SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
Wednesday, March 16, 1994
11
Women's basketball strives for respect
Jayhawks travel to Texas today to begin the NCAA tournament
Bv Matt Slegel
Kaagsan sportswriter
The road to the Final Four begins tonight in Nacogdoches, Texas, for the Kansas women's team.
The Jayhawks, a No. 9 seed in the Midwest region of the NCAA Tournament, will play at No. 8 seeded Stephen F. Austin State University at 7 p.m.
"it's going to be a war," said Stephen F. Austin coach Joe Curl. "Kansas can score a lot of points in a hurry, so we are going to have to play good team defense and be prepared to play 40 minutes."
Immediately after the teams knew who their first-round opponent would be, both started watching tapes of each other and calling other schools to see if they could get more tapes.
The Jayhawks, 21-5, left yesterday morning and practiced last night at William R. Johnson Coliseum, which
has a seating capacity of 7,050.
Curl said he wasn't surprised that his team, 23-6, was playing at home against Kansas because his club had had as difficult a nonconference schedule as anyone in the nation. He also said that his team's own conference was as challenging as the Big Eight.
While Curl claims that the Southland Conference may not get the respect it deserves, Kansas coach Marian Washington also is using the respect angle for her team. Washington said she had been impressed last season when the men's basketball team had used respect as a motivating tool throughout the tournament.
"The Southland Conference may not get a lot of recognition because it doesn't have a well-known football team," Curl said. "But when it comes to women's basketball, we don't take a backseat to anybody. We had four teams win 20 games this season."
"I'm a competitor, so it makes me
because this is the big time."
want to respond just like the men did," Washington said. "If they're not going to respect us enough to give us a first-round home game, then we need to try to prove them wrong."
Washington said she was disappointed about not getting a firstround home game.
"You try to figure out what makes the difference sometimes," she said. "I don't know what the determining factor was. It's been a puzzle for me for quite some years. You have to put it behind you and just do your best."
Kansas is 9-4 this season away from home but has struggled recently. The Jayhawks have lost four of their last six road games. Freshman guard Tamecka Dixon said the trouble had started Feb. 6 against Missouri.
"I was a little disappointed at first." Dixon said. "But if we come out and play our game, we'll be all right. Everyone is going to be ready to play
The Jayhawks battled back from a 21-point deficit but couldn't catch the Tigers, losing 78-77. Dixon said the team had lost its heart after that game and had struggled to get it back the rest of the season. She said the team now was ready to play, despite not getting a home game.
Curl said that there were three keys to the game for his team. Most importantly, it must control the tempo. He said many teams had fallen victim to a fast-paced game against Kansas, something the Lumberjacks wanted to avoid. Two other things that he said his team was placing a lot of importance on were offensive rebounding and transition defense.
For junior forwards Angela Aycock and Alana Slatter, the games have increased significance because both are from Dallas.
"I'd rather be playing here," Aycock said. "Hopefully, my relatives will come up to see us play. It was sort of a shock not getting a home game, but life goes on."
But for one of these teams, all the hard work and time they have spent since November will come to a crashing end. Kansas is hoping that ending is postponed for a while.
"I'dn't really care where we're playing," Aycock said. "It's been a long season, and it's time for everybody to step it up to another level. Hopefully, this year we can win our first game in the tournament instead of losing."
KANRAN PILE PHOTO
Missouri sophomore guard Erika Martin fouls Kansas junior forward Alana Slatter, Slatter will return to her home state tonight for a tournament game.
'Tough hombre' plays through tough times
Tom Leininger/KANSAN
Scott's injuries not a deterrent in postseason
Kansas senior forward Richard Scott battles in the lane with Oklahoma State junior center Bryant Reeves. Scott scored 14 points in the Jayhawks' losing effort during last weekend's Big Eight Conference Tournament.
By Gerry Fey
Kansan sportswriter
He stood slouched toward the court, holding his left arm so as not to allow any movement. The look on Kansas senior forward Richard Scott's face showed his pain. The shoulder that had plagued him for weeks would not get better anytime soon.
Still he played against Nebraska on Feb. 6. But the injury forced him to sit out against Kansas State on Feb. 12, which ended a streak of 126 consecutive games played.
However, Scott has returned to form in time for the NCAA Tournament. No. 13 Kansas, the No.4 seed in the Southeast region, plays tomorrow at about 2 p.m. against 13th seed Tennessee-Chattanooga.
Since Scott's return after the K-State game, he has increased his playing time and his production. He set a career high with 24 points against Iowa State and scored 18 points against Oklahoma in the Jayhawks' last game of the regular season.
Kansas coach Roy Williams has used many words to describe Scott. A tough hombre, a tough nut to crack and guts are just a few of his compliments.
This season, Scott has had to battle through a sore ankle, a mild concussion and most recently a strained shoulder, but he still plays.
"Richard." Williams said. "I would think that if it's possible for Richard to play, then he'll play. In the last 10 to 15 days, he has been like the Richard Scott of old."
In the Jayhawks' game against Kansas State on Jan. 17, Scott suffered a mild concussion when diving for a loose ball. Williams and Mark Cairns, team trainer, went out to check on Scott, who lay unconscious on the court. After 30 seconds, Scott awoke, but he could not return to the game.
After a day in Lawrence Memorial Hospital, Scott was back practicing with the team.
"He always wants to play, even if he is hurt," Kansas junior guard Calvin Rayford said. "He leads by example and gets into the game."
When the Jayhawks prepared to
face Oklahoma State, they needed all their big players to stop 7-foot, 290-pound junior center Bryant Reeves. But in a practice before the game, Scott's shoulder popped out. Although his shoulder popped back into place, it wasn't an injury that would heal instantly. The shoulder has aggravated him in every game since. Scott said that he still was not comfortable with his shoulder but that it was much better now.
"I am doing the things I'm capable of doing, the things I used to do," Scott said. "My game is not based on numbers. It's based on doing things for the team."
That attitude may have escaped recruiters when Scott was a senior at Central High School in Little Rock, Ark. Williams said he had not even looked at Scott when he had visited Arkansas. He was watching another player when Scott's enthusiasm caught his eve, he said.
From that point on, Williams wanted the virtually unknown player. Scott decided to sign early with Kansas even though he could not visit the campus because of recruiting restrictions.
"He came to us when it was not exactly the thing to do," Williams said. "These seniors had the faith to come. I can't imagine coaching a team without Richard on it."
One reason why Scott doesn't want to miss a game is simply a matter of eligibility. This is his senior year, Scott said, and he really wanted to finish out his career playing every game.
"Why should I want to miss games when it's my senior year?" Scott said. "Knowing me, I love to play. You'll be talking when you're healthy about how you hate practice. But when game time comes around, you know you want to play."
The decision to take Scott out of the Nebraska game on Feb. 6 was a tough one for Williams. Against the Cornhuskers, the coach and player had to come to an understanding.
While posting up against Nebraska freshman forward Mikki Moore, Scott reinjured his shoulder despite wearing a protective brace on it.
tough for me. It was emotional.
There's a kid who's been busting his tail for a long time."
The two were battling in the low post when Moore unintentionally swiped Scott's outstretched left arm, which booed the shoulder again.
"When I took him out, I asked, 'Are you all right?' and he said, 'Yes,' Williams said. "But I saw the look on his face. I saw the pain. That was
In the first half, Williams decided to take his gritty forward out of the game after only seven minutes of play.
Keeping Scott on the bench was difficult, considering how dominant a player he is. He played in the World University Games in Buffalo, N.Y., last summer. Team USA won the gold medal in the competition, and he scored 21 points, leading the team past Ireland.
"It's going to be hard to get Richard out of the game," Kansas, junior center Greg Ostertag said. "He's going to have to get a broken leg or something."
He has fought through minor injuries throughout his career, and only nine Kansas players in history have played in more games than Scott.
Even though Scott is vocal and motivated on the court, he is probably the most relaxed player before the game, Rayford said. But he his emotions
go when he plays, occasionally yelling and giving officials a look or two after a foul is called on him.
"He yells like that to get into the game," Rayford said. "He intimates people. I know some of our opponents are intimidated by him."
Oklahoma State assistant coach Sean Sutton said Scott was a constant worry.
"Richard Scott presents a real problem for us," he said. "We don't really have a guy to match up against him. Our post defense has to be good, and we must double down on ton of him."
If Scott continues to play with injuries and is intimidating opposing teams, he gives his team some leadership, Kansas senior forward Patrick Richey said.
"It is extra inspiration," he said. "We see that he's giving the extra effort. If we see that from a guy that's hurting, it gives us a little lift."
Kansas senior forward Richard Scott eyes the scoreboard at the end of the Jayhawks' 73-52 victory against Kansas State. The Jayhawks defeated the Wildcats during the Big Eight Conference Tournament last weekend.
Scott might cause trouble for NCAA
Tournament opponents. Williams said Scott had drawn a double- and triple-team defense when he was healthy.
"We need Richard Scott," Williams said. "It's a whole different basketball game with him in there. He's a warrior."
Missouri player faces suspension after his arrest
COLUMBIA, Mo. — Missouri basketball player Paul O'Liney has a possible suspension of at least one game following his arrest for misdemeanor assault, Missouri coach Norm Stewart said.
Police arrested O'Laney, 22, for allegedly punching a woman in the face several times outside a downtown Columbia nightclub around 1:30 a.m. yesterday, Sgt. Eric Meyer said.
O'Liney will accompany the Missouri basketball team to Ogden, Utah, for the first round of the NCAA West Region tournament.
"Weared of this incident at 6:30 a.m., and since that time we have been trying to get all of the details." Stewart said in a news release late yesterday afternoon.
The victim, who was not identified, told police that O'Liney had hit her in the face and had knocked her to the ground. She told officers that she had suffered minor injuries and that she had wanted to pursue charges against O'Liney. Mever said.
"What I have been able to find out, though,
leads me to think that we'll suspend Paul for
at least one game until we can determine all
of the facts."
O'Linley was released on signature bond and was issued a summons to appear in
SPORTS BRIEFS
Municipal Court. No date was immediately set for his court appearance.
The Tigers play the Navy tomorrow in a first-round game.
intramural finalstonight
Former Kansas football player Greg Ballard and former women's basketball player Stacey Truitt will be in action tonight at Allen Field House, but they won't be playing for the Javahaws.
Ballard will be playing for the Greek champion Phi Delta Theta against the men's open division champions Booger at 8:30 p.m.
Ballard and Truitt will be playing in the Hill Championships for Kansas Intramural basketball.
Tuitt will lead her team, the Pearlettes, against the Greek champion Delta Delta Delta at 7:30.
Free T-shirts will be handed out in an effort to bring more fans to the games, said Kansas intramural director Gordon Kratz.
Women's tennis climbs polls; Kansas men's tennis falls
"We're trying to make it a bigger deal for the teams," he said. "We'll announce the starting lineups and try to make it a fun night."
The Kansas men's and women's tennis teams appear to be headed in opposite directions despite victories by both teams in recent matches.
The women's team moved in the polls two spots, climbing to No. 7. Victories
against powerhouses such as Duke and Louisiana State translated to the highest ranking in team history.
Junior Nora Koves retained her No. 10 ranking in singles, but senior Mindy Weiner and junior Rebecca Jensen fell. Jensen and Koves, who were ranked No. 4 in doubles, are now ranked No. 2 in the nation. The doubles team of seniors Abby Woods and Kim Rogers fell from No. 12 to No. 17.
The Kansas men's team, fresh off victories against Drake and Southwest Missouri State, fell from No. 23 to No. 28. Sophomore Reid Slattery fall from No. 62 to No. 72, and sophomore J.P. Vessepo moved down from No. 66 to No. 90.
Compiled from the Associated Press and Kerman staff reports.