6B SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY'S DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, JANUARY 15, 2009
Junior guard Danielle McCray attempts a shot while guarded by a Missouri defender. McCray finished with 12 points and 7 rebounds in the Jayhawk's 75-58 victory against Missouri Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Jerry Wang/KANSAN
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Henrickson changes pace
Morris, Smith take spotlight to help Jayhawks in victory against Mizzou
BY CLARK GOBLE
cgoble@kansan.com
cqoble@kansan.com
But with the game close against Missouri Wednesday night, Hendrickson needed to make a change to spark her team. Kohn, a guard averaging just 12 minutes per game in the last two games, came in to replace the team's leading scorer with the game still close.
"I told Danielle, I think (Kelly) just outscored you in one possession," Henrickson said. "[Danielle] is just playing so fast, and I don't know why."
Junior guard Danielle McCray, averaging nearly 19 points and 31 minutes per game, does not get pulled from games unless she is hurt, dead tired, or the game is out of hand. After a travelling call on McCray early in the second half, she looked over to the scorer's table and saw junior Kelly Kohn on her way to check in.
On the way to the bench, a road less travelled by McCray this year, she received a vicious stare from coach Bonnie Henrickson.
"She might have thought I wasn't going to put her back in with the look I gave her," Henrickson said laughing.
Lucky for the Jayhawks, juniors Sade Morris and Nicolette Smith were ready to take the spotlight and keep the Jayhawks ahead. The duo combined for 21 of the Jayhawks' 36 first half points and 36 of the team's 75 total. McCray led the team in scoring for nine of its first 13 games, but has failed to be the leader in both Big 12 conference games.
Kohn came in and hit a three-pointer.
"I thought she did [settle down] and I thought she responded [to being benched)]," Henrickson said.
"I couldn't watch it anymore." Henrickson said.
In the second half, McCray took just four shots but scored eight with two twos to finish with 12.
McCray had a frigid first half from the field by her standards, hitting just two of eight shots. Her four first half points all came on wide-open jumpers on set plays.
"That's what good teams do," Morris said.
Henrickson said that McCray wasn't selfish in the way she played, but that she had to embrace the fact that other teams were going to guard her harder.
sively and make better decisions," Henrickson said.
Henrickson also recognized the magnitude of the way her team won.
"We've talked to her, but she's got to calm down and be better off."
Smith's three three-pointers were from nearly the same spot on the floor and came on four possessions. Morris mostly used the dribble, drive, and finish technique for her 12 point half. Morris realizes that on nights McCray is a little off, she and her teammates will have to step up.
"It's a good win when your best player kind of struggles a little bit," Henrickson said.
Edited by Grant Treaster
36 39 - 75
KANSAS
MISSOURI
29 29-58
Player FG-FGA 3FG-3FG Rebs A Pts
Danielle McCray 5-12 2-3 7 1 12
Nicollette Smith 6-7 4-5 7 0 16
Krysten Boogaard 2-6 0-0 11 2 9
Ivana Catic 0-0 0-0 1 6 0
Sade Morris 6-9 0-1 3 1 20
LaChelda Jacobs 1-2 0-1 3 2 2
Kelly Kohn 1-1 1-1 3 1 3
Porscha Weddington 1-6 0-1 2 4 2
Rebecca Feickert 1-2 0-1 3 0 5
Team 2
Totals 22-38 7-11 38 11 75
KANSAS BOX SCORE
MISSOURI BOX SCORE
Player FG-FGA 3FG-3FG Rebs A Pts
Jessra Johnson 2-16 0-4 3 1 6
Shakara Jones 5-7 0-0 4 2 14
Bekah Mills 2-7 2-3 3 0 8
Alyssa Hollins 6-17 2-7 5 1 14
RaeShara Brown 3-12 0-1 5 1 13
Bailey Gee 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Amanda Hanneman 0-0 0-0 1 2 2
Toy Richbow 0-2 0-0 2 2 1
Marissa Scott 0-0 0-0 1 0 0
Christine Flores 0-0 0-0 0 0 0
Team 2 1
Totals 18-61 4-15 28 7 58
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notes
BENCH BRINGS IT
If the Jayhawk starters didn't show up Satur-
day night against Kansas State, the Jayhawk bench was like invisible ink. The combination of juniors LaChelda Jacobs,
Kelly Kohn and Porscha Weddington combined to shoot 3-for-12 from the field and score just 6 points.
Against the Tigers, they were much more effective, combining for 18 points on 3-for-4 shooting from the field and 11-for-14 from the free-throw line. "That's huge," Henrickson said about the importance of bench scoring in conference play. "Those kids are playing with confidence."
TOP SCORERS HELD
IN CHECK
Before Kansas' game against rival Missouri, coach Bonnie Henrickson talked highly about the Tiger's two biggest offensive threats: forward Jessra Johnson (13.9 points per game) and guard Alyssa Hollins (13.6).
Henrickson said both posed significant challenges defensively. But in Kansas' 75-58 victory, both were held in check. "It was a good chess match," Henrickson said. "I thought it was great back and forth between the two benches."
If that's the case, give Kansas' bench a victory in this one. The duo combined to make just eight of 33 shots, while Johnson finished with six points and Hollins scored 14.
Jayson Jenks, Clark Goble