JAYHAWK
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Basketball
Inside Sports today
The Hutchinson and Johnson County Community Colleges' men's basketball teams have a combined total of five players on their benches this season. SEE PAGE 7B
Yesterday's game - Kansas vs. Texas A&M
KANSAS
13-4, 5-3
UNRANKED
TEXAS A&M
5-12, 1-6
UNRANKED
WWW.JHAWKBBALL.COM
SECTION B, PAGE 1
58
WEDNESDAY, JANUARY 28, 1998
Free throws help boost women
Kansas guard Susie Raymant goes up for a shot while Texas A&M forward Kero Alexander positions for the rebound. Raymant scored nine points in last night's game. The Jayhawks defeated the Aaies 63-58. Photo by Roger Nomer/KANSAN
Forward Lynn Pride's second-half intensity leads team to victory
By Kevin C. Wilson Kansan sportswriter
Lynn Pride's second-half transformation and an abundance of free-throw opportunities helped the Kansas women's basketball team hold off Texas A&M 63-58 last night in Allen Field House.
After failing to score a point in the first half, Pride poured in 16 secondhalf points and hit four crucial free throws in the last 30 seconds to secure
the Jayhawks victory.
Twice the Aggies cut the Jayhawks' lead to three points, and Pride answered both times at the free-throw line. Pride said she didn't feel any pressure when she stepped to the line with the game in her hands.
Pride: Scored all 16 of her points in the second half.
"I wasn't nervous or anything." Pride
said. "I knew I could hit them."
The Jayhawks, 13-4 overall and 5-3 in Big 12 play, pounded the ball inside in the second half, which resulted in 29 free-throw attempts. The team connected on 17 of the 29 free throws, compared with the first half, in which they had no free-throw attempts.
"I think one thing we did well was getting into an offense that let us get the ball inside," Coach Marian Washington said. "Nikki(White) did a nice job, Nakia did a nice job, and we stayed with that offensive set and I think that hurt them a lot."
Nakia Sanford had another strong game, both offensively and on the boards, as she recorded her third double-double of the season with 14 points
WOMEN'S BOXSCORE
Kansas (13-4, 5-3)
Pride 5-16 6-9 16, Johnson 3-9 0-0 6, Sanford 4-10 6-10 14, Raymont 4-14 0-0 9,
Jackson 2-7 0-2 4, Prutton 0-0 0 0, Scott 1-0 0 0, Robbins 3-7 1-2 8, White 1-1 2-6
Totals 22 65 17 29 63
Texas A&M (5-12, 1-6)
Athens 10-4 12-8
Sharpe 5-10 4-14, Yates 3-15 0-1 8, Burrows 0-0 0-0, Tarkington 4-7 2-12, Paterson 2-6 2-2 6, Jones 2-6 0-4, Alexander 6-10 2-4, Linder 1-4 0-0. Totals 23-58 10-13 58.
Halftime — Texas A&M 35, Kansas 32.
Three-point goals — Kansas 2.7 (Raymant 1-3, Robbins 1-2, Pride 0-2), Texas A&M 2-15 (Yates 2-10, Sharpe 0-2, Tarkington 0-1, Patterson 0-1, Jones 0-1) Fouled out — Tarkington. Rebounds — Kansas 43 (Sanford 11). Texas A&M 45 (Sharpe 14). Assists — Texas A&M 10 (Jackson 4), Texas A&M 14 (Tarkington 7). Total fouls — Texas A&M 16, Texas A&M 22. A — 1300.
and 11 rebounds. Sanford said that her scoring was something that just happened, and her double-double performance was expected.
"That's just what was open for us inside," Sanford said. "I feel like that's what I'm supposed to be getting."
After trailing 35-32 at the half, Washington decided to implement a full-court press. The press worked as the Jayhawks forced the Aggies into 15 second-half turnovers and held them to 26 percent shooting.
"In the second half we were ready to be more effective," Washington said. "And it helped us in getting the ball back."
Forward Jaclyn Johnson, who finished with six points, tied her career high by grabbing 10 rebounds. Guard Suzi Raymant had a well-balanced game with nine points, seven rebounds and five steals.
Texas A&M, 5-12 overall and 1-6 in Big 12 play, was led by two players who recorded double-doubles. Forward Prissy Sharse had 14 points and
pulled down 14 rebounds, and guard Kim Tarkington added 10 points, 10 rebounds and dished out seven assists.
Washington said that the game was not the Jayhawks' best performance of the year, and she was happy to escape with a victory.
"It's a good win," Washington said.
"Like I told the team, we still have a lot of work to do, but we did get the win and that's going to be important going into this Pac 10/ Big 12 shootout."
Kansas will face No. 10 Arizona at
3:00 p.m. Saturday in Lubbock, Texas.
'Hawks to brawl with Baylor Bears
Raaf LaFrentz pushes Texas Tech defender Johnny Phillips' arm out of the way to grab two of his 31 points. LaFrentz had 15 rebounds against Texas Tech on Saturday. Photo by Dan Elvasky/KANSAN
By Tommy Gallagher
tgallagher@kansas.com
Kansan sportswriter
Two preseason All-Big 12 Conference selections could battle each other tonight when No.5 Kansas plays host to Baylor in Allen Field House.
Kansas forward Raef LaFrentz and Baylor center Brian Skinner are expected to take center stage in the paint, but it is unknown whether the two will go head-to-head.
"The whole Kansas front line will have to play well against him," LaFrentz said. "I might guard him. But maybe T.J. (Pugh) might guard him. Whatever we do, we have to be ready because Brian Skinner is a tremendous player inside."
LaFrentz said stopping Skinner was crucial if the Javhawks were to succeed.
Skinner leads the Big 12 with a 58.7 shooting percentage and 3.8 blocked shots per game. He leads the Bears with 19.1 points and 10.2 rebounds per game.
LaFrentz, who averages 21.8 points and 11.6 rebounds per game, played strongly against Texas Tech after missing play because of a broken hand. He scored 31 points, 15 rebounds and three steals against the Red Raiders, and he appeared ready to campaign for such honors as All-America and NCAA Player of the Year.
"Raef has a much better supporting cast than Brian does," Miller said. "Now that's not a knock on our players, but it's true. I don't view this game as matchup between Brian and Raef since the people who surround them will have a lot to do with the outcome."
Baylor coach Harry Miller said watching LaPrentz and Skinner would be intriguing, but that the game featured more than just two people.
Baylor likely will be without starting point guard Patrick Hunter, who has a serious hip injury. Miller said that Hunter had not practiced this week, and that he was listed as doubtful for the game.
Hunter averages 13.7 points, 3.3 rebounds and 36.7 minutes per game. His backup, B.J. Sellers, has started two of the 10 games he has played in this season. Sellers averages 2.3 points and 0.6 rebounds in 14.5 minutes.
While Baylor struggled early in the season,the
The Starting Lineup
team since has shown steady improvement.
The Bears started 5-0 in Big 12 play after startling non-conference losses to Lamar, Northwestern State and Nevada. Baylor since has lost consecutive games to Colorado and Oklahoma, but the Bears remain a tough team.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said Baylor had to learn to play at a high level with some consistency, which the Bears failed to do last season when they went 18-12.
"It's obvious that they have more maturity this season," Williams said. "Last year, they saw what it takes to compete in this league and they worked hard during the offseason to make themselves a better team."
NBA drops dunk fest, ends custom
Testing one, two, three...
Jayhawks, sports fans and those of you reading the paper in class right now, I welcome all of you to my State of the Sports World Address.
So I immediately will get to the serious issues surrounding the sports world today.
Unlike President Clinton's State of the Union Address last night, I won't avoid the affairs and issues that everyone wants to know about.
The first issue is very tough to put into words because I get so emotional.
I can't believe that there will not be a dunk contest this year before the NBA All-Star game. (Columnist quivers.)
Give me a second... (Columnist takes a deep breath and regains composure.)
At the age of eight, I watched a crafty Larry Nance defeat an aging Julius "Dr. J" Erving in the first NBA Dunk Contest. Of course I was rooting for the Doctor, but Nance with his two-ball jam was too much.
Columnist
Like many basketball fans, the dunk contest was the highlight of every All-Star weekend. Do you remember imitating your favorite player after watching the contest?
In high school, I imitated 1991 slam dunk champ Dee Brown's no look dunk on a seven-foot hoop.
Oh, I used to have major ups, baby. That was before my shuffleboard accident.
Adam Herschman
ports.kansan.com
No one, except the NBA offices.
And who can forget the memorable 1988 showdown between Air Jordan and Dominique "The Human Highlight Film" Wilkins?
Teen-age All-Star starter Kobe Bryant was bummed when he heard there would be no dunk contest this year. I'm with you, Kobe
Taking away the dunk contest is like calling traveling on Michael Jordan — you just shouldn't do it.
The next issue on my agenda involves you, the sports fan.
While watching the player introductions for the Super Bowl, I hoped that the trendiest of all sports celebrations would be avoided.
But with a few starters left to be announced, a Denver Bronco did it.
He raised the roof.
He repeatedly pumped his hands in the air with his palms facing upward.
I've raised the roof several times at sporting events, and it felt good. I looked around and got nods of approval from fellow roof raisers.
Athletes and fans raise the roof all of the time. I'm embarrassed to admit that I too get caught up in the excitement that comes with a new cheer.
But after analyzing my actions, I wasn't sure what I was doing.
Questions rang in my mind, like "Whose roof is this?" and "Why isn't this roof heavier?"
What about outdoor sporting events, where there isn't even a roof to raise?
I had no answers. Consequently, I made a New Year's resolution to stop.
Once I understand what raising the roof means, I may change my opinion. Until then, I'm leaving the roof alone and sticking with my favorite cheer—the Ickey Shuffle. Left foot forward, repeat. Right foot forward, repeat. Repeat sequence and spike the ball.
Next on the list is the escalation of baseball, basketball and football salaries. This issue has sparked debate and criticism ...
Oh great.
That's just skippy.
Right as I get down to the heart of the real important topics in the sports world in my address, my space runs out.
Unfortunately, I won't tackle other important issues such as players' salaries, sports ticket prices, new stadiums and Wrestlemania XIV.
But there's always next year
E-mail information
With the 100 year anniversary of Kansas basketball just around the corner, the Kansan is curious about what fans think. Compile your list of the top five players, teams and games in Jayhawk history and email us at sports@kansas.com
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