Kansas travels to Baylor for New Year's Day matchup

Game 13: Kansas at Baylor
Date Sunday, Jan. 1
Time 2 p.m. Central
Location Waco, Texas
Venue Ferrell Center
COVERAGE
TV FOX Sports Southwest
Radio Jayhawk Radio Network
Audio Jayhawk Radio Network
Stats Baylorbears.com
STATS KU BU
Record 6-6 12-1
Points/Gm 66.6 94.6
Field Goal % 36.1 51.1
3-Point Field Goal % 30.7 41.5
Free Throw % 63.5 66.6
Rebounds/Gm 45.0 53.5
Assists/Gm 12.8 24.5
Blocks/Gm 3.9 8.4
Steals/Gm 9.3 7.5

Game Notes // Buy Tickets

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball hits the road for its first game of the new year on Sunday, Jan. 1, at Baylor. The Jayhawks first Big 12 Conference contest away from Allen Fieldhouse tips off at 2 p.m., on FOX Sports Southwest and the Jayhawk Radio Network. 

Following the Jayhawks
Kansas’ game at Baylor will air on FOX Sports Southwest and the Jayhawk Radio Network, while live stats will also be available through Baylor’s website, baylorbears.com. Additionally, fans can follow the Jayhawks on twitter at @KUwbball.

Fast Breaks

  • Kansas is 8-25 all-time against Baylor, a series that began in 1978. Sunday afternoon’s game is the 34th meeting between the two programs. 
  • Sunday’s contest is the second game in a row where KU has faced a nationally-ranked opponent. Kansas is 0-1 against teams ranked in the top 25 this season.
  • When Kansas travels to Baylor it marks just the second time in program history where the Jayhawks have played on Jan. 1. KU is 0-1 when playing on the first day of the year.
  • The Jayhawks own a 119-211 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 355-12, and 9-0 at Kansas.
  • Kansas has played four overtime games in 2016-17 and is 3-1 on the season in extended games. Under Schneider, the Jayhawks are 4-1 in overtime games.
  • Kansas’ bench is averaging 25.9 points per game and recorded its best effort of the season after providing 42 points against UC Riverside (12/21).

About the Jayhawks
Kansas’ three-game win streak to conclude nonconference action came to an end after the Jayhawks’ loss to No. 20 Oklahoma, 84-54, in their Big 12 Conference opener. With the loss, KU dropped to 6-6 on the season and 0-1 in league play. 

The Jayhawks are averaging 66.6 points per game with a scoring margin of -1.0. KU is making 36.1 percent of its shots from the field, while converting 30.7 percent of its attempts from the 3-point line. Kansas is averaging 45 boards per game, the third-best rebounding average in the Big 12. The Jayhawks have also swiped 9.3 steals per contest, good for the third-most by any team in the conference. 

Redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington led all scorers in KU’s Big 12 opener against Oklahoma (12/29) with 22 points, her second game in a row scoring 20 or more points. Washington has netted seven double-digit scoring efforts this season. Redshirt sophomore guard McKenzie Calvert scored 13 points against the Sooners, increasing her double-figure performances to a team-leading eight. Defensively, sophomore Kylee Kopatich grabbed nine boards in the first game of league play, tying her season-high mark for the third time this season. Junior forward Chayla Cheadle leads the team with 6.3 rebounds per contest.

Scouting the Lady Bears
After opening Big 12 Conference action with an 87-57 victory over Kansas State, the Lady Bears extended their win streak to 10-straight games. BU is 12-1 on the season and its only loss of the year was a 72-61 decision at UConn (11/17). 

The Lady Bears lead the league in points per game with 94.6 and have a +44.3 scoring margin. Baylor netted a season-high 140 points in a win over Winthrop (12/15). BU is also the only team in the conference shooting above 50 percent after converting 51.1 percent of its attempts from the floor. Additionally, Baylor is connecting on 41.5 percent of its shots from long range. Defensively, the Lady Bears are averaging 53.5 rebounds, 7.5 steals and 8.4 blocks per game.

Redshirt senior guard Alexis Jones leds BU’s offense with 15.5 points per game, while shooting 47.4 percent from the field and dishing out 61 assists. Sophomore Kalani Brown is averaging 14.2 points and is connecting on 67.2 percent of her attempts. Brown also leads the team with 8.9 boards and 2.1 blocks per game.

This Day in Kansas Women’s Basketball History
Record on Jan. 1: 0-1
Sunday’s game at Baylor is just the second contest to ever be played on Jan. 1 in program history.  The only other time that the Jayhawks played on the first day of the year was during the 1983-84 season. Kansas lost that meeting to Cleveland State, 81-64. Three Jayhawks contributed double-digit scoring efforts, led by Angie Snider’s 24 points. 

Big 12 Conference Corner
Kansas is among the top 5 in several Big 12 Conference statistical categories with league play just underway. KU is third in the conference in rebounds per game (45.0) and 3-pointers made per game (7.1). The Jayhawks rank No. 3 in steals per game (9.3). 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). Redshirt sophomore McKenzie Calvert is sixth in the league in scoring with 15.3 points per game.

Around the Nation
Going into Big 12 Conference play, Kansas is among the top in the country in several statistical categories. Head coach Brandon Schneider has made an emphasis on rebounding and it’s paid of for KU during nonconference action. The Jayhawks rank 18th in the nation in rebounds per game (45.0) and 19th in the country in defensive rebounds per game (29.8). 

Up Next
Kansas returns to Allen Fieldhouse to host its third-straight nationally-ranked opponent when Texas comes to town on Wednesday, Jan. 4. Tipoff against the Longhorns is slated for 7 p.m., on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network.

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