three-point range. Redshirt sophomore guard AJ Alix shoots 41.7 percent from long distance, just a fraction lower than Medley’s average, and Thompson’s mark of .429 is second in the conference.
 
TCU ranks last in the Big 12 in scoring defense, allowing opponents to average 67.0 points per game. However, the Horned Frogs shoot a conference-best 39.1 percent from beyond the arc, which may be problematic for the Jayhawks, who own the worst three-point defense in the Big 12. TCU and Kansas rank ninth and 10th, respectively, in rebounding margin. Kansas will look to improve its effort on the glass, after amassing a combined minus-37 rebounding margin in its last two games.
 
This Day in KU Women’s Basketball History
Record on Feb. 17: 7-4
Kansas women’s basketball will play on the 17th day of February for the 12th time in program history. The first meeting on Feb. 17 came in 1972, while the last was during the 2015 season. In 2013, Monica Engelman, Angel Goodrich and Carolyn Davis combined to score 62 of the Jayhawks’ 81 points in their victory over No. 19 Oklahoma. Goodrich also became the all-time assist leader, recording her 687th career assist.
 
Tough and Together
First-year head coach Brandon Schneider has brought a “tough and together” culture to Allen Fieldhouse and Kansas women’s basketball. The Jayhawks begin end every practice with t and t, which is short for tough and together. Schneider has vowed that his squads will compete and play together every day. Whether the Jayhawks are hitting the floor, flying over the scorers’ table or passing to a teammate, they will play tough and together.
 
One – Two – Three!
On the season, Kansas is connecting on 31.2 percent of its shots from beyond the arc. Both redshirt junior guard Timeka O’Neal and sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge are shooting above average, making 39.3 and 36.0 percent of their long-range shots, respectively. Both Jayhawks rank among the top 10 in the Big 12 and Aldridge’s career mark of 35.4 nears the all-time KU three-point field goal percentage, where the No. 10 spot is 35.9 percent held by Monica Engelman.
 
Up Next
Kansas continues its homestand with No. 21 Oklahoma on Saturday, Feb. 20 at 2 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. Saturday’s contest against the Sooners is KU’s annual ‘Jayhawks for a Cure’ game with events helping raise breast cancer awareness, while also honoring both survivors and those who have lost their battle with cancer.
 
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