SPORTS
DS BEADS BEADS BEADS BEA
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 2005
PAGE 1B
MENS BASKETBALL
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
Back with a vengeance
Motivation from past games leads to Kansas win
BY MIRANDA LENNING
mlenning@kansan.com
KANSAN SENIOR SPORTSWITTER
LINCOLN, Neb. — During breakfast on Saturday morning, the Kansas Jayhawks watched a little bit of film. It wasn't the first time they had seen it, but coach Bill Self wanted to make sure the memory of last year's defeat against Nebraska was fresh in their minds.
The Kansas coaches already had used the film twice on Friday as a motivational tactic for Saturday's game against the Cornhuskers.
They didn't watch a particular shot or the last few minutes of the game. The Jayhawks watched the film of the students pouring onto the court after Kansas' 19-point defeat at the Bob Devaney Sports Center in Lincoln.
As if they had forgotten.
"I remember the game well. That was embarrassing," junior forward
Christian Moody said. "You get excited about playing them up here, and we knew that we had to play well to beat them up here. That showed from how we played last year and lost."
Saturday was a different story. The Jayhawks throttled the Cornhuskers 78-65, improving to 18-1 overall and 8-0 in the Big 12 Conference.
With or without the reminder of last season's loss, the layhawks were still hot about giving Nebraska an opportunity to win in Allen Fieldhouse three weeks ago. None of them had forgotten Nebraska forward Corey Simms' buzzer-beating three-point attack that, had it been good, would have knocked off Kansas on its home court.
Also on their minds was the last game's altercation between Nebraska freshman Joe McCray, who scored 19 on the Jayhawks in the last game, and senior guard Mike Lee. It's no wonder Kansas was fired up to get some revenge on Nebraska.
Senior guard Keith Langford said there was not a lack of motivation, especially after the Jayhawks watched that film three times.
Langford said. "Even the scuffle that some of the guys got into back at the Fieldhouse, that gave us added incentive coming up here. Getting beat up here last year gives us incentive."
"The little things like that help out,"
That was obvious from the early moments of the game — especially with Langford, who led all scorers with 27 points, tying his career high. Langford's 11 first-half points ignited the Jayhawks, who were slightly sluggish in the first 10 minutes of the first half.
For the first time this season, Langford said he felt like he put together two good halves, something that Kansas coach Bill Self talked to him about this week.
"He told me I had to get off to a good start and get involved early." Langford said. "I put two halves together and that made the difference today."
Langford's performance was certainly a difference-maker for the Jayhawks. Langford and fellow senior Wayne Simien combined for 45 of the Jayhawks' 78 points. The four seniors combined for 61 points.
Cindy Van/KANSAN
SEE VENGEANCE ON PAGE 3B
Kansas senior guard Keith Langford drives past Nebraska guard Jake Muhleisen with 8 minutes remaining in the first half of Saturday's game. Langford finished with 27 points in the Jayhawks' victory against the
WOMEN S BASKETBALL
Jayhawks humble Tigers
Early 28-6 lead delivers Missouri an 'embarrassing' defeat
BY BJ RAINS
brains@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
Missouri coach Cindy Stein's words following Kansas' 60-42 victory against the Tigers it all.
"It was embarrassing," Stein said. "I'd like to apologize to all of our fans. This was a huge embarrassment for us."
The Jayhawks took an early lead and never looked back. They opened the game hitting on all cylinders, while the Tigers opened the game ice cold. Missouri hit just one of its first 17 shots as the Jayhawks opened up a 28-5 lead with just more than six minutes remaining in the first half. The quick start surprised everyone in attendance, even Kansas coach Bonnie Hendrickson.
"Any coach in America who got out to a lead like that would be a little bit surprised," Henrickson said. "I was pleased with what we did on offense. We got good looks."
attempts from behind the arc.
The Jayhawks, who led by 21 points at halftime, used a balanced attack. The team's leading scorer this season, junior forward Crystal Kemp, was held to just six points, but unlike games earlier this season, other players stepped up. Junior guard Kaylee Brown led the team with 15 points on seven-of-12 shooting. Junior guard, Erica Hallman, notched 12 points while going five-of-six from the field, including two of her three
In the first meeting between the two teams this season, Kansas scored 40 points in the paint. On Saturday, only 10 of the team's 60 points came from inside. The team attempted 63 field goals, 14 more than Missouri, and used a more uptempo style of play. The Jayhawks pushed the ball in transition, something Henrickson devoted practice time to recently.
"We had 10 possessions in transition in the first half, which is how many we had the entire game the last time we played Missouri." Henrickson said. "I was ecstatic about that because we have really been on the kids about trying to get opportunities in transition, instead of wanting to sit against them in a half court defense."
It was a career game for freshman forward Taylor McIntosh. She grabbed a career-high 16 rebounds, helping the lajhwaks out-rebound the Tigers 39-31. She had 10 rebounds at halftime.
McIntosh, who also added 10 points — one shy of her career high — topped her previous high of 13 rebounds, set on Nov. 27 against UMKC. Afterward, McIntosh tried to downplay her accomplishment.
"That's what I bring to the team, rebound's," McIntosh said. "Every game I just go out there and try to get every rebound that I can."
— Edited by Jennifer Voldness
Rachel Sevmour/KANSAN
Erica Hallman, junior guard, drives around Missouri's Carlynn Savant during Saturday's 60-42 victory in Lincoln, Neb. Hallman scored 12 points in the Border Showdown's second game of the season.
THE RANT
RYAN COLAIANNI rcolaianni@kansan.com
Langford lifeblood of team
After Saturday's 27-point effort, senior guard Keith Langford showed what kind of player he needs to be for the Jayhawks to reach the Final Four. Langford has struggled at times this year, but for this Jayhawk team to be successful in March, Langford will need to be the team's most consistent player.
If the Jayhawks have two players who consistently put up 20 points, they will be unbeatable come tournament time. Langford was efficient in Saturday's contest, as he was 10 of 17 from the field including three-of-six from long range. Langford has also been hitting free throws, which is crucial for a player who gets fouled a lot because of his style of play. He has uped his average to nearly 70 percent from the line.
Langford re-asserted himself Saturday when he did what he does best; Slash and make clutch shots in traffic.
Senior forward Wayne Simien is not the most important player on the team. That distinction goes to Langford.
Langford's 15 points a game are good, but he must push that total higher to make Kansas unbeatable.
Langford has the ability to carry a team when they are struggling. When he hits clutch shots, he gets the team back on track and gives them confidence. Langford is a natural leader on the court, and he does so through example.
But Langford's shooting percentage has dropped during the past two seasons. As a sophomore, he shot 53 percent and averaged nearly 16 points per game. This season he is shooting just 45 percent from the field.
In Saturday's game against Nebraska, he may have returned to his previous form. This game may be the beginning of a hot streak that will continue through the rest of the season. He had a similar hot streak during the NCAA Tournament as a sophomore, beginning with a 27-point effort against Arizona in January and ending with a 23-point outing against Marquette in the Final Four.
Illinois is the country's top-ranked team, and North Carolina plays impressively against it opponents. But when Langford is on, there is not a better team in the country than Kansas. Langford and the rest of the senior class know that this is their last opportunity to win a championship, and come March, there is no better asset than a core group of players that have experience in championship opportunities.
TRACK & FIELD
Teams that have enormous talent often struggle during March Madness because they don't have the experience in pressure situations. The Jayhawks obviously have that, and Langford must be their guide through it all.
The Jayhawks will likely have just one more difficult road test left — at Oklahoma — if they wish to finish the conference season undefeated. If Langford is able to build off of this weekend's game, he will be able to take the Jayhawks to a National Championship.
- Colaianni is a McLean, Va., sophomore in journalism and political science.
Although it was not a team-scored event, the Jayhawks stepped up to bigger competition by setting two school records. Both Ekaterina Sultanova and Brooklyn Hann replaced their previous school records this weekend with NCAA qualifying scores.
Sultanova, a freshman from Krasnodar, Russia, set the women's pole vault record with a score of 13-feet-7.75-inches. Her score replaced her previous record of 13-feet-7.25-inches set just three meets earlier at the
Jumper, vaulter leap past records
The Kansas Track and Field team traveled to Lincoln, Neb., this weekend for the Husker Invitational to compete against Big 12 Conference rivals such as Kansas State, Baylor, Colorado, Oklahoma State and Nebraska.
BY PATRICK SHEHAN
pshehan@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTWRITER
"I wasn't really focused on setting the record," Hann said. "I always just try to focus on my position and technique, and hope that the lump goes well."
Sultanova
Arkansas Invitational. She ranks second in the Big 12 in women's pole vault.
Hann set the women's record in the triple jump with the length of 42-foot-4.25 inches. Her score at the Husker Institutional parked
her record of 42-feet-3.25-inches, set in 2002 at the Alex Wilson Invitational, which broke the women's triple jump record that stood for 10 years.
Hann said the record-setting jump came at the most opportune time.
Haan
"I've been expecting to break that record, and jump farther," Hann said. "After the knee problems that I've been having, I felt like I was overdue."
infinish in the women's 4400 meter relay.
On the men's team, sophomore Benson Chesang started off his 2005 indoor season with a victory in the 3,000-meter race. The Ravine, Kenya, distance runner finished with a time of 8:05.28.
Freshman Colby Wissel, fresh off his victory last week at the Jayhawk Invitational in the same event, placed third. The distance runner ran at a time of 8:23.14.
finish in the women's 4x400 meter relay.
She stands third in the Big 12 in the women's triple jump. Hann also contributed to the second-place
RECORD-SETTING JUMPERS
Ekaterina Sultanova Brooklyn Hann
Two women's track and field jumpers set new records Saturday at the Husker invitational in Lincoln, Neb. Each broke her own mark.
EVENT
Pole Vault
Triple jump
PREVIOUS RECORD NEW RECORD
13'-7.25" 13'-7.75"
42'-3.25" 42'-4.25"
— KU Athletics Department
Coach Stanley Redwine said the
The Husker Invitational provided an early barometer to show where the Jayhawks stood in the midst of higherranked Big 12 schools. Nebraska, Kansas State and Baylor finished in the top three in men's and top six in women's at the Indoor Championships last year in Lincoln. The Jayhawks finished ninth and seventh at the Championships, respectively.
competition at the invitational forced the team to be prepared mentally and physically.
"Any time you set two school records at a meet, you're performing well," Redwine said. "It's too early to tell how we stack up against these teams, but I can tell that we're doing a lot better than last year."
Edited by Lori Bettes