Jayhawks' offense tops Sion Select, 87-22
MONTREUX, Switzerland – In its largest margin of victory of the 2016 foreign tour, Kansas women’s basketball improved to 3-0 after defeating Sion Select, 87-22, on Sunday afternoon in Montreux, Switzerland.
The Jayhawks’ potent offense saw 13 different scorers, with redshirt sophomore McKenzie Calvert leading the way, after scoring 14 points. She also registered a steal, an assist and a rebound. With the ball being passed around and equal scoring among the Jayhawks, Calvert was the only double-digit scorer for Kansas.
Senior Caelynn Manning-Allen and sophomore Tyler Johnson each tallied eight points while senior Jada Brown and sophomore Aisia Robertson netted seven points. Johnson ended the afternoon with five boards, second-most on the squad behind senior Sydney Benoit’s seven rebounds.
The Jayhawks’ offense clicked on all cylinders during the third game of their foreign tour. KU opened the game with 11 unanswered points to take an early double-digit lead. While the offense was heating up early on in the half, the defense held the Helios to only six points in the opening minutes. Kansas kept Sion Select from capitalizing on the floor after making only one field goal in the first quarter.
Senior Timeka O’Neal led the Jayhawks with six points behind 2-for-2 shooting from the 3-point line. She finished the game as KU’s second-highest scorer with nine points. Kansas saw eight scorers in the first 10 minutes of play, as KU led Sion Select, 27-6.
In the second quarter, Kansas built on its lead while continuing to silence the opponent with stifling defense. Junior Chayla Cheadle completed a three-point play to give KU a 28-point advantage. A layup from sophomore Jayde Christopher secured a 20-point lead for Kansas as the first half came to a close. The Jayhawks outscored the Helios, 23-10, in the second period.
O’Neal led KU with nine points in the first half, all from beyond the arc while redshirt junior Jessica Washington dished out three assists. Manning-Allen grabbed a team-high five boards in the opening half and Benoit recorded four boards. Heading into the locker room at the break, the Jayhawks built a commanding 50-16 lead.
KU’s defense held the Helios to just two points over the 10-minute third period, while the offense put up 23 points. Calvert heated up in the third quarter, the guard led Kansas’ offense with six points.
In the final quarter, KU’s offense outscored the opposition 14-4 with seven Jayhawks contributing baskets. Sophomore Kylee Kopatich sank her third trey late in the game, finishing with nine points. Kansas improved to 3-0 on its foreign tour after topping Sion Select, 87-22.
The Jayhawks final game of the foreign tour is against Nice Select in Nice, France on Tuesday, Aug. 16, at 8 a.m. (CT).
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