THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2012
PAGE 9
BIG 12 CHAMPIONSHIP KANSAS CITY, MO
Jayhawks prepare for national champion Aggies
KATHLEEN GIER
Junior guard Monica Engelman attempts to move in front of her opponent to block her from getting to the basket during a game against Oklahoma State earlier this season.
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The layhawks finished the regular season with the second best road record in the conference, a six seed in the Big 12 tournament and an obtainable goal of an NCAA Tournament appearance. After a victory against Oklahoma on Sunday, coach Bonnie Henrickson has talked about the bounce and pop that win gives them heading into the conference tournament.
With the victory Kansas earned one more shot at the defending national champion Texas A&M to avenge two regular season losses. The Jayhawks will face the Aggies at 7:30 tonight in Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City.
The layhawks know this could decide their placement next weekend and which tournament they play in. But they also know that they have a chance to control all of that with a well-balanced game and victory against the Aggies.
In the two previous games, Kansas lost by 11 points. Junior guard Angel Goodrich faces a challenge from Texas A&M point guard Sydney Carter who forced 11 turnovers in their first outing. Goodrich adjusted however and scored a game-high 28 points to show some toughness and resiliency.
In their second match up three weeks later, Goodrich struggled again with seven turnovers and scored 11 points. In those two games, junior forward Carolyn Davis and junior guard Monica Engelman were the only other Jayhawks to score in double digits.
Numerically, the losses look pretty similar, but Henrickson said they feel different. Those key differences are what they need to focus on this time.
For example, she dissected the turnovers and compared them. In Lawrence, they were live ball turnovers that turned into layups allowing 19 points off turnovers. In
College Station, they were offensive fouls, travels and three second calls
They utilized a zone defense to slow down the Aggies, but need to limit high-percentage shots and easy layups.
While Goodrich battles up top, the Kansas front court will have its own challenge taking on Aggie center Kelsey Bone who scored 18 and 26 points in the first two games. This only increases with Davis on the sideline.
As the veteran in the post, senior forward Aishah Sutherland is leading the team in the stat columns and on the court with improved productivity and consistency.
"It is important for everyone to step up." Sutherland said. "We lost a very big player so it is important for everyone to put in more than they did."
Davis is preparing for surgery but is cheering on her teammates from
the bench and has remained a factor in the development of the younger forwards.
"Since our freshmen are getting so many minutes right now they don't really know what I know sitting on the bench so it is even better because I see more so I can help them and talk to them during the game," Davis said.
One of the Jayhawks' biggest strengths right now is their versatility. In the end of the game against Oklahoma with three starters fouled out the Jayhawks were able to finish the game with 14 straight made free throws to seal the victory. Since losing Davis, their freshmen have become more reliable.
"It's huge because we have nine players and four of them are freshmen," Henrickson said. "We are young and those kids coming off the bench did a great job. Everybody contributed and this time of the year that is so important."
Edited by Katie James
Graphic by Hannah Wise
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