November 18, 2013

Kansas Heads to Minnesota for First Road Test

Junior Natalie Knight has the best assist/turnover ratio in the Big 12 at 4.7 after three games.

Game 3: Kansas at Minnesota
Time	7 p.m.
Location	Minneapolis, Minn.
Arena	Williams Arena
Series	Kansas leads, 14-3
Television	Gopher All-Access
Radio	Jayhawk Radio Network Affiliate List Online: Jayhawk Digital Passport
Live Stats	via Minnesota
Notes	Kansas

Stats at a Glance	Kansas	Minnesota
Record	3-0	2-1
Rankings	RV	NR
Points/GM	76.7	71.7
Points Allowed/GM	61.3	57.7
FG%	50.0	51.0
Rebounds/GM	37.3	42.7
Assists/GM	14.0	15.0
Blocks/GM	3.3	5.0
Steals/GM	11.0	5.0

LAWRENCE, Kan. – After opening the season with a successful three-game homestand, Kansas hits the road for the first time in 2013-14.

The Jayhawks (3-0) face Minnesota (2-1) on Nov. 20 at 7 p.m. in Williams Arena. The match up in Minneapolis is the first of four games that KU is set to play on the road. After Minnesota, Kansas heads to the Virgin Islands for the EZ Global Payments Virgin Islands Paradise Jam Nov. 28-30.

The game against the Gophers can be heard on the Jayhawk Radio Network and seen on Gopher All-Access.

JAYHAWK FAST BREAKS
• Kansas received 17 votes in the second USA TODAY Top 25 poll of the 2013-14 season, which was released on Nov. 12. KU is 43 votes from cracking the top 25. The Jayhawks ended the 2012-13 campaign ranked No. 25.
• The Jayhawks boast a 327-148 (.686) record all-time versus non-conference opponents and are 90-22 in non-conference play under head coach Bonnie Henrickson.
• KU has an overall record of 367-383 away from Allen Fieldhouse and during the Bonnie Henrickson-era, the Jayhawks are 44-86 when not playing in Allen Fieldhouse.
• In the month of November, the Jayhawks have an overall mark of 113-26 (.810) and have won the last 21 games played in the 11th month of the year.
• Junior Chelsea Gardner has led all scorers in all three games this season, while junior Asia Boyd has a set a new career-high in points scored in every game this year. Gardner is averaging 22.3 points per game, while Boyd is averaging 18.0.

ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS
Kansas, off to a 3-0 start after a successful three-game homestand, heads to Minnesota for its first road test of the 2013-14 season. Three games into the year, junior Chelsea Gardner leads with team with 22.3 points and 8.3 rebounds per game. She has led all scorers in all three games this season. Junior Asia Boyd set a new career mark in points scored for the third-straight game with 18 against Creighton.

Sophomore Lamaria Cole scored a career-best 14 points in the third start of her career. Junior Natalie Knight has dished out 14 assists, which is the most on the team and has the best assist/turnover ratio in the Big 12 at 4.7. Seniors CeCe Harper and Markisha Hawkins are among the first off the bench for KU. Hawkins averages 4.3 points per game, while Harper is adding 5.7 points per game.

All five freshmen saw action in the first two games of the 2013-14 campaign. Keyla Morgan leads the freshmen with 5.0 points per game, while Caelynn Manning-Allen has four blocks, which is second most on the team. Dakota Gonzalez is averaging 16 minutes a game, the most of the freshman class. She has eight points, four rebounds and two assists on the season. Jada Brown is averaging 1.0 rebounds per game in 33 minutes played. Dylan Gonzalez is shooting 66.7 percent in eight minutes off the bench.

SCOUTING THE GOLDEN GOPHERS
Minnesota is 2-1 heading into Wednesday night’s game and coming off an 11-point loss to Creighton on Nov. 16. The Golden Gophers are averaging 71.7 points per game on 51 percent shooting, while grabbing 42.7 rebounds per game. Minnesota is also averaging 15 turnovers a game. Amanda Zahui leads the team with 16.5 points and 10.0 rebounds per game, while collecting three blocks and two steals. Rachael Banham and Micaella Riche are also averaging double figures with 16.3 and 10.0 points per game, respectively.

KANSAS VS. MINNESOTA: THE SERIES
Wednesday night’s match up is the 25th between the two programs. Kansas leads the overall series 14-3 and has won eight of the last 10 meetings dating back to 1982. Under head coach Bonnie Henrickson, the Jayhawks are 1-1 against the Golden Gophers. KU has a 4-3 mark when playing in Minneapolis.

LAST TIME OUT
The last time the Kansas and Minnesota met on the hardwood was Dec. 2, 2012, inside Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks won the game 63-53. Chelsea Gardner scored 14 points and pulled down six rebounds. It was Gardner’s second-straight game tallying double-digit points. Carolyn Davis led KU with 20 points, while CeCe Harper recorded a game-high five steals.

SHARP-SHOOTING JAYHAWKS
Kansas is shooting 50 percent (72-144) from the field, which is the second best field goal percentage in the Big 12 after the first two weeks of the season. The Jayhawks made 15-of-20 (.750) shots in the first half against Creighton. The last time KU shot 75 percent or better in a half was in 2008 against Pepperdine, when the Jayhawks made 18-of-23 (.780) in the second half. Once the final whistle blew against Creighton, Kansas had made 27-of-44 (.614), the highest percentage since KU’s opening round of the WNIT against Wichita State in 2011.

THIS DAY IN KANSAS WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HISTORY
Kansas has a 3-2 record when playing on Nov. 20. In 1998, the Jayhawks faced Massachusetts in Hawaii and KU won 58-49. The win marked the first victory of the 1998-99 season by Kansas. The Jayhawks were led by Lynn Pride who finished with 15 points and six steals. Jaclyn Johnson and Suzi Raymant finished the game with 13 and 10 points, respectively.

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