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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, JANUARY 23, 2014
PAGE 5B
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WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jayhawks prepare for Sunflower Showdown
KYLE PAPPAS
sports@kansan.com
junior guard Asia Boyd makes her wav down the court during the Jan. 19 game against Baylor. Boyd logged four free throws, contributing to Kansas' 76-60 upset of the No. 7 Bears.
JAMES HOYT/KANSAN
The Kansas women's basketball team (9-9, 2-4 Big 12) will head to Manhattan on Saturday to face the Kansas State Wildcats (8-9, 2-4 Big 12) in this season's first Sunflower Showdown. The two appear to be fairly evenly-matched, with both struggling early in Big 12 play, but showing signs of life recently.
For the Jayhawks, that life came in the form of a season-defining win against Baylor earlier this week. Kansas' ironclad defense proved too much pressure for Odyssey Sims and the potent Bears' offense. It was likely the best game the Jayhawks have played this entire season, and it couldn't have occurred at a better time.
Kansas was only 1-4 in the Big 12 entering their contest against Baylor, and a loss may have put the Jayhawks in too deep of a hole to dig themselves out of. Instead, the Jayhawks won handsily, limiting the nation's third-highest scoring offense to a measly 60 points.
Kansas State has won its last two conference games after an 0-4 start in Big 12 competition. The Wildcats have been clicking on offense, registering over 70 points in each of these
to block more than a couple Wildcat shots before this one is over.
The Jayhawks will look for more of the same in Manhattan on Sunday. Junior forward Chelsea Gardner (16.3 ppg, 7.6 rpg) has emerged as a key ingredient in Kansas' game plan on both offense and defense. At 6-foot-3, Gardner is the Jayhawks' tallest starter and provides their most serious threat in the paint. Expect Gardner
one year. The Wildcats are led by freshman guard Leticia Romero, who's top 10 in the Big 12 in both points and assists. Romero has been one of the most impressive freshmen in the conference this season, leading Kansas State in points (14.6 ppg), assists (4.6 apg) and
The Kansas State offense has shown it's quite vulnerable thus far into the season, being dominated by an unranked UTEP squad 39-84 earlier in
contests. Still, the Wildcats are averaging only 61.5 ppg within the Big 12, while allowing opponents to score 69.5.
rebounds (5.9 rpg). She's started all 17 games for the Wildcats and is routinely a threat to score from anywhere on the court.
The last time these two met in Manhattan, the Jayhawks pulled off an 89-80 overtime victory behind former Jayhawk
Carolyn Davis' 29 points. Kansas also defeated the Wildcats in Allen Fieldhouse earlier that season to sweep the season series, 2-0.
NFL
Edited by Julie Etzler
Ex-Cowboy convicted of intoxication manslaughter
ASSOCIATED PRESS
DALLAS — Former Dallas Cowboys player Josh Brent was convicted of intoxication manslaughter Wednesday for a fiery wreck that killed his teammate and close friend, Jerry Brown.
He faces up to 20 years in prison for a December 2012 wreck after a night of partying with fellow Cowboys players. He could also get probation.
Jurors took about nine hours over two days to convict Brent, who was led from the courtroom in handcuffs as family members sitting in the front row of the gallery sobbed.
Among those sitting with Brent's family was Stacey Jackson, Brown's mother. Jackson did not respond to questions as she left the courtroom Wednesday with Brent's family, but she has said in interviews that she's forgiven Brent and could testify in support of a lighter sentence for him when that phase of the trial begins Thursday.
Attorneys from both sides remain under a gag order that prevented them from commenting after the proceedings.
Prosecutors say Brent, a defensive tackle, was drunk when he crashed his Mercedes on a suburban Dallas highway in December 2012, killing Brown, a linebacker on the Cowboys practice squad who had also been Brent's teammate at the University of Illinois. Officers who arrived on scene saw Brent trying to pull Brown's body from the wreckage.
Police say Brent's blood alcohol level was tested shortly after the crash at 0.18 percent, more than twice the legal limit for drivers in Texas. Prosecutors last week argued that the burly, 320-pound defensive tackle had as many as 17 drinks that night of the crash.
Brent's attorneys argued the blood tests used by police were faulty and that Brent could not have drank nearly that much. Attorney George Milner said his client was "guilty of being
stupid behind the wheel of a car," not drinking beforehand.
Brent retired from the NFL last year, but his ties to the Cowboys were prominent at trial. Two current players, Barry Church and Danny McCray, testified about hanging out with Brent and Brown, first playing video games, then having dinner and going to Privae, a Dallas nightclub.
Sean Lee, a Cowboys linebacker, attended part of the trial to show support for Brent, and Cowboys owner Jerry Jones said this week that he was closely watching for a verdict.
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"Certainly it's tragic. We've all, to some degree, have been a part of this," Jones said on Tuesday, according to the Cowboys' website. "We support Josh. This has been just a terrible experience for the families who lost a loved one and for Josh who loved Jerry as well."
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