Jayhawks face North Dakota on Sunday
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LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball faces North Dakota on Sunday, Nov. 27, inside Allen Fieldhouse, before hitting the road for a two-game road tilt. Tipoff against the Fighting Hawks is slated for 2 p.m., on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network.
Fast Breaks
- Kansas and North Dakota meet for the first time in program history.
- KU owns a 7-1 record against programs from the Big Sky Conference. The Fighting Hawks are the seventh team from the Big Sky to play the Jayhawks.
- In the month of November, KU is 123-45 all time and has won nine of its last 14 contests in the 11th month of the year.
- Kansas has a record of 411-178 (.697) in Allen Fieldhouse.
- After completing the 2015-16 season with the youngest team in the Big 12, Kansas enters this season with one of the conference’s most experienced squads. The 2016-17 Jayhawk roster includes 12 returning players, more than any other Big 12 team, and nine upperclassmen.
- The Jayhawks are the only squad in the Big 12 without a freshman on their roster.
- Redshirt sophomore guard McKenzie Calvert tied her career-high of 21 points for the second-straight game after netting 21 points against ORU. She has scored double digits in each game this season.
- Junior guard Chayla Cheadle netted a career-high 21 points against Memphis, while sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich also notched a career-best afternoon with 16 points.
- Calvert and Cheadle accounted for 42 of KU’s 68 points against the Tigers. The duo was responsible for 61.7 percent of the Jayhawks’ offense at Memphis.
- Kansas shot 47.6 percent (10-of-21) from beyond the arc at Memphis, marking KU’s best 3-point field percentage in a single game this season. Kopatich and Cheadle each finished the game shooting above 50 percent from the 3-point line. Kopatich connected on 4-of-8, while Cheadle sank 3-of-5.
About the Jayhawks
Following a 0-2 start to the 2016-17 season, Kansas earned its second-straight victory and first win inside Allen Fieldhouse of the year last Wednesday evening. With the 64-56 double overtime victory over Oral Roberts, the Jayhawks improved to 2-2 heading into Sunday’s matchup with North Dakota.
Redshirt sophomore McKenzie Calvert tied her career-high of 21 points for the third time and second game in a row after scoring 21 points against Oral Roberts. Calvert has recorded double-digit scoring performances in each of KU’s games this season. After head coach Brandon Schneider expressed sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich needing to be more involved in KU’s offense, the Olathe, Kansas native posted a season-best 16 points against Memphis and followed up with another double-digit scoring performance with 12 points against Oral Roberts.
The Jayhawks also outrebounded the Golden Eagles, 56-53, which is the most rebounds by Kansas since KU grabbed 56 against Kansas State on Feb. 24, 2015. Senior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen led the Jayhawks on the glass with 11 boards, a season-high for the Chicago, Illinois, native.
Kansas is averaging 64.8 points per game behind 34.5 percent shooting from the field. From behind the arc, KU is connecting on 33.7 percent of its attempts. A total of three Jayhawks are averaging double figures with Calvert leading the way with 19.8 points per game. Defensively, Kansas is averaging 41.8 rebounds, 11.5 steals and 4.5 blocks per contest.
Scouting the Fighting Hawks
After a 19-14 mark last season, including a 13-5 record in Big Sky Conference action, North Dakota is off to a 1-3 start to the 2016-17 campaign. The Fighting Hawks were selected to finish conference play in second place behind Idaho.
Head coach Travis Brewster enters his fifth season at the helm of the UND women’s basketball program. He returns nine letterwinners and three starters from last season’s squad.
Offensively, the Fighting Hawks have three averaging double figures with senior guard Leah Szabla leading the charge by netting 16.8 points per game. Senior guard Makailah and sophomore forward Lexi Klabo round out the double-digit scorers with 13.3 and 12.3 points per game, respectively. Szabla is connecting on an impressive 51 percent of her shots from the field, while Lexi Klabo is making 60 percent of her attempts. In addition to her double-digit scoring average, Klabo leads the team with 8.0 rebounds per game.
North Dakota is averaging 75.2 points per game behind 39.2 percent shooting from the field. From long range, UND is connecting on just 29 percent of its shots. Defensively, the Fighting Hawks average 41 rebounds, 4.0 blocks and 8.3 steals per game.
This Day in Kansas Women’s Basketball History
Record on Nov. 27: 15-3
Sunday’s game against North Dakota is the 19th contest to be played on Nov. 27 in program history. Kansas is playing on Nov. 27 for the second year in a row. Previously, Kansas defeated Hawai’i, 73-68, to claim third place in the Wahine Classic on Nov. 27, 1994. Charisse Sampson led all scorers with 26 points against the Rainbow Wahine. She also contributed 14 rebounds for a double-double in the victory.
Oral Roberts Leftovers
It took Kansas women’s basketball an extra 10 minutes, but clutch shooting and a late rally down the stretch sealed the 64-56 victory over Oral Roberts on Wednesday evening inside Allen Fieldhouse.
In the Jayhawks’ (2-2) first overtime game of the season, Kansas outlasted the Golden Eagles with a 10-2 run in the final two minutes of the second overtime period. Sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich tied the ballgame, 54-54, and sparked the final run of the night. Sophomore guard Jayde Christopher gave the Jayhawks the lead with a triple from the right side of the arc, her lone basket of the game, which gave KU an advantage that wouldn’t be relinquished. Kopatich finished the night with 12 points, including seven of KU’s last 10 points.
Redshirt sophomore guard McKenzie Calvert led all scorers with 21 points, tying her career-high mark for the second game in a row. Calvert has netted double figures in all four of Kansas’ games this season and is averaging 19.8 points per game in 2016-17. Along with her 12 points, Kopatich grabbed nine boards to finish the game a rebound shy of a double-double.
Up Next
The Jayhawks head to Creighton for the first of two road games on Nov. 30. Tipoff against the Bluejays is slated for 7 p.m. on the Jayhawk Radio Network.
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