Kansas concludes 2017 series with Oklahoma Wednesday

GAME 22 
 

Date Feb. 1, 2017
Time  10:30 a.m. (CT)
Location Norman, Oklahoma
Notes Game Notes

LIVE COVERAGE
TV FOX Oklahoma
Radio Jayhawk Radio Network
Audio Audio Stream
Stats Live Stats 

 HOW THEY COMPARE

 LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball hits the road to conclude the 2017 series with No. 18 Oklahoma on Wednesday, Feb. 1, inside the Lloyd Noble Center. Tipoff against the Sooners is slated for 10:30 a.m., on FOX Oklahoma and the Jayhawk Radio Network. 

FOLLOWING THE JAYHAWKS
Kansas’ game at Oklahoma will air on FOX Oklahoma and the Jayhawk Radio Network, while live stats will also be available through OU’s website, soonersports.com. Additionally, fans can follow the Jayhawks on twitter at @KUwbball.

FAST BREAK

• Wednesday’s contest is the final meeting between Kansas and Oklahoma in 2017. With a victory in the first matchup, Oklahoma has won three-straight over KU.
• The Sooners have a 37-30 advantage in the all-time series, which began in 1972. Kansas is 11-16 when playing Oklahoma inside the Lloyd Noble Center.
• Six of Kansas’ first seven Big 12 Conference games of 2017 were against nationally-ranked opponents. Kansas is 0-6 against teams ranked in the top 25 this season.
• The Jayhawks own a 120-220 all-time record against Big 12 Conference foes. 
• When Brandon Schneider-coached teams are leading with less than five minutes to play, his overall record is 356-12, and 10-0 at Kansas.
• Redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington has led all scorers in seven of 10 Big 12 contests in 2017. Washington leads the league in scoring in Big 12-only games with 20.6 points per contest and is ranked third in the conference in all games with 16.8 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
After a couple of close calls, Kansas recorded its first Big 12 Conference regular-season victory with a 66-60 win over Texas Tech (1/28). KU’s victory over the Lady Raiders snapped a nine-game losing skid and gave the Jayhawks their first league win since 2015. With the win, KU improved to 7-14 on the season and 1-9 in Big 12 action. 

The Jayhawks are averaging 62.5 points per game with a scoring margin of -8.9. KU is making 33.7 percent of its shots from the field, while converting 29.3 percent of its attempts from the 3-point line. Kansas is averaging 39.3 boards per game. The Jayhawks have also swiped 9.2 steals per contest, good for the third-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 20.6 points per game and is third in the Big 12 in scoring on the season with 16.8 points per game. She has netted double figures in 15 games this season, including nine of her 10 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 11.4 and 9.4 points per game, respectively. Kopatich has recorded 11 double-digit scoring performances and leads the team in minutes played with 605.

SCOUTING THE SOONERS
Entering Wednesday’s matchup, Oklahoma has won four of its last six games in conference action. The Sooners return to the Lloyd Noble Center after facing Baylor on the road. With the loss in Waco, OU dropped to 16-6 on the season and 7-3 in Big 12 play. 

Oklahoma is averaging 74.3 points per game in 2016-17 and is connecting on 41.0 percent of its shots from the floor. From long range, OU is converting  33.0 percent of its attempts. Defensively, the Sooners are registering 40.9 rebounds per contest and lead the conference in steals per game with 9.8. 

A trio of Sooners are pacing Oklahoma’s offense by averaging double figures this season. Redshirt senior guard Peyton Little leads the charge for OU with 13.6 points per game. She is shooting 39.5 percent from the floor, including a 32.5 mark from beyond the arc. Redshirt senior guard Maddie Manning is scoring 12.7 points per contest, while shooting 40.9 percent from the field. Junior center Vionise Pierre-Louis is averaging 10.6 points and a team-best 8.1 rebounds per game. She is converting 53.4 percent of her shots from field. 

THIS DAY IN KU WOMEN’S BASKETBALL HISTORY
Record on Feb. 1: 5-3
Wednesday morning’s contest is the ninth time in program history that Kansas has played on Feb. 1. On this day in 2014, a career night from Chelsea Gardner, who logged 34 points, helped the Jayhawks to their second Big 12 road victory of the season, topping the Red Raiders, 70-62. 

TEXAS TECH LEFTOVERS
Kansas women’s basketball lived out its motto ‘Tough and Together’ in its first Big 12 Conference win under head coach Brandon Schneider after defeating Texas Tech, 66-60, inside Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon. 

Since his arrival on campus, Schneider has challenged his squad to be tough and together and for the past three games the Jayhawks have done just that. With gritty defense and a second-half offensive surge, Kansas’ tough and together mantra led KU to its first league victory since 2015. 

Redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington poured in a game-best 24 points in a contest Kansas refused to relinquish the lead, but with Texas Tech inching back into the game after the half, the Jayhawks caught fire in the third period with a 10-of-13 effort from the field to shut down any Lady Raider hopes of a comeback.

In KU’s (7-14, 1-9 Big 12) first Big 12 Conference victory of the season, sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich chipped in 14 points and senior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen contributed eight rebounds, while eight of her 10-total points were scored in the final half. Manning-Allen finished the game with eight rebounds, two shy of recording her third double-double. Texas Tech (11-9, 3-6 Big 12) was led by Jada Terry and Ivonne Cook-Taylor, who each put 14 points on the scoreboard.

RISING IN THE RANKS
After recording four blocks at Oklahoma State (1/25), senior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen moved into 10th place all-time in Kansas’ record book for career blocks. Manning-Allen has swatted away 102 blocks in her career and needs four more to move into ninth place. Senior Timeka O’Neal has a career 3-point field goal average of 39.4 (74-of-188), 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.

UP NEXT
Kansas hosts TCU on Sunday, Feb. 5, for its annual ‘Jayhawks for a Cure’ game. Fans who wear pink to the game will receive $5 admission. Tipoff against the Horned Frogs is at 1:30 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. 

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