NSAN
2009
Sport THE UNIVERSITY DAILY SA
FAUNCE MOVESTOTOP LEADS YOUNGER TEAM
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MONDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2009
WWW.KANSAN.COM
K-STATE'S COLISEUM SECOND-BEST ARENA
Charles Koch Arena in Wichita is third in the state. MORNING BREW 12B
PRESS
KANSAS 85, KANSAS STATE 74
PAGE 1B
JAYHAWKS BIG IN BRAMLAGE
Answering Self's season-long appeal to pass to Aldrich powers Kansas
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
MANHATTAN — Cole Aldrich rarely shows emotion on the court
But Aldrich, a sophomore center, couldn't help it after he made a made a shot under the basket while being fouled near the end of Saturday's 85-74 victory against Kansas State.
He flexed, yelled and turned around to greet junior guard Sherron Collins with a chest bump.
"It was a big play" Aldrich said. "It got me excited."
The only thing more surprising than Aldrich's outburst was the fact that Kansas coach Bill Self didn't have a similar reaction. Self has complained all season that the Jayhawks got away from passing the ball in to Aldrich when the game is on the line.
He couldn't complain Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum. The Jayhawks relied on their big man to will them to victory.
Aldrich's three-point play that inspired his uncharacteristic celebration came in the middle of a two-minute stretch in which he scored seven points. Before Aldrich's takeover, K State trailed only 67-65 with 5 minutes and 30 seconds remaining. After the play, the Wildcats were never able to cut it to a one-possession game again.
Early in the game, it looked as if Aldrich would never get the chance to make a difference for the Jayhawks. K-State dominated.
"We couldn't get the ball into our offense for a while so we just said, 'Hey, we're going to bring everyone high and throw it over the top.' Self said. "And he delivered."
Aldrich led the Jayhawks with 21 points, seven rebounds and a block. For once, Self could praise Kansas for sticking to the plan of getting Aldrich the ball.
Wildcat guard Denis Clemente
coured 16 points in the opening 15
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 4B
MEN'S BASKETBALL
PAGE 4B
For full coverage of the Kansas vs. Kansas Statemen's basketball game, check out the Rewind on page 48.
Junior guard Sherron Collins celebrates with center Cole Aldrich after the sophomore draws a foul while hitting a jump shot that put Kansas up by four. Aldrich led the Jayhawks to an 85-74 victory on Saturday in Manhattan with 21 points, seven rebounds and two assists in 36 minutes.
Weston White/XANSAN
Jayhawks take back Coliseum prevent Wildcats from starting their own streak
M ANHATTAN - Deep inside the concrete bowls o
concrete bowels of Bramlage Coliseum, Bill Self congratulated his triumphant players on their way to the visitors' locker room, a wide grin stretched across his face.
The joyous postgame banter between Kansas' players and their coach was, for the most part, pretty predictable following a gutsy 85-74 comeback victory. There were plenty of 'atta boys' and pats on the back to go around.
But amid the celebration, one jubilant reaction said far more than the rest.
"This is our house."
For the 20th time in 21 games, Bramlage Coliseum belonged to Kansas. One year after finally breaking the layhawks' 24-game winning streak in Manhattan, the Wildcats had looked poised to create their first winning streak against their in-state rivals in their own building.
Kansas State was as hot as any team in the Big 12. Six consecutive conference victories had fans and media alike forgetting the four consecutive losses that marred the Wildcat's disastrous conference start.
Before the game, lines of rowdy students smaked along the parking lot, accosting anyone seen wearing Kansas apparel and even chanting "Lawrence sucks" in response to a Channel 6 vehicle driving past on its way to media parking.
The stands themselves were filled to the brim, and homemade signs poking fun at junior guard
SEEWEIBE ON PAGE 5B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Low shooting percentage frustrates offense against OU
BY JAYSON JENKS
jjenks@kansan.com
Saturday night, No.2 Oklahoma rolled into Lawrence with a 17-game winning streak, a large contingent of crimson and cream-clad supporters and a team as talent-rich and skilled as any in the country.
Yet, unexpectedly and against general consensus, Saturday's game wasn't another Boomer Sooner highlight tape as has been the case many times this season. Instead, the lesson from Kansas' 69-54 loss is one the Jayhawks have experienced before: another chance at victory, another chance missed.
"We've certainly missed opportunities," coach Bonnie Hentrickson said. "We've missed opportunities to pick up victories. We've played well in stretches and, in stretches, I couldn't have been more proud of how tough we've been and how we've battled. But we have to string halves together."
In nearly every facet of the game.
But against Oklahoma, Kansas made just 26 percent of its shots, including an almost unimaginable 19 percent in the first half. Without a doubt, those numbers represent the reason the Jayhawks lost.
Kansas competed equally with Oklahoma. The layhawks grabbed more offensive rebounds, committed fewer turnovers and received more points from their bench.
To focus solely on Kansas' shooting problems on Saturday night, though, disregards a bigger problem — one that Henrickson dissected in her postgame press conference.
"We did everything well, we just couldn't knock down shots," junior guard Sade Morris said. "I think if we knocked down shots, we could have won that game."
In losses this season — Texas, Texas A&M and Marquette to name a few — Kansas has kept the score close, giving every indication a victory is forthcoming. But, in too many cases this season, the Jayhawks have experienced a subbar stretch of play
or a crippling trend, namely turnovers or untimely poor shooting, that has led to a loss.
"We've got to play consistently from half to half and everybody has to show up." Henrickson said. "We've let a few slip away. Those are games you look at as must-wins and gotta wins and we haven't gotten it done."
Still, the frustrating part for Henrickson and the Jayhawks is not that the competition is that much better; it's that Kansas has been consistently in games only to consistently let chances slip away in a seemingly different way each game.
As much as any women's basketball conference in the country, the Big 12 is unforgiving and relentless. Kansas' recently completed three-game stretch serves as a perfect example: at rival Missouri, at No. 13 Texas and No. 2 Oklahoma at home
"We've been through games where we've shot 60-some percent on the road, but then we turn it over," Henrickson said. "Then, we've gotten ourselves in foul trouble on the
Saturday night, an unimpressive shooting night left Kansas with its third consecutive loss. On several occasions, Oklahoma rattled off unanswered scoring runs simply because Kansas failed to make a shot.
For the lahayhus, no player shot better than 38 percent.
"It felt like there was a lid on the rim tonight," junior forward Danielle McCray said. "We just couldn't get the point blank shots to go down. We just didn't shoot the ball well at all."
road and not turned it over."
Indeed, many of Kansas' attempts were either open shots or close to the basket. Throughout the game, though, the Jayhawks routinely missed, remaining in the game because of scrappy defense and free throws.
Still, Henrickson said the attitude and mindset hasn't changed. Kansas has shown its capable of competing with the best teams in the conference. Now, the Jahawks must show
— Edited by Realle Roth
they're capable of defeating those teams.
"We've got to keep fighting." Henrickson said. "I mean, these kids aren't down. You wouldn't walk into our practice and think everyone is trying to jump off the ship. It's not that. We've just got to continue fighting and competing every day in practice."
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL PAGE7B
For full coverage of the Kansas vs. Oklahoma women's basketball game, check out page 7B.
Chance Dibben/KANSAN
Nicollette Smith drives to the basket.
Despite Smith's career-high 11 rebounds the Jayhawks still lost to the Sooners 69-54 on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.
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