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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2014
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
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Kansas takes tough loss against Oklahoma
KYLE PAPPAS sports@kansan.com
The Kansas women's basketball team did nearly everything right against Oklahoma (17-11, 8-7 Big 12) on Saturday night at Lloyd Noble Center in Norman, Okla.
They blocked four shots and stole the ball nine times. They hit 81 percent of their free throws—well above their season average of 69.7. They even held a normally-dangerous Sooners' 3-point attack to 0-11 from behind the arc.
So how did the Jayhawks (12- 15, 5-10 Big 12) find themselves on the wrong end of a 64-61 final?
"Obviously, the difference in
the game was rebounding," Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said. "We get 24 offensive boards and hold them to four."
Yep, that'll do it. Kansas was outrebounded on the defensive end as well, bringing the total rebounds to 48-25 in the Sooners' favor. The 25 boards were the jayhawks' lowest output this season.
In the first half, Kansas appeared to take advantage of the absence of Oklahoma's leading scorer Aaryn Ellenberg. Ellenberg sat out because of a concussion she suffered on Feb. 16 against Oklahoma State.
The Jayhawks were clicking on both ends, holding the Big 12's best shooting offense to only 28 first half points on 28.6
percent from the field. Junior forward Chelsea Gardner was a force in the paint, blocking three Oklahoma shots before half.
Offensively, Kansas was led
"We were terrible and they got up three right away, and that's been our M.O. here lately."
BONNIE HENRICKSON Coach
by senior guard CeCe Harper, who scored 14 points. Harper frequently created plays off the ball, dishing three assists
in addition to sinking two key 3-pointers. Junior guard Natalie Knight chipped in a couple 3-pointers as well, giving Kansas a 31-28 halftime lead.
However, things wouldn't run as smoothly in the second half. The Jayhawks' lead was quickly erased by a rejuvenated Oklahoma's offense. They lost the lead with 16:38 remaining and never got it back.
"We came out of the locker room terrible," coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "We were terrible and they got up three right away, and that's been our M.O. here lately."
Senior guard Markisha Hawkins, in her ninth start of the season, was Kansas' lone contributor following halftime.
She notched 16 points on 5-6 shooting in only 16 minutes. No other Kansas player made more than one field goal.
Still, the Jayhawks' freethrow shooting — 12-14 in the second half — kept them in the game while the rest of their game faltered.
The Jayhawks were down only two when Oklahoma guard Morgan Hook knocked down a jumper with 26 seconds left to make it a two-possession game. Knight's 3-point attempt at the other end fell short, sealing a Sooners victory.
Hawkins, usually one of Kansas' first off the bench, finished with a career-high 22 points and six rebounds. Gardner
logged 12 points and eight rebounds, failing to record a double-double for only the second time in the Jayhawks' last six games.
Henrickson said her team must focus on improving at the beginning and end of halves if they expect to win.
"We always try to win the first four minutes and we didn't do that," Henrickson said. "We always do the first four and last four and we didn't do that."
Edited by Chelsea Mies
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