SPORTS THE BIG 12 SEASON SO FAR PAGE 5B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM
THURSDAY, JANUARY 17, 2008
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MEN'S BASKETBALL
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jayhawks fall hard in game against Baylor
Women defeated 59-35 at the hands of Baylor; team tries to remain optimistic about facing Missouri Saturday
BY B.J. RAINS
bjrains@kansan.com
WACO, TX - Frustrated during a stretch of practice on Tuesday, coach Bonnie Henrickson told her players that they had just completed the worst 30 minutes in the history of Allen Fieldhouse.
After Wednesday night's 59-35 loss to No. 6 Baylor, the Jayhawks might have actually topped the feat. The 35 points scored by Kansas tied for the lowest point total in the history of the storied program.
"We made it easy for them," Henrickson said. "They were good, but we made them look real good defensively."
Once again, the Jayhawks were plagued with foul trouble to their leading scorer Danielle McCray as Baylor made 64 saves.
used a 16-4 run after McCray headed to the bench to turn a six point 15-9 lead into a 31-13 advantage just before the half. The Jayhawks tried to mount a comeback early in the second half but fell victim to Baylor's 21-24 performance from the free throw line.
had exited with foul trouble. In three conference games, McCray has played just 32 of 60 first-half minutes with the
"We made it easy for them. They were good, but we made them look real good defensively."
Oklahoma State and Nebraska used runs of 16-3 and 17-2 respectively in the Jayhawks past two games once McCray
BONNIE HENRICKSON Women's Basketball Coach
Jayhawks being out-scored 49-9 without McCray on the floor.
Against Baylor, McCray struggled to get into a rhythm while she was on the floor, shooting three of 15 from the field and finishing with only six points and four rebounds.
"She just really seems out of sorts," Henrickson said. "She seems like she is trying to dribble and shoot at the same time. She has her
head down, people are taking it from her, blocking her on the way up. She's just not in a rhythm."
As a team, Kansas shot only 33 percent from the field including a 27 percent clip in the first half when they hit only six of 22 shots.
Baylor entered the game shooting 49 percent from the field which was good for fifth best in the nation, but a tough Kansas defense held the Lady Bears to only 32 percent from the field. But Baylor, who came in out-rebounding opponents by 11 rebounds per game, had more offensive rebounds, 25, than Kansas did defensive rebounds, 20.
"Obviously, it's really disappointing," said guard LaChelda Jacobs, who led the Jayhawks with nine points off the
bench. "We've got to find a way to win on the road and play together when we're down. You can't put yourself in that big of a hole before the game gets going."
Rachel Allison led with Baylor with 11 points, all coming on free throws, and Jessica Morrow added 10 points off the bench for the Lady Bears, who came in with five players scoring in double figures.
Taylor McIntosh added eight points and seven rebounds for Kansas, which will look to avoid an 0-4 conference start when they play host to Missouri Saturday at 2 p.m.
Edited by Jared Duncan
ORANGE BOWL
Football team deserves recognition of parade proportions
No wonder the University of Kansas is slipping on the list of top party schools. All that's currently planned for the KU football team's Orange Bowl victory and Mythical National Championship is some sort of celebration at Allen Fieldhouse.
On Feb. 23.
Yep, more than a month from now. There's nothing like celebrating the biggest victory in the history of a program with a pep rally that takes place after everyone forgets that the Orange Bowl even happened. A Tupperware party sounds more exciting.
So, here's the solution. Break out the floats. Get the batons, I'll bring some cool-looking hats.
It's time for a parade.
The players deserve one for recognition, and the fans deserve one to enjoy their team's accomplishment.
Of course, you can't just throw a parade for anything. Parades should be designated for special events or major accomplishments. In the sporting world,
this means championships. And when you couple a parade with a significant sporting achievement, entertainment is sure to follow.
Former Laker Mark Madsen showed the world his Screech-like dance moves at a championship parade in Los Angeles. Ty Law, the soft, slow cornerback and former Patriot, performed a rap after one of New England's Super Bowl titles. NFL owners Art Modell and Robert Kraft have also provided memorable parade moments with their Madsen-esque dance moves.
You see, parades are fun. Lawrence should know. The last time a KU team
won a championship, a parade took place. A few days after the basketball team defeated Oklahoma 83-79 in April 1988, about 60,000 people lined Massachusetts Street to celebrate with an official parade. So.
You might say that the basketball team won a national championship, but the football team won the Orange Bowl and finished No. 7 in the AP Poll. True; the accomplishments aren't the same. But with the wacky system college
why not do it again for the football team?
football uses to crown a champion, KU has a legitimate claim to be deemed No.1 and thus parade-worthy.
It's time for a parade. The players deserve one for recognition, and the fans deserve one to enjoy their team's accomplishment.
down Kansas in the eyes of AP voters and national college football analysts. Coach Mark Mangino obviously scheduled some weak teams, including Southeastern Louisiana and Florida
MARK DENT
Kansan Sports Columnist
The Jayhawks are the only team from a major conference with one loss. Sorry, LSU, USC and Georgia. Two losses don't cut it for a mythical champion. A perceived weak schedule has brought
International. But the Jayhawks beat MAC champion Central Michigan, a ranked K-State coming off a huge upset of Texas, Texas A&M at Kyle Field (KU was the only team to win there this season) and bowl teams Colorado and Oklahoma State on the road. Kansas' loss to Missouri was
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also as solid a loss as you can have.
Those credentials are good enough for a stake to the mythical championship. And even if they're not true champions, the Jayhawks still deserve a parade.
The Orange Bowl victory was the biggest in program history. It had been 39
years since the football had played on such a large stage. Kansas might not get a victory this big for another 39 years or even longer.
Mangino has the team headed in the right direction, but success is hard to sustain. Just ask K-State. Ten years ago, the Wildcats nearly went undefended. Now, they've had losing records in two of three seasons. Orange Bowl victories and Mythical Championships aren't just going to come along every year. That's why this season needs to be remembered properly.
Athletics Director Lew Perkins, Chancellor Robert Hemenway, Lawrence Mayor Sue Hack - all of you need to get together to make this happen. We need more than the celebration on Feb. 23. You can plan the parade.
Fans and players need to soak in the moment. They need to rejoice.Have fun.
They need a parade
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Edited by Jessica Sain-Baird
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