THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
FRIDAY, MARCH 30, 2012
PAGE 3B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Despite setbacks, team's resiliency prevails
KATHEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson describes her team as strong and resilient. She describes her athletes as sisters. And after a tumultuous season, the Jayhawks showed all of these things and became a family.
The layhawks withstood transfers, injuries and a roller coaster schedule which could have knocked down a similar team, or even a former Kansas team, but this time was different. The team played for each other and they played to win.
"You can't do it if you have kids pointing fingers at everybody and wanting to feel sorry for themselves and they never did," Henrickson said.
Kansas kicked off the season with an 11-1 non-conference performance, but lost two players, sophomore guard Keena Mays and freshman guard Donielle Breaux, to transfers in that time. Mays' decision came after her career-best performance against Alabama on the road and mere hours after another strong game against Wisconsin. A few weeks after her unexpected departure, Breaux followed suit.
But Kansas was resilient.
Kansas defeated No. 25 Texas in the Big 12 opener and started conference play 5-2 before dropping three straight to ranked opponents. With another victory against Texas things seemed to look up again, but the tide quickly turned in the next game.
Junior forward Carolyn Davis was injured in a loss at Kansas State on Feb. 12. Davis, a second-year captain and All-American candidate, tore her ACL and dislocated her knee minutes into the game and was wheeled out on a stretcher. The team met her in the hospital back in Lawrence and then the loss started to sink in for them.
"It was a devastating to see her go down but we wanted to stay positive," junior guard Angel Goodrich said. "We knew we had a couple games ahead of us still and we still had a season left. We were still hungry to make the tournament."
In the upcoming week, tears welled in the eyes of Davis' teammates and coaches with a simple mention of their wounded warrior, and the Jayhawks started to slide again in conference play.
They lost six of the next eight games and were hanging on the hopes of a post-season appearance.
Once again, their resiliency was tested.
When Selection Monday came, the scene was tense. The team, coaches, administrators and loved ones watched quietly while the announcers rolled off the first three regions. It came to the final region with six Big.12 teams already chosen and Kansas was announced. The room exploded with joy and relief as they tasted the satisfaction of the program's first bid since 2000.
"I am so glad we stuck together when things could have gone downhill and that has been the difference in this team," Goodrich said. "We just fought back and I am so glad this is the team that it was this year."
When they got to Little Rock, Ark., for the first two rounds they had something to prove. In the first round they defeated Nebraska and in the second round they notched another upset when they defeated Delaware. Those two games led them to the program's first Sweet 16 appearance since 1998.
Kansas lost to Tennessee, but after the game the Jayhawks showed a unique combination of temporary disappointment and insurmountable pride.
After transfers, they prevailed. After tough losses, they prevailed. After one of their leaders fell, they prevailed. Those small victories all combined to lead them to the ultimate reward: the NCAA Tournament.
"This is a great basketball lesson for this program and these players, but also a great life lesson because life is tough," Henrickson said.
These trials brought them
closer together and made them a family. As Davis recovers after her Tuesday morning surgery, the team will continue to rally around her. They fought for her and their lone senior Aishah Sutherland.
Sutherland was part of the 2008 team that played in the WNIT Final, but she wanted more. Her goal was the tournament and in her final season she took the team there with her.
"This team has been through it all," Sutherland said. "Every year there has been injury or something that has stopped us, but we have taken adversity and used it as strength and I just love how we reacted this year."
And so the Jayhaws who were picked to finish seventh in the league and seemed doomed after the loss of Davis find some healing in the end of the season.
After the last game the players sat together on benches quietly reminiscing. Suddenly, laughter cut through the stillness and smiles returned to their faces.
Their resiliency paid off.
"I couldn't be more proud of this team," Goodrich said. "We have come so far and we've done so much for this program and it has been such a blessing just to be here."
Edited by Amanda Gage
Freshman forward Chelsea Gardner stetches for a defensive rebound in the NCAA Women's Regional Semifinals at Wells Fargo Arena in Des Moines, Iowa on Saturday.
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
SOFTBALL
Junior infielder, Mariah Montgomery swings for a double in Arrocha Ballpark. The Jayhawks will take on No. 7 Oklahoma this weekend. The Sooners feature junior All-American Keilani Ricketts who was just named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week.
ASHLEIGH LEE/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Kansas faces No.7 Oklahoma
ALEC TILSON
atilson@kansan.com
The Kansas softball team hopes to forget about a midweek loss to Missouri State when it goes on the road to face No. 7 Oklahoma Friday in its third conference series of the season.
Similar to most weekends in Big 12 softball, Kansas (23-7, 2-4) squares off against a national powerhouse. Oklahoma's (27-4, 3-1) pitching staff has allowed fewer than one earned run per game (0.71 team ERA) while its hitters lead the league with 46 home runs this year.
"We're in a conference where we play the best every weekend, and this weekend will be no different," said coach Megan Smith.
The Kansas offense, ranked fifth in the conference with a .291 batting average, certainly faces a tall task.
Oklahoma's junior All-American Keilani Ricketts (14-4) takes an 0.74 ERA in 114.1 innings into the weekend and has been named Big 12 Pitcher of the Week the past two weeks.
That's not all, though; she can also swing the bat. Rickettis is batting .403 with eight doubles and eight home runs. Among Oklahoma's other offensive threats are freshman Lauren Chamberlain, who leads the league in homers (12) and RBI's (39), and five other Sooners who are batting better than .300.
Kansas' senior pitcher Ashley Spencer, who faced Oklahoma last season, said KU's pitchers would need to be working one pitch at a time to control an offense that can otherwise become overwhelming.
"You can't focus on the whole inn", Spencer said. "If you focus on one pitch, that's going to be key against these hitters that attack the ball."
Kansas' offense has been lead by sophomore infielder and leadoff hitter Ashley Newman and junior outfielder Maggie Hull. On the season, Newman's 31 runs tie her for four in the Big 12, while Hull's .374 batting average is tenth in the league.
Kansas will likely need the entire offense clicking to score runs, but
Smith knows it starts at the top.
"Undoubtedly, Maggie and Ashley have been the catalyst for our offense," Smith said. "They increase our chances of winning when they do well."
Kansas wants to forget about the two-game series against Oklahoma last year in which the Jayhawks failed to score a run.
Hull said it is all about staying positive, maintaining a short-term memory and simply playing the game. Kansas brings a different team to the diamond than it did a year ago, and Hull hopes that works in their favor.
"They're probably thinking they're going to roll over us," Hull said. "My hope is we'll catch them by surprise. We're a talented team and we believe that."
The three-game series begins Friday night at 7 p.m. The second game begins Saturday at 2 p.m. and the finale is Sunday at noon.
MLB
Edited by Nadia Imafidon
Players to return to Yankees after pre-season loss
ASSOCIATED PRESS
TAMPA, Fla. — The New York Yankees got good news about two injured outfielders.
Curtis Granderson went 1 for 4 after missing two games because of right elbow soreness but the Yankees lost 4-3 loss to the Baltimore Orioles on Thursday night.
"Curtis is great," Yankees manager Joe Girardi said.
Granderson, the designated hitter, singled in the third. The center fielder could play defense on Friday night.
New York right fielder Nick Swisher, out with a groin injury, hit in a minor league game for the second straight day. It hasn't been decided if Swisher will play another game in the minors or rejoin the Yankees on Friday.
"I hope so." Granderson said.
"Everything is good."
Rotation candidate Ivan Nova pitched in a Triple-A game instead of facing the Orioles, giving up three runs and seven hits in 7 1-3 innings. The Yankees play their second series of the regular season at Baltimore.
"We'll see where he's at," Girardi said.
look at his body of work from last year, too"
Orioles starter Jason Hammel went 5-1-3 innings, allowing two runs and five hits. Matt Wieters had a double and triple in three atbats, and is 10 for his last 13.
"He looked pretty good," Girardi said of Nova, a 16-game winner last season. "I think you have to look at everything, but you also have to
“Pretty much everything I was working on I'm happy with,” Hammel said. “The results were good. Real good execution.”
Baltimore infielder J.J. Hardy, sidelined by a right shoulder injury, is expected to return Friday.
"Looks like it." Orioles manager Buck Showalter said. "I made the lineup (for Friday) and he's in it."
are a lot more important than the one's at the beginning," Girardi said.
Girardi said the pitcher that loses out is not guarantee a spot in the bullpen.
spring during a scoreless sixth. The right-hander has not allowed a run in seven innings overall, and also extended his streak of not allowing an earned run in spring training — dating back to 2008 — to 28 consecutive innings.
New York closer Mariano Rivera gave up his second hit this
"Worked on getting the two-seamer in action, and except for one that probably went 900 feet, I was real happy with it," Hammel said.
New York has four pitchers, Nova, Phil Hughes, Freddy Garcia and Michael Pineda competing for three starting slots behind opening-day starter CC Sabathia and Hiroki Kuroda.
Raul Ibanez hit a long solo homer off Hammel and added an RBI single.
"We're just not quite there yet," Girardi said. "Yankeeland, it's wins. We've got to do what's best for this year."
Hughes is considered a front-runner for one spot. Garcia will pitch in the minors Friday, while Pineda goes against Philadelphia in the big league game.
"I think these starts at the end