Jayhawks Ready for Date with St. John’s

 

Head coach Brandon Schneider and freshman
guard Kylee Kopatich

Game 7: St. John’s at Kansas
Date Sunday, Dec. 6
Time 2 p.m. (CT)
Location Lawrence, Kansas
Arena Allen Fieldhouse (16,300)
Series Kansas leads 1-0
Television Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3
Radio

Jayhawk Radio Network
Online: KUAthletics.com

NOTES Kansas
Stats at a Glance Kansas St. John’s
Record 4-2 5-1
Points/GM 65.5 69.0
Field Goal % 40.6 46.4
3-Point Field Goal % 33.6 25.8
Free Throw % 64.8 61.7
Rebounds/GM 38.2 35.0
Assists/GM 12.5 12.8
Blocks/GM 4.7 2.0
Steals/GM 7.0 8.7

LAWRENCE, Kan. Kansas women’s basketball faces its second-straight opponent from the Big East Conference on Sunday, Dec. 6, when the Jayhawks host St. John’s at 2 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. The contest will air on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network.
 
AROUND THE GYM
Kansas fans are encouraged to participate in the Jayhawks’ annual Toys for Tots games against St. John’s. Fans that donate a new, unwrapped toy will receive FREE admission at the women’s basketball on Sunday.
 
KANSAS FAST BREAKS

  • Kansas and St. John’s are meeting for the second time on the hardwood Sunday afternoon. The Jayhawks defeated the Red Storm in the first meeting in 1993, 73-63, on the road.
  • KU has a 35-19 record against programs from the Big East Conference. Kansas has faced eight schools that are members of the Big East, and has a lead or even series against seven of eight teams.
  • When Brandon Schneider-coached teams are leading with less than five minutes to play, his overall record is 350-12, and 4-0 at Kansas.
  • In the month of December, the Jayhawks own an overall mark of 186-81 (.696). During the 2019-10 season, Kansas went 7-0 in the final month of the calendar year.
  • Kansas has a record of 409-166 (.715) in Allen Fieldhouse. Over the last five seasons, Kansas has posted a 64-29 mark on its home court.
  • Sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge has made 30-of-64 (46.9 percent) of her shots on the year. Among Big 12 Conference players, she is fifth overall in field goal percentage with a minimum of 64 shot attempts. Among guards, Aldridge is the third-best in the league.
  • Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen is 5-1 winning the opening tip this season, while Kansas is 4-1 when Manning-Allen claims possession on the opening tip.
  • Sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge has recorded double-figure scoring performances in five of six games so far this season. Manning-Allen has posted double-digit scoring efforts on four occasions, including the first double-double (12 points, 11 rebounds) against Northern Illinois (11/27).  
  • The Jayhawks’ roster features six local products that hail from Kansas or Missouri. Junior Sydney Benoit and freshmen Kylee Kopatich and Tyler Johnson are from the Sunflower State, while redshirt-junior Timeka O’Neal and sophomores Lauren Aldridge and Chayla Cheadle are from the Show Me State.

 
ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS
The Jayhawks (4-2) continue their six-game homestand with St. John’s on Sunday, Dec. 6. KU is 3-0 inside Allen Fieldhouse this season and looks to extend that streak with the final five non-conference games before starting Big 12 Conference action on Dec. 30 at Oklahoma.
 
The Jayhawks turned the ball over only nine times against Creighton (12/2), the lowest since committing six mishaps against Wisconsin in 2011. Offensively, Kansas made 45 percent of its shots against the Bluejays, marking the second-highest percentage KU has converted from the field this season. Sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge and freshman guard Kylee Kopatich combined for just under half of Kansas’ point total against Creighton, as the duo poured-in 33 of the Jayhawks’ 67 points. Aldridge netted a career-best 18 points in the last game, while Kopatich scored a personal-best 15 points. Freshman guard Jayde Christopher dished out four assists against Creighton, her third game with three or more assisted buckets this year.
 
Offensively, Aldridge is leading the charge for the Jayhawks with 14.0 points per game. She is shooting 46.9 percent from the field, marking the third-best field goal percentage among Big 12 guards. Aldridge is connecting on 43.8 percent of shots from the three-point line, including a 5-for-7 mark against Northern Illinois (11/27). After starting every game of the 2015-16 campaign for Kansas, Kopatich is averaging 10.7 points per game behind 31.7 percent shooting from the field. Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen rounds out the double-digit scorers for KU with 10.3 points per contest. Manning-Allen leads the team with 7.3 rebounds and is fourth in the Big 12 with 2.2 blocks per game.
 
KU averages 65.5 points per game, while shooting 40.6 percent from the field and 33.6 percent from beyond the arc. Kansas averages 38.2 rebounds, 12.5 assists, 7.0 steals and 4.7 blocks per contest.
 
SCOUTING THE RED STORM
St. John’s lost its season-opener on the road at UCLA. Since losing the first game of the season to the Bruins, 76-58, the Red Storm have won five-straight games. After trailing by four in the closing minutes of the third quarter, St. John’s (5-1) outscored Sacred Heart 23-6 over the game’s final 11 minutes, as St. John’s extended its winning streak to five games with a 67-54 victory over the Pioneers on Thursday night.
 
The Red Storm went 23-11 overall last year, including 11-7 in Big East play to finish fourth, and advanced to the third round of the postseason WNIT. Voted to finish the Big East in second place by the league coaches, St. John’s is off to a 5-1 start so far in 2015-16.
 
St. John’s senior guard Aliyyah Handford was selected as the 2015-16 Big East Preseason Player of the Year by a vote of the league’s head coaches. Handford, a two-time unanimous selection to the All-Big East First Team and a two-time Honorable Mention All-American, led the league in scoring as a junior with a 19.3 points per game. Handford earned preseason recognition along with teammate Danaejah Grant. Grant was one of seven unanimous Preseason All-Big East Team selections. The senior guard combined with Handford as the highest scoring duo in the league. Currently, the duo of Grant and Handford is leading the way for the Red Storm’s offense with 19.2 and 17.7 points per game, respectively.
 
The Red Storm average 69.0 points per game, while shooting 46.4 percent from the field and 25.8 percent from beyond the arc. St. John’s averages 35.0 rebounds, 12.8 assists, 8.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per contest.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Record
The Jayhawks own a 1-0 lead in the all-time series against the Red Storm.
 
Overview
Kansas and St. John’s have met on the hardwood just once before Sunday’s match up. The game, which was played in 1993 in New York, resulted in 73-63 KU victory. Sunday’s game in Allen FIeldhouse is the first trip to Lawrence for the Red Storm.
 
Last Time Out
In 1993, Angela Aycock led all scorers with 25 points, while collecting eight rebounds. Lisa Tate netted 19 points and tallied a game-high nine rebounds. Kansas shot 41.5 percent from the field in the victory.
 
THE WEEK THAT WAS
After trailing by nine points at the end of the first quarter, Kansas women’s basketball outscored Creighton by 24 points over the next two periods to record its first come-from-behind win, 67-54, on Wednesday night. Kansas saw career nights from sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge and freshman guard Kylee Kopatich, who posted career-high scoring marks with 18 and 15 points, respectively. Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen was one of three Jayhawks to score eight points, and brought down seven rebounds, which tied Kopatich for a game-high.
 
THIS DAY IN KU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HISTORY
Record on Dec. 6: 10-3
Kansas women’s basketball will play on the sixth day of December for the 14th time in program history. The first meeting on Dec. 6 was in 1980 against Iowa State, while the last time the Jayhawks faced a team on Dec. 6 was in 2012 at Arkansas.
 
In 2009, the Jayhawks downed Northern Colorado, 81-54, inside Allen FIeldhouse. Danielle McCray scored 25 points, 15 of them coming during the first half, and Krysten Boogaard added 17 points as then-No. 24 Kansas over powered the Bears.
 
WOODARD RETURNS TO ALLEN FIELDHOUSE
In May, Kansas women’s basketball legend Lynette Woodard was selected as the 2015 Naismith Outstanding Contributor to Women’s Basketball Award delivered by UPS and the Atlanta Tipoff Club. Woodard will return to Allen Fieldhouse Dec. 5-6 to be recognized for her achievements by the Atlanta Tipoff Club and Kansas Athletics. A four-time Kodak All-American, Woodard will be honored during first timeout of the Kansas men’s basketball game against Harvard on Saturday, Dec. 5. She will also be recognized during the first quarter break of the women’s basketball game against St. John’s on Sunday, Dec. 6.
 
AROUND THE LEAGUE
After six games this season, Kansas is among the top six of Big 12 Conference teams in several statistical categories. The Jayhawks are sixth in blocked shots (4.7 per game), fifth in three-point field goals made (6.3) and fifth in rebounding defense (36.2). Redshirt junior Timeka O’Neal is tied for first in the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 50 percent this season, while sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge is eighth in the conference, making 43.8 percent of her attempts. Additionally, Aldridge is 13th in the Big 12 in scoring (14.0 points per game) and first in minutes played (34.5 minutes per game). Junior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen is 10th in the league in rebounding (7.3 boards per game) and fourth in blocked shots (2.2 blocks per game).
 
ALDRIDGE A NOMINEE FOR 2016 ALLSTATE WBCA GOOD WORKS TEAM
Known for her tireless work ethic on the hardwood, Kansas sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge has the same attitude and mentality off the court, especially when giving back to the community. Aldridge is being recognized for all her contributions to the community as a nominee for the 2016 Allstate Women’s Basketball Coaches Association (WBCA) Good Works Team. In its fourth year, the Allstate WBCA Good Works Teams recognize players at all levels of college basketball who have made outstanding contributions in the areas of volunteerism and civic involvement. The final roster of 10 award recipients will be unveiled in February.
 
UP NEXT
Kansas continues its six-game homestand to close out the 2015-16 non-conference slate when the Jayhawks host UMKC on Thursday, Dec. 10 at 7 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network.
 
KUAthletics.com: The official online source for Kansas Athletics, Williams Education Fund contributions, tickets, merchandise, multimedia, photos and much, much more.