November 08, 2013

Kansas Opens 2013-14 With Oral Roberts

Freshman Jada Brown and the Jayhawks are ready to begin the 2013-14 campaign on Sunday against Oral Roberts.

Game 1: Kansas vs. Oral Roberts
Time	2 p.m.
Location	Lawrence, Kan.
Arena	Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)
Series	Kansas leads, 11-0
Television	Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 Nate Bukaty (Play-by-Play) Ivana Catic (Analyst)
Radio	Jayhawk Radio Network Affiliate List Online: Jayhawk Digital Passport
Live Stats	Kansas Sidearm Stats
Notes	Kansas

Stats at a Glance *2012-13	KU*	ORU
Record	20-14	1-0
Rankings	NR	NR
Points/GM	69.9	89.0
Points Allowed/GM	67.6	68.0
FG%	.438	.409
Rebounds/GM	38.7	52.0
Assists/GM	16.3	20.0
Blocks/GM	3.9	4.0
Steals/GM	7.9	4.0

LAWRENCE, Kan. – After a 2-0 record in exhibition play, Kansas women’s basketball is ready to open the 2013-14 season on Sunday, Nov. 10 against Oral Roberts inside Allen Fieldhouse.

It’s the 12th meeting between the two programs and second time the two schools have met on opening day. The game will air on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 and Jayhawk Radio Network.

ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS
The Jayhawks have reloaded for the 2013-14 season with a mixture of returning talent and young faces after graduating Carolyn Davis, Angel Goodrich and Monica Engelman, who were all 1,000 point scorers. KU returns two starters in juniors Chelsea Gardner and Natalie Knight and a total of seven letterwinners from last year’s squad that advanced to the NCAA Sweet 16. Kansas brought in five freshmen to add depth to the roster.

Knight averaged 8.3 points per game, while Gardner averaged 8.7 points and 6.9 rebounds per game. She also collected 1.5 blocks per game last season. Seniors CeCe Harper and Markisha Hawkins provided a spark off the bench in 2012-13 contributing 5.1 and 3.9 points per game, respectively.

Also returning this season are Asia Boyd, Lamaria Cole and Bunny Williams. Boyd logged 13.2 minutes and 4.2 points per game, while Cole tallied 2.1 points per game in eight appearances. Williams appeared in every game and started five averaging 2.2 points and 2.9 rebounds per game.

Joining Williams and Gardner in the front court are Jada Brown and Caelynn Manning-Allen. Keyla Morgan and Dakota and Dylan Gonzalez add depth to the back court.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN EAGLES
Oral Roberts opened its season with a 89-68 win over the University of Science and Arts of Oklahoma. Kaylan Mayberry led the Golden Eagles with 18 points against USAO. She was 3-for-5 from beyond the arc. Mayberry also added six assists and a steal. Oral Roberts concluded the 2012-13 campaign with an 18-12 record, including a 13-5 mark in its first season in the Southland Conference. ORU returns two starters and three letterwinners from last year’s team that advanced to the NCAA Tournament. The Golden Eagles added 10 newcomers to the roster this season.

KANSAS VS. ORAL ROBERTS: THE SERIES Kansas and Oral Roberts meet for the 12th time in program history on Sunday afternoon. The Jayhawks own a perfect 11-0 record against the Golden Eagles. The series began in 1977 when KU beat ORU, 94 61, in Springfield, Mo. This will be the eighth meeting in Lawrence for the two schools. On average in the series, Kansas has defeated ORU by 26.6 points. The largest margin of victory was in 1990 and 1993 when the Jayhawks won by 56 points (108-52 and 109-53).

LAST TIME OUT
The Jayhawks last faced Oral Roberts during the 2011-12 season, when Kansas defeated the Golden Eagles 85-68 in Allen Fieldhouse on Dec. 21, 2011. Former KU forward Carolyn Davis recorded season highs in both points and rebounds, with 25 and 11, respectively. Junior Chelsea Gardner posted a then-career-high 10 points against ORU in 2011.

THIS DAY IN KANSAS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HISTORY
This year marks the earliest start to the Kansas women’s basketball season and the first time the Jayhawks have played on November 10. However, on Nov. 10, 2004, Sunday’s television color analyst and former KU women’s basketball player Ivana Catic signed her letter of intent to play for the Jayhawks. Catic and Jennifer Orgas were the first recruits to sign under head coach Bonnie Henrickson.

READY, SET, PLAY
The 2013-14 season opener against Oral Roberts is the earliest start to a season in the history of Kansas women’s basketball. When the program first started in the 1960’s the season began in February and over the years the season has been pushed up to start in November. Prior to the Nov. 10th start, the earliest the Jayhawks have opened the season was Nov. 11th, which has occurred three times.

KANSAS IN SEASON OPENERS
Kansas boosts an overall record of 35-10 in season openers dating back to its first season in 1968. The Jayhawks have an equally impressive record of 18-3 when opening the season at Allen Fieldhouse. Under head coach Bonnie Henrickson, KU is 8-1 in the first game of the season. Henrickson and the Jayhawks have won eight-straight season openers dating back to 2005.

OH CAPTAIN, MY CAPTAIN
Juniors Natalie Knight and Bunny Williams were voted captains by their team prior to the start of the 2013-14 season. It is the first time either has been voted the honor of captain for the Jayhawks.

JAYHAWKS FACE TOURNAMENT TESTED OPPONENTS
In 2013-14, Kansas faces 12 opponents that advanced to the NCAA Tournament, five regular season league champions, five WNIT squads and 11 teams coming off 20-win campaigns. Oral Roberts is the first opponent this season the Jayhawks will face that appeared in the NCAA Tournament and earned a piece of its conference crown.

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