Sports THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANS
INDOOR TRACK TEAM LOSES TO MISSOURI
WWW.KANSAN.COM
TUESDAY, JANUARY 20, 2009
The Tigers took the first match up since the '70s. INDOOR TRACK I 10A
SWIMMERS TAKE WIN AGAINST NEBRASKA
The Jayhawks bounced back from a deficit. SWIMMING & DIVING I 10A
KANSAS 73, TEXAS A&M 53
PAGE 12A
Firing on all cylinders
Outcome was never in question
BY CASE KEEFER ckeefer@kansan.com
Kansas coach Bill Self and his players love to talk about toughness.
They swear it's more than a sports cliché, but sometimes struggle to define exactly what they mean by the term. Sophomore center Cole Aldrich won't have that problem anymore.
Weston White/KANSAN
If someone asks, Aldrich will reference Kansas' 73-53 victory against Texas A&M Monday night. To Aldrich, it embodied everything he means by "toughness."
"We just kept going at it. When balls were on the ground, we were diving for them. We were trying to fight with them." Aldrich said. "We did a good job today."
And it started at the beginning. The Jayhawks welcomed their first Big Monday game of the year by, well, making big plays. Junior guard Sherron Collins hit two three-pointers to start the game as Kansas ran off on an 18-4 lead.
The pummeling continued as junior guard Mario Little scored seven points in three minutes to extend the lead to 30-10. The layhawks kept pounding the Aggies with the intensity of a boxer determined to make his opponent suffer for an entire 12 rounds, Texas A&M barely landed any counter-punches.
"We just tried *to* give them the first hit," Aldrich said. "We knew they were going to try to come out and hit us. We just tried to come out really strong and I think we did a really good job of that."
COMMENTARY
Little specifically. He recorded
Junior guard Sherron Collins drives to the basket to draw a foul. Collins converted both of the free throws and shot a perfect 4-4 from the line. The Jayhawks came out 20 points ahead Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse, winning 73-53.
SEE MEN'S ON PAGE 6A
Not a sweet return home
Forty-five minutes before opening tip, Texas A&M coach Mark Turgeon
stood in the northeast tunnel of Allen Fieldhouse. Next to him stood legendary Kansas broadcaster Max Falkenstein.
Turgeon looked comfortable, in his element. And why shouldn't he? This was home, a return to the building where it all started for the scrawny point guard from Topeka.
The game was over within the first 10 minutes. Turgeon's Aggies played scared, even intimidated at times. Kansas' pressure defense kept them out of their halfcourt sets, and
Homecomings are supposed to be sweet, a figurative pat on the back for years of dedicated service. But apart from the raucous, spontaneous applause when he was introduced and the countless handshakes and hellos, Turgeon's first trip back to the "Phog" as an opposing coach was anything but sweet.
"I've been coming to this building since I was four or five years old," Turgeon said following the game. "I have a lot of great memories."
SEE WIEBE ON PAGE 7A
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jayhawks lacking against Tech
Kansas blows an opportunity to pick up a nice victory in Allen Fieldhouse
BY JAYSON JENKS
jjenks@kansan.com
Inside Allen Fieldhouse, verbal and physical expressions of disappointment, surprise and frustration grabbed hold of everyone from fans to players and coach Bonnie Henrickson.
"The same energy that we had against Missouri, we didn't have tonight," junior forward Danielle McCray said. "And it was on both ends. There just wasn't anything there."
Texas Tech (11-5, 2-1) may be a capable team that upset a ranked Texas squad earlier this season, but after playing so well against Missouri and with another winnable game on Nebraska (9-7, 0-3) on Wednesday, Texas Tech presented Kansas (12-4, 1-2) with the perfect opportunity to jump out to a quick start in Big 12 play.
Coming off a 17-point victory against Missouri, Kansas looked uninspired in a 57-49 loss to Texas Tech Saturday night.
And in a conference where seven teams are currently ranked.
that's important.
Suffering the loss at home added to the frustration. Before the game, Henrickson stressed the importance of winning games at home. With the Big 12 so deep and talented, any loss at home creates more pressure to win on the road.
"I don't understand how you're that soft," Henrickson said. "I don't know how else to say it."
Entering the game, Kansas ranked second in the Big 12 in field-goal percentage while leading the conference in three-point percentage. Facing Texas Tech, though, Kansas completely strayed from those statistics.
The Jayhawks' numbers alone tell the story: 28 percent shooting, one of 13 three-pointers and 15 turnovers. Just as frustrating were the shots Kansas missed: gimme breakaway layups, open jump shots and uncontested three-pointers.
"It felt like it was dead the whole game," McCray said. "There wasn't intensity anywhere."
Against Texas Tech, the Jayhawks didn't appear desperate to grab a victory at home.
"It's frustrating to know that
something that youre so strong at has immediately become a weakness for you," junior guard Kelly Kohn said. "That was very frustrating."
McCray highlighted Kansas' struggles. McCray, the Jayhawks' leading scorer, finished the game with 22 points and eight rebounds, but she made just seven of 24 attempts and turned the ball over a season-high seven times.
Though McCray eclipsed the 20-point mark, Saturday's contest marked the third consecutive game in which she struggled.
"I don't know what I'm going through right now," McCray said.
"I don't know what it is, but I need to get out of it. And it needs to come quick."
The same can be said for all the Jayhawks.
With slightly more than eight minutes remaining in the first half against Texas Tech, junior guard Sade Morris caught a pass, spun and fell to the ground after being
SADE MORRIS LEAVES GAME
Morris slowly stood up before falling back down. With the assistance of trainers, she woozily walked to the Kansas bench before leaving the court with an apparent head injury.
The junior guard did not return to the game and is listed as day to day.
Edited by Susan Melgren
fouled.
@KANSAN.COM
Courtside, the women's basketball blog updated literally courtside at Allen Fieldhouse, gives reporters Clark Goble and Jayson Jenks the space to rant, rave and detail their favorite Bonnie Hendrickson quote of the night.
Ryan McGeeney/KANSAN
Junior guard LaChelda Jacobs collides with Texas Tech's Ashlee Roberson during Saturday night's game in Allen Fieldhouse. The Lady Raiders defeated the Jayhawks 57-49.
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