Jayhawks host Cowgirls for midweek tilt

GAME 23 
 

Date Feb. 8, 2017
Time 7 p.m. (CT)
Location Lawrence, Kansas
Notes Game Notes

LIVE COVERAGE
TV JTV/ESPN3
Radio Jayhawk Radio Network
Audio Audio Stream
Stats Live Stats 

 HOW THEY COMPARE

KU OSU
62.3 PPG 67.1
33.8 FG% 41.7
29.5 3FG% 31.3
63.8 FT% 69.8
38.3 REB 41.2
11.7 AST 14.0
3.7 BLK 4.3
9.5 STL 6.5

 LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball hosts Oklahoma State on Wednesday, Feb. 8, for a midweek Big 12 Conference tilt. The final regular-season meeting between the Jayhawks and the Cowgirls tips off at 7 p.m., on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network. 

FAST BREAKS

  • Wednesday’s contest is the final regular-season meeting between Kansas and OSU in 2017. With a victory in the first matchup, the Cowgirls have won the last 10 meetings. Kansas’ last win against Oklahoma State was during the 2012 campaign. 
  • Oklahoma State has a 34-30 advantage in the all-time series, which began in 1976. Kansas is 13-14 when playing OSU inside Allen Fieldhouse. KU’s last victory against the Cowgirls in Allen Fieldhouse was in 2006.
  • Six of Kansas’ first seven Big 12 Conference games of 2017 were against nationally-ranked opponents. Kansas is 0-7 against teams ranked in the top 25 this season.
  • The Jayhawks are averaging 13.6 offensive rebounds per game, good for the third-best average in the Big 12.
  • KU forced Texas (1/4) to turn the ball over 31 times, a season-high mark for the Jayhawks’ defense. Kansas leads the league in turnovers forced with 19.1 per game. Kansas has forced 20 or more turnovers in seven of 12 Big 12 contests this season. 
  • Redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington has led all scorers in eight of 12 Big 12 contests in 2017. Washington leads the league in scoring in Big 12-only games with 20.3 points per contest and is ranked second in the conference in all games with 17.0 points per game.
  • Washington made 7-of-10 (.700) attempts from the 3-point line at K-State (1/11) and ended the contest one triple shy of tying KU’s single-game record of eight set in 1996 by Charisse Sampson. At Oklahoma State (1/25), Washington made 6-of-12 attempts from long range for her second game shooting 50 percent or higher with 10 more attempts from the 3-point line.

ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS
Kansas enters the final meeting of the regular season against Oklahoma State with a 7-16 mark overall and a 1-11 record in Big 12 Conference action. The Jayhawks look to bounce back after a pair of losses last week and even the 2017 series against the Cowgirls with a win. 

The Jayhawks are averaging 62.3 points per game with a scoring margin of -10.2. KU is making 33.8 percent of its shots from the field, while converting 29.5 percent of its attempts from the 3-point line. Kansas is averaging 38.3 boards per game. The Jayhawks have also swiped 9.5 steals per contest, good for the second-most by any team in the conference. 

After sitting out a year to comply with NCAA transfer rules, redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington has stormed onto the hardwood and paced KU’s offense in 2016-17. Washington leads the league in scoring in conference play with 20.3 points per game after pouring 27 points against TCU (2/5). She is second in the Big 12 in scoring on the season with 17.0 points per game. She has netted double figures in 17 games this season, including 11of her 12 outings in conference play. 

Washington isn’t the only Jayhawk aiding KU’s offensive efforts in 2016-17. Redshirt sophomore guard McKenzie Calvert and sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich are also among the top scorers this season with 10.8 and 9.5 points per game, respectively. Kopatich has recorded 12 double-digit scoring performances and leads the team in minutes played with 666.

SCOUTING THE COWGIRLS
Entering Wednesday’s contest, Oklahoma State has lost seven of its last eight Big 12 Conference contests. Its lone win in that time span was a victory over the Jayhawks. The Cowgirls are 13-9 on the season and 3-8 in league action. On the road, OSU has compiled a 4-5 record. 

The Cowgirls are averaging 67.1 points per game heading into the game against the Jayhawks and have a +4.3 scoring margin. OSU is connecting on 41.7 percent of its shots from the field and 31.3 percent from long range. Defensively, Oklahoma State is averaging 41.2 rebounds, 6.5 steals and 4.3 blocks per game.

Junior center Kaylee Jensen is pacing OSU’s offense with a team-high 19.0 points per game. Jensen is shooting 47.7 percent from the field and grabbing 10.6 boards per game. She also leads the team with 43 blocks in 2017. Sophomore guard Karli Wheeler is averaging 12.1 points per game, while shooting 36.6 percent from the field, including 34.2 percent from long range. Junior center Mandy Coleman is the final Cowgirl scoring double figures in 2017 with 12.3 points per game. 

THIS DAY IN KU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HISTORY
Record on Feb. 8: 5-4
Wednesday evening’s contest is the 10th time in program history that Kansas has played on Feb. 8. On this day in 2012, Angel Goodrich dished out an Allen Fieldhouse record 16 assists, as Kansas swept the season series against Texas with an 85-61 victory over the Longhorns. Goodrich added 16 points to go along with her 16 assists for a double-double. Aishah Sutherland recorded her sixth double-double of the year with a career-tying 24 points and 12 boards.

TOUGH AND TOGETHER
Head coach Brandon Schneider has brought a “tough and together” culture to Allen Fieldhouse and Kansas women’s basketball. Schneider has vowed that his squads will compete and play together every day. Whether the Jayhawks are hitting the floor, flying over the scorers’ table or passing to a teammate, they will play tough and together until the final whistle blows. 

RISING IN THE RANKS
After recording four blocks at Oklahoma State (1/25), senior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen moved into ninth place all-time in Kansas’ record book for career blocks. Manning-Allen has swatted away 108 blocks in her career and needs six more to move into eighth place. Senior Timeka O’Neal has a career 3-point field goal average of 39.4 (78-of-198), which is the second-best shooting percentage from long range and surpasses her former teammates Natalie Knight’s mark of 38.2 percent and behind Sandy Shaw’s 43.6 career average.

AROUND THE BIG 12
Kansas is among the top five in several Big 12 Conference statistical categories. The Jayhawks have forced the most turnovers per game this season in the Big 12 after averaging 19.1 per contest. KU is tied for second in the league in steals per game (9.5) and third in offensive rebounds (13.6). Individually, redshirt junior Jessica Washington recorded the most made free throws in a single game after converting all 12 attempts from the charity stripe against UC Riverside (12/21). Washington’s 17.0 points per game ranks second in the Big 12 in scoring per contest. 

UP NEXT
Kansas hits the road to complete the 2017 series against Texas on Saturday, Feb. 11. Tipoff against the Longhorns is slated for 1:30 p.m., on the Longhorn Television Network and the Jayhawk Radio Network.

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