Jayhawks’ Homestand Continues with Navy

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball welcomes Navy to Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday, Dec. 13, for the first meeting between the Jayhawks and the Midshipmen. Tipoff is slated for 1 p.m., and the contest will air on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network.
 
AROUND THE GYM
Sunday is Jay Days inside Allen Fieldhouse with special prices at the concession stand. Hot dogs and popcorn are $2 each, while fudge bars are a $1.
 
KANSAS FAST BREAKS

• Kansas and Navy meet for the first time in program history on the hardwood.
• KU has faced two other programs from the Patriot League prior to Sunday’s matchup with the Midshipmen. The Jayhawks own a 2-0 all-time mark against Patriot League 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 186-82 (.696). During the 2019-10 season, Kansas went 7-0 in the final month of the calendar year.
• Kansas has a record of 409-168 (.715) in Allen Fieldhouse. Over the last five seasons, Kansas has posted a 64-31 mark on its home court. This season, Kansas owns a 3-2 mark at home.
• Sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge has recorded double-figure scoring performances in seven of eight games so far this season. Junior forward Caelynn 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).  
• Manning-Allen is 7-1 winning the opening tip this season, while Kansas is 4-3 when Manning-Allen claims possession on the opening tip.
• Freshman guard Jayde Christopher has dished out three or more assists on five occasions, including a career-high mark of six against Northern Illinois (11/27). The Federal Way, Washington native has tallied three or more assists in four of the last five Kansas games.
• The Jayhawks have racked up 10 charges on the season. Redshirt junior Timeka O’Neal leads the team with almost half of KU’s charges, with four to her credit.
• Manning-Allen has swatted away a team-high 15 blocks this season, averaging 1.9 per game. She is on pace to rank among the top-5 blocks for juniors and KU’s top-10 season records. She needs 37 more to crack Kansas’ top-10 season list and 26 to etch her name into the junior record.

 
ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS
The Jayhawks (4-4) have lost two-straight games at home after a cold-shooting night plagued Kansas in a 47-44 loss to UMKC (12/10). KU looks to end its losing streak with a victory over Navy as the Jayhawks continue their homestand with the Midshipmen on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 1 p.m. KU has three non-conference games remaining before the start of Big 12 Conference action on Dec. 30 at Oklahoma.
 
Kansas shot a season-low 28 percent against UMKC, marking the lowest field goal percentage since KU shot 20.4 percent from the field versus Duke (11/30/13). It was also the first time in 2015-16 that the Jayhawks have lost despite taking a lead into the locker room at halftime. Kansas is 4-1 when leading at halftime.
 
Redshirt junior Timeka O’Neal finished the night against the Roos 2-of-4 from beyond the arc for six points. The Raytown, Missouri native leads the Big 12 in three-point field goal percentage, shooting 54.2 percent (13-for-24) on the season.
 
Freshman Kylee Kopatich led the squad with 14 points against UMKC. Kopatich has recorded double figures in the last five games and averages 11.0 points per game on the season, second-most on the team. She averages 5.8 rebounds per contest, second most for the Jayhawks. Sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge, Kansas’ leading scorer with 13.4 points per game, logged another double-digit scoring effort against the ‘Roos. She has netted double figures in seven of eight games in 2015-16.
 
Junior forward Jada Brown grabbed a season-high seven rebounds on Thursday against UMKC to led the Jayhawks on the glass. Freshman center Chelsea Lott tied her career high with one blocked shot and grabbed a career-best three rebounds in her second appearance of the season against UMKC.
 
KU averages 63.5 points per game, while shooting 39.9 percent from the field and 33.8 percent from beyond the arc. Defensively, Kansas has recorded 36.6 rebounds, 6.8 steals and 4.1 blocks per contest.
 
SCOUTING THE MIDSHIPMEN
Navy is 5-4 on the season, including four-straight games decided in overtime, as the non-conference slate is winding down. The Midshipmen, who ended last season with a 17-14 mark and fourth-place finish, were predicted to place sixth in the Patriot League in 2015-16 according to the league’s preseason poll. Navy returns four starters and 10 letterwinners from last year’s squad.
 
Junior guard Sarita Condie leads the Mids in scoring with 12.4 points per game in nine starts. She is shooting a team-best 38.5 percent from the field and connecting on 36.4 percent of her shots from beyond the arc. Sophomore guard Taylor Dunham and junior forward Ashanti Kennedy are also netting double figures for the Mids with 11.5 and 11.4 points per game, respectively.
 
Collectively, the Mids are averaging 61.8 points per game behind 34.9 percent shooting from the field and 30.2 shooting from the three-point line. Navy is dishing out 14.1 assists per game, while turning the ball over 15.0 times per contest. Defensively, the Mids average 40.3 rebounds, 11.3 steals and 2.1 blocks per game.
 
THE WEEK THAT WAS
Kansas women’s basketball couldn’t overcome a slow start and cold shooting, as UMKC defeated the Jayhawks, 47-44, inside Allen Fieldhouse Thursday night.
 
After trailing 9-2 after the opening quarter of the game, the Jayhawks (4-4) weren’t able to establish a rhythm, finishing the contest shooting 28 percent from the field and netting a season-low 44 points. UMKC (2-7) shot only 35 percent, but converted 9-of-15 free throws, which proved to be the difference at the end of the night.
 
THIS DAY IN KU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HISTORY
Record on Dec. 13: 5-0
Kansas women’s basketball will play on the 13th day of December for the sixth time in program history. The first meeting on Dec. 13 was in 1986 against Pittsburg State, while the last time the Jayhawks faced a team on Dec. 13 was in 2009 against Creighton. In 2001, Kansas posted one of five victories on Dec. 13 against Wichita State, 82-66. The Jayhawks snapped a three-game losing streak with a 82-66 victory over the Shockers. Selena Scott led the Jayhawks in scoring with 18 points on 2-of-3 shooting from beyond the arc. KC Hilgenkamp poured in 17 points while dishing out eight assists. Sharonne Spencer added 11 points and seven rebounds and Kristin Geoffroy pulled down nine boards while scoring 10 points.
 
UP NEXT
Kansas continues its six-game homestand to close out the 2015-16 non-conference slate when the Jayhawks host Washington State on Sunday, Dec. 20 at 2 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network.
 
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