SPORTS
UN I V E R S I T Y D A I L Y K A N S A N
Wednesday, February 3, 1993
11
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
b b b
Jayhawks seek advantage on home court
NCAA berth still possible for Kansas
Surrounded by Kansas State defenders, sophomore forward Caryn Shinn reaches for a rebound. Kansas is tied for fourth place with Missouri midway through the Big Eight Conference season.
Kansan sportswriter
By Jay Williams
The Kansas women's basketball team hopes home cooking will provide the right recipe for a run at the Big Eight Conference championship.
The Jayhawks, 11-6 overall and 4-3 halfway through the conference season, have played five of their first seven conference games on the road. Kansas is 2-3 in those games and 2-0 at home.
Kansas is tied for fourth in the conference with Missouri. Colorado and Oklahoma State lead the Big Eight at 6-1 and Nebraska is alone in second at 5-2. Kansas has only two conference road games remaining: Nebraska and Iowa State. The Jayhawks beat the Cyclones 92-33 earlier this season.
Five of Kansas' seven remaining conference games are home games.
"We have the opportunity to take advantage of our situation," said Kansas coach Marian Washington.
The second half of the season starts tough, with Colorado visiting Allen Field House Friday night. The Lady Buffs are having an outstanding season and are ranked fifth in the nation.
Sophomore forward Angela Aycock said the team needed to start the second half of the conference season strongly.
"In the second half of the season, teams that get on losing streaks tend to stay on them," she said.
Andrew Arnone / KANSAN
A late-season Jayhawk winning streak could lead to a second-consecutive NCAA tournament berth. The Jayhawks received an at-large bid last season after going 25-5 and winning the regular-season conference title. Southwest Missouri State defeated Kansas 75-59 in the first round.
Washington said that this year's team had a better chance than previous seasons' teams for an at-large
berth this season because Kansas had played a tougher schedule. In the 1990 and 1991 seasons, Kansas did not receive tournament berths even though it had won 20 games each season.
Every team that Kansas has lost to this season has either been ranked in the Top 25 at some point during the season or received votes to be ranked. The Jayhawks posted a victory against No. 22 Nebraska and two victories against Southwest Missouri State, which went to the Final Four last season.
"I think our strong schedule should be a factor in getting us in the tournament," Washington said. "But we have to trv and control our own destiny."
The winner of the Big Eight Tournament in Salina receives an automatic bid to the NCAA tournament.
To get in the NCAA tournaments, the Jayhawks need to cure some problems from earlier games. Kansas has not shot the ball well in conference play this season, shooting 40.7 percent as a team. In the last three games, the Jayhawks shot well below 40 percent but managed to win two of three games.
Washington said Kansas had taken good shots but could not always convert them into points. She hoped playing at home would help end the team's shooting woes.
"Even great shooters will have times when their shots are off," she said. "You never want them to lose confidence."
Turnovers also have plagued the team. The Jayhawks average 19.6 a game in conference play.
"We rushed a lot of things at the beginning of the season," Aycock said.
had three turnovers in the first half against Kansas State and a seasonlow 12 for the game.
The Jayhawks have shown better patience on offense in recent games, especially against teams playing zone defense, Washington said. Kansas
Part of the blame lies with the inexperience of the Jayhawks. The team has spent much of the season searching for a starting point guard. Stacy Truitt started several games at the position but quit the team before the Oklahoma game on Jan. 22. Junior Michelle Leathers now starts for Kansas at the point with senior Jo Jo Witherspoon as back-up.
"When you lose a player, it's interesting how someone can step up and fill that void." Washington said. "Jo Jo definitely has for us."
The other senior, forward Shannon Kite, has also come forward for the Jayhawks. She made six three-point
shots against Kansas State, many of them coming at critical times.
"Sooner or later, the seniors realize that it's the last go-round," Washington said. "We want to make it a good experience and opportunity for Jo Jo and Shannon.
Despite the team's overall shooting and turnover problems, Kansas has stayed competitive in the Big Eight thanks to its defense. The Jayhawks are forcing an average of 23.2 turnovers a game and holding opponents to 37 percent shooting from the field. No opponent has shot better than 50 percent from the field.
"Defense is the key to winning," said freshman guard Charisse Sampson. "We're in a shooting slump, but we're playing good defense."
Women's basketball team statistics
These are statistical averages for the Jayhawks through seven conference games:
FG% FT% Reb. ST Total pts.
Kansas 40.7 66.9 41 19.6 13.4 68
Team leaders:
Opponents 37.4 61.3 41.6 23.3 9 58.6
| **Scoring per game:** | | **Rebounding per game:** |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Angela Aycock | 16.8 | Lisa Tate | 8.1 |
Charise Sampson | 10.7 | Angela Aycock | 6.1 |
Alana Slatter | 9 | Charise Sampson | 5.3 |
Assists per game: Steals per game:
Michelle Leathers 2.4 Angela Aycock 3.9
JoJo Witerspoon 2.0 Charisse Sampson 1.7
Angela Aycock 1.9 Alana Slatter 1.6
KANSAN
Source: Kansas Sports Information
Wildcats surprise of conference
The Associated Press
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — They lack height, heft and experience. Three months ago everybody saw them as the next Big Eight Conference team to fire its coach.
So what is Kansas State doing with road victories against Nebraska and Oklahoma State? Trailing only No. 3 Kansas in the conference race?
The Wildcats, who won only 16 games last year and 13 the year before, are 13-3 overall and 3-1 in the Big Eight heading into tonight's home game against No. 16 Oklahoma. One victory against a ranked opponent might be all they need to capture national recognition.
They lost by just six points to then No. 1 Kansas on Jan. 18, 71-65.
Everywhere you look, K-State bears the stamp of hustle and hard work. Defensively, they're tops in the Big Eight in points allowed. opponents are averaging just 65.6 against the Wildcats.
The most obvious difference between this year and last year is newcomer Anthony Beane, a 5-foot-10 ball-handler deluxe. Beane is averaging almost 11 points. His 5.1 assists a game rank third in the league.
Although they're only 6.4, 6.7, 6.7 along the front line, their rebound margin of plus 6.5 is third-best in the conference.
The Wildcats can six players averaging between 9.7 and 13.6 points, which means you can't stop them by concentrating on one or two players.
Daron J. Bennett / KANBAN
Calvin Rayford, 5-foot-6 inch sophomore guard, backs Missouri guard Melvin Booker, 6-1, in a corner during Kansas' 86-69 victory.
Jayhawks' weapons, depth impress conference coaches
By David Dorsev
Kansan sportswriter
Only five games into the Big Eight Conference season, the Kansas men's basketball team already stands at least two games ahead of its competitors.
Missouri coach Norm Stewart said the Jayhawks' talent is ahead of the pack.
"They've got too many weapons," Stewart said Monday night after an 86-69 loss to Kansas. "They're bigger and they're more aggressive. You can't tell what is going to happen in this race, but they've really got the edge."
Stewart was impressed especially by the Jawhaws 'depth.
"They do a good job with their personnel," he said. "They keep coming at you in waves. When you stop to think about it, they didn't have Hancock. They're a really good sund."
Junior forward Darin Hancock has missed the last two games because of eye injuries suffered Dec. 23 at Colorado. Junior guard/forward Steve Woodberry, who normally comes off the bench for Hancock, started Saturday against Rollin College and Monday against the Tigers.
Woodberry, acknowledged by ESPN color commentator Dick Vitale as the best sixth man in college basketball, said he would not mind coming off the bench again after Hancock returns.
Hancock, who will have a checkup on his eyes tomorrow, probably will
start Sunday at Nebraska.
Kansas coach Roy Williams praised Hancock and Woodberry, the only two players to have started at the small forward position this season.
"He takes the ball to the basket and has a great soft shooting touch," Williams said about Woodberry. "He's not quite as explosive an athlete as Darrin, and he's normally our sixth man. But he led our team in minutes, which shows I have a lot of confidence in him."
Woodberry played a team-high 34 minutes against Missouri, scored 17 points and had eight rebounds.
With the usual Kansas sixth man in a starting role Monday night, sophomore guard Greg Gurley found himself in Woodberry's usual rule. Gurley was the first player off the bench when he entered the game for senior guard Rex Walters about three minutes into the first half.
"It's fun to get some time when the game is on the line," Gurley said. "The more time I get, the more rhythm I have in my shot."
Gurley made a three-pointer for his only basket of the game and finished with four assists and a steal in eight minutes of play.
The Jayhawks, 18-2 overall, will
Big Eight standings
Men
league overall
Kansas 5 0 18 2
Kansas St. 3 1 13 3
Missouri 3 2 13 6
Oklahoma St. 2 2 14 5
Oklahoma St. 2 2 14 4
Nebraska 2 3 14 6
Iowa St. 2 3 12 6
Colorado 0 5 18 9
Wednesday's games
Nebraska at Iowa 7, p.m.
Oklahoma at Kansas 7, 3:00 p.m.
Cal. St.-Northbridge at Missouri, 8 p.m.
Cal. St.-Colorado, 8 p.m.
Women
league overall
Colorado 6 1 18 1
Oklahoma St. 6 1 18 3
Nebraska* 5 2 14 4
Missouri 4 3 14 4
Kansas* 4 3 11 1
Omaha* 2 5 8 9
Iowa St. 1 6 2 17
Kansas St. 0 7 8 17
*Late game not included
take their perfect conference record and No.3 ranking to face the Cornhuskers at Lincoln, Neb., Sunday.The Cornhuskers are 14-6 and 2-3 in the conference.
The Jahawks fell from No. 1 to No. 3 in the Associated Press Poll released Monday, a fact Kansas junior forward Richard Scott did not consider relevant.
"I don't pay any attention to the poll at all," Scott said. "We just want to be No. 1 at the end of the road."
INTRAMURAL TABLETENNIS
ENTRYDEADLINE:
WED., FEB. 10TH
5:00PM, 208ROBINSON
THE TOURNAMENT WILL BE PLAYED
FRIDAY & SATURDAY
FEB. 12th & 13th @
ROBINSONCENTER
MEN, WOMEN &
CO-REC
DIVISIONS
NOVICE
INTERMEDIATE
ADVANCE
LEVELS
MEN.WOMEN&
ENTRY FEE
$10.00/TEAM
SCHICK SUPER HOOPS
3-ON-3
BASKETBALL TOURNAMENT & SPOT-A-SHOT
SIGNUP
208 Robinson
Entry Deadline:
FEB 14, 1993
@5:00PM
Entry Fee: FREE
DIVISIONS MEN
& WOMEN
SAT.
FEB6,1993
9:00AM
ROBINSON
CENTER
SPONSORED BY KURECREATION SERVICES
208 ROBINSON 864-3546
ENTRY FEE: $20.00
WALLYBALL
FRIDAY, SATURDAY & SUNDAY
FEBRUARY 12, 13 & 14
SIGN UP IN 208 ROBINSON
ENTRY DEADLINE; WED., FEB. 10 @ 5:00PM
MENS, WOMENS & CO-REC DIVISIONS
OPEN TO ALL KU FACULTY, STAFF & ST
SPONSORED BY
KU RECREATION SERVICES
208 BOBINSON 864-3546
OPENTOALLKUFACULTY,STAFF&STUDENTS