Kansas rings in 2018 at Texas Tech

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas women’s basketball hits the road for its first game of 2018. The Jayhawks face Texas Tech on Wednesday, Jan. 3 at 6:30 p.m., inside United Supermarkets Arena.

Following the Jayhawks
Jayhawk fans can watch or listen to KU’s matchup with the Lady Raiders at texastech.com/watch and follow live stats at texastech.com. The game will also be broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network.

Fast Breaks

• The Jayhawks are 4-9 when facing the Lady Raiders on the road in United Supermarkets Arena and 10-19 overall against TTU. 
• KU opened the 2017-18 season with a seven-game winning streak, marking just the eighth time in program history to begin a season 7-0.
• Kansas concluded nonconference play with a 9-2 mark, the best start to a season in head coach Brandon Schneider’s three years at KU.
• Kansas remains in the top 10, tied for seventh with South Alabama, in field goal percentage defense, holding its opponents to shooting just 33.3 percent per game. The Jayhawks only trail Baylor in the Big 12, who has held its opponents to shooting 31.0 percent from the field.
• Junior guard Kylee Kopatich’s 30 3-pointers made this season ranks fifth in the Big 12. The Olathe, Kansas native is averaging 2.3 long-range baskets per game.
• Junior guard Christalah Lyons has dished out 54 assists (4.2 per game) so far, good enough for seventh in the league for assists.
• Lyons leads Kansas with 12 double-digit scoring efforts in the last 13 games, including a career-high 22 points against UMKC (11/29).
• Junior forward Austin Richardson leads the Jayhawks, grabbing 6.5 rebounds per game. Richardson’s 85 rebounds this season tie her for 13th in the league for rebounding.
• Kopatich nearly clinched a second-straight double-double in KU’s 86-77 victory over TCU, scoring 17 points and dishing out a career-high nine assists in the Jayhawks’ first Big 12 victory.
• Freshman center Bailey Helgren nearly notched double-figure scoring for the first time at KU, but fell short, netting a career-high eight points.

About the Jayhawks
Kansas opened Big 12 Conference action after holiday break and are off to a 1-1 start in league play. After falling to Iowa State, 71-69, in overtime on Dec. 28, the Jayhawks bounced back in their Big 12 home opener, topping TCU, 86-77, to end 2017 on a high note. The Jayhawks continue their most successful season in the Brandon Schneider era into Big 12 Conference play, after concluding nonconference with a 9-2 mark. Kansas looks to nab its first Big 12 road win under Schneider on Wednesday, Jan.3, at Texas Tech.

The Jayhawks have established their presence as one of the best defenses in the Big 12 and the nation. KU has held its opponents to shooting just 59.2 points per game, ranking third in the conference in scoring defense. Additionally, the Jayhawks trail only Baylor in the league in field goal percentage defense, holding their opponents to 33.3 percent shooting from the field. Kansas’ field goal percentage defense ranks among the top defenses in the country, tied for seventh with South Alabama in the category. The Jayhawks have held six opponents below a 32 percent shooting percentage, including a season low against Texas Southern (.250). 

Junior guards Kylee Kopatich and Christalah Lyons lead the Jayhawks offensively, serving as KU’s only players averaging double-digit scoring. Kopatich averages 15.5 points per game, including 2.3 long range baskets per game. Lyons has notched double-figure scoring efforts in 12 of KU’s 13 games this season, averaging 14.8 points per game. Both Kopatich and Lyons’ offensive efforts have ranked them in the top 11 for scoring in the Big 12 with Kopatich ranking 10th and Lyons rounding out the top 11. 

Junior forward Austin Richardson has increased her presence on the offensive end, netting double-digits in each of the last three games, including a career-high 18 points at Iona College.

Scouting the Lady Raiders
After losing its season opener to Texas State, 87-70, Texas Tech won its next three games with two 30-plus point victories. Following the three-game win streak, the Lady Raiders lost their next four games before going on another three game win streak to end nonconference play.

Texas Tech began Big 12 play with two top-25 matchups with No. 24 Oklahoma State, 98-57, and at No. 6 Baylor, 97-49. The Lady Raiders led Oklahoma State 26-21 for a brief period in the second quarter, but they couldn’t stop the Cowgirls offense, as they netted 31 points in the third quarter to hold onto a steady lead for the remainder of the game. Baylor held onto a comfortable lead for the entirety of the matchup, other than an early 9-8 lead in the first quarter for the Lady Raiders.

The Lady Raiders are led by a trio of double-digit scorers. Sophomore forward Brittany Brewer leads the way for TTU, claiming team-bests in three different categories. The Abilene, Texas native averages 11.7 points per game and has shot 62.7 percent from the field through her first 13 games of the 2017-18 season. Brewer has swatted away a team-leading 22 blocks on the season, ranking fifth in the Big 12. Senior center Jada Terry and junior guard Recee’ Caldwell are each averaging 10.7 points per game. Caldwell has also dished out a team-high 78 assists, which is second in the league behind Kansas State’s Kayla Goth with 83 assists.

This Day in Kansas Women’s Basketball History
Record on Jan. 3: 7-7
Kansas women’s basketball will play on the third day of January for the 15th time in program history. The Jayhawks first meeting on January 3 came in 1979 with a 119-39 win over West Texas State. KU’s most recent game played on January 3 was a 65-45 loss against West Virginia in 2016. In 1984, Amy Snider contributed 32 points in a 72-66 overtime victory over Mercer on January 3. The Jayhawks combined for 54.0 percent shooting from the field in the win.

Around the League
While the Jayhawks sit among the top of many national stat rankings, Kansas is also fairing well in the Big 12 Conference. KU’s scoring defense is third-best in the league after limiting its opponents to 59.2 points per game. Additionally, the Jayhawks’ defense is second in field goal percentage defense (33.3) and third in 3-point field goal defense (29.0).

D-D-D-Defense
After 13 games in 2017-18, Kansas’ tough defense has been on display. The Jayhawks have limited their opponents to an average of 59.2 points per game, putting them in third of the league’s scoring defense standings. KU has also held its opponents to just 33.3 percent shooting from the field, ranking seventh in the nation and second in the Big 12 for field goal percentage defense. 

Up Next
Kansas heads home to host two top-10 teams. The Jayhawks welcome No. 6 Baylor on Saturday, January 6 at 2 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse to tipoff the two-game homestand. 

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