SPORTS UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN Friday, March 4.1994 11 Kansas to meet Missouri in first round Earlier defeat will be avenged say Jayhawks By Matt Siegel Kansan sportswriter The women's Big Eight Conference Tournament begins tomorrow, and No. 12 Kansas has one thing on its mind when it faces Missouri in the first round. "The big drawback that happened in the Missouri game was that we were truly put at a distinct disadvantage." Kansas coach Marian Washington said. "Our team is really looking forward to the game." Afterplaying Colorado on a Friday night, the Jayhawks flew back to Revenge. The last time Kansas played Missouri — on Feb. 6 in Columbia, Mo., Washington said, some unforeseen circumstances occurred that were beyond the team's control. Kansas City International airport and rode buses to Columbia on Saturday. However, because of a facilities problem, the Jayhawks were unable to practice Saturday night. As a result, the Jayhawks had no on-court preparation for Missouri. The players said that they were able to put the loss behind them but that they were glad that Missouri was their Just two weeks prior to the game, Kansas found out that Missouri had rescheduled a Friday game with Kansas State to a Wednesday night. The women's teams usually play every Friday and Sunday. Because Missouri moved the game to a Wednesday, it allowed the Tigers three days rest. Missouri, after building a 22-point lead, managed to hold off a Kansas comeback and claimed a 78-77 victory. Washington said the disappointing aspect of the loss was that Kansas was in contention to win the league title outright. At the time, the loss to Missouri tied Kansas for first place. The Jayhawks finished second in the conference, one game behind Colorado. first-round opponent, Junior forward Angela Cocky, who was recently named Big Eight co-player of the year, said that the team expected to meet Colorado in the championship game of the tournament. Aycock said that the team was confident entering the tournament and that the previous Missouri game would be used as a motivational tool. tournament. Kansas enters this season as the No. 2 seed in the tournament, whereas Missouri is the No. 7 seed. Last season, Kansas and Missouri met in the first round of the tournament, in which Kansas defeated the Tigers 63-56. The Jayhawks went on to win the The Jayhawks closed the regular season with a 112-36 trouncing of the UNC-Asheville Buildogs. The victory put the Jayhawks' overall record at 21-4 and 11-3 in the conference. Missouri finished 9-17 and 3-11. "A lot of revenge," Aycock said. "If we want to be one of those teams that make it after the tournament, we have to be realistic and be confident and also have that in the back of our minds to give us a little extra drive when we play them." Should Kansas beat Missouri, its second-round opponent would be either Kansas State or Nebraska, both of whom the Jayhawks have beaten twice this season. However, senior guard Megan Yedensa for the Cornhuskers issued a warning to the top two teams in the Big Eight. "The first two seeds in the Big Eight Tournament 'always get upset," Yedena said. "That is just the way it is. I think we have a good shot to win it." At the beginning of this season, Washington said, she didn't know what to expect. But now she said she felt good about the team's chances in the tournament. "This year's team started out with a lot of potential, but I was basing that all on my older players," Washington said. "Then two of my 10 scholarship players got hurt early in the season, and four of the remaining eight players were freshmen. We were kind of leery as to what that would result in. I was pleasantly surprised that our freshmen did such a great job, and now I think we are in a position where we will challenge." Road to the championship Micah Leaker/KANSAN Source: Kansas Soorts Information Senior night sparks victory for Jayhawks Underclassmen also contribute By Gerry Fey Kansan sportswriter Kansas' 97-79 victory against Iowa State last night at Allen Field House started as a tribute to the team's four seniors, but it also showcased the Jayhawks' underclassmen. Although Kansas senior forward Richard Scott had a career-high 24 points, leading the Jayhawks in his classic way, the underclassmen showed what was in the future. No. 13 Kansas improved to 23-6 overall and 8-5 in the Big Eight Conference, and Iowa State dropped to 13-12 and 3-10. Kansas coach Roy William's tradition of starting all seniors continued when senior guard Blake Weichbrodt, a walk-on, started in place of junior center Greg Ostertag. Ostertag replaced Weichbrodt after the first 1:30. The three things Williams wanted to do in the game were run the fast-break effectively, get the ball inside and keep Iowa State's transition offense to a minimum. The Jayhawks took care of all three wishes. "Hoiberg and Michalik are so tough offensively that they made it difficult for us," he said. Kansas 97, Iowa State 79 Despite the excitement, Iowa State began with a 13-7 lead with the help of junior forward Julius Michalki, who ended the game with 22 points. Williams said that Michalki and junior guard Fred Hoiberg, who ended with a game-high 26 points, were excellent shooters. Ostertag's scored 17 points and blocked four shots, which spelled trouble for the Cyclones. Ostertag's third block broke the Kansas season record of 73 blocked shots. Kansas tied the game at 13 using what has become its calling card, defense. Kansas sophomore forward Sean Pearson and freshman guard Jacque Vaughn each came up with steals that led to Jayhawk points. Freshman center Scot Pollard contributed with 12 points and 11 rebounds. IOWA STATE (13-12, 3-10) Player fgm/fta ftm/ta tp Jackson 0-1 0-0 0 Hoiberg 8-12 8-8 26 Michalik 11-16 0-0 22 Hayes 2-9 1-2 5 Kimbrough 1-4 1-2 3 Carlson 1-2 1-2 2 Holloway 0-3 0-0 0 Beechum 4-8 0-0 12 Hamilton 0-1 0-0 0 Bivens 1-1 2-2 4 Modderman 2-4 0-0 5 Hill 0-0 0-0 0 Abdel-Khaliq 0-0 0-0 0 Totals 30-61 12-14 79 KANSAS (23-6, 8-5) Player fgm/fga ftm/ta tp Vaughn 2-6 0-0 5 Woodberry 6-11 1-2 15 Weichrobt 0-1 0-0 0 Richey 1-3 2-2 4 Scott 12-17 0-1 24 Ostertag 7-9 3-4 17 Pollard 7-9 2-2 17 Rayford 1-3 0-0 2 Gurley 3-5 0-0 9 Pearson 3-7 0-0 7 Williams 1-1 0-0 2 Whatley 0-1 0-2 0 Totals 41-72 8-13 97 Haltime Kansas 48, Iowa State 33-3 point goals Iowa State 7-16 (Holberg 25, Hayes 12, Beechman 48, Moderan 12, Kansas 7-17 (Richey 0, Vaughn 13, Woodberry 2-5, Pearson 4, Gurley 4, Whatley 0-1) Rebounds Iowa State 32 (Carson 7, Kansas 34 (Pollard 7) Assists Iowa State 13 (Holberg, Hayes, Holway 3) Kansas 25 (Vaughn 10) Total fouls Iowa State 16, Kansas 14 Attendance 15,800 "If Richard and I are killing them on the inside and Steve's killing them from the outside, we'll be a tough team to beat," Ostertag said. "It's good to see the seniors go out in a good way. Richard and I have developed a good relationship." The highlight of the evening was when all four seniors were brought off the court. Williams said he was happy he could substitute for each player separately. "It did work out well that we were able to get each one out individually for an ovation," Williams said. "I know Blake probably wanted to play those last 40 seconds or so, but I thought he might also enjoy the reception they were going to give him. The students were really something." Tom Leininger / KANSAN Kansas senior guard Steve Woodberry attempted a shot over Iowa State's Joe Moderman in the second half last night in Allen Field House. The Jahyhaws won the game 97-79, and Woodberry scored 15 points. Kansas seniors finish field house careers By Matt Siegel Kansan sportswriter It comes once a year, and it always carries mixed emotions. Players, coaches and fans take time to reflect, trying to put into words what senior night means. "I don't know how to explain it," senior guard Patrick Rickey said. "It really hit me in warm-ups. It was tough to hold back the tears. When I went and gave my mom a rose and dad a hug, it was like,'Man, this is my last time out here.' It felt really good to get a standing ovation from the crowd. It was a blast, and I'll never forget it." Richey, forward Richard Scott and guard Steve Woodberry made the last three baskets for the Jayhawks. The success of the seniors was just what Kansas coach Roy Williams was hoping for. "Tonight was what I wanted it to be," Williams said. "Every senior night for every group is special, but this one was the most special." Scott, whose shoulder still is bothering him, finished with a career high 24 points. Scott said that he had been concerned about playing basketball and that he had not thought about senior night. Iowa State junior forward James Hamilton said that the key to the game had been senior night. "They were extremely fired up," Hamilton said. "They could have beaten anybody tonight, no matter if it was us or Arkansas. It didn't make a difference. They knew they were going to win when they stepped onto the floor." That is something the seniors didn't know when they decided to attend Kansas. Former coach Larry Brown had gone to the NBA, but not before Kansas was placed on probation for recruiting violations. Because of the violations, none of the seniors were able to make official on-campus visits. "五 years ago when those kids made the decision, they weren't McDonald's All-American," Williams said. "But right now, the total that comes to mind with us is 106 victories and hopefully counting." The senior class has turned out to be the second winningest class in Kansas history. Richey, who made his only field goal late in the game, said he was privileged to play at Kansas. "I have no regrets about coming to Kansas," Richey said. "The things that we have been able to accomplish here, I'll never forget. I've got six rings to remind me." Match to serve as a reunion By Matt Siegel Kangen gesprochen Kansan sportswriter When Kansas plays Drake this Sunday, the Jayhawks will see a familiar coach on the opponent's sidelines. Coach Mark Riley, now the men's head tennis coach at Drake, was an assistant coach at Kansas last semester. The No.23 Kansas men's tennis team faces Drake Sunday at the Kansas City Racquet Club in Kansas City, Kan.. "Two seasons ago, I had an assistant who the guys called 'corporal' because he was a young guy," Kansas coach Michael Center said. "Coach Riley, who was older and more imposing than the assistant, started barking orders at the guys the first day of practice. The guys gave him a promotion and started calling him "The General." Riley has coached Drake to an 8-1 record, and Center said that he was looking forward to playing against Riley because Kansas was guaranteed a clean, hard-fought tennis match. Center said that the match had major implications for the rest of the season. "I think the winning team will emerge as Kansas is 10-2 overall, with both losses coming last weekend in the USTA/Men's National Indoor Collegiate Team Championships in Louisville, Ky. Kansas lost to the host team Kentucky and to Texas Christian, which both of which are ranked in the Top 20. The Jayhawks lost both matches 4-3. the top team in the region," Center said. "I really have a lot of respect for Mark. It's going to be a hard match." "We had a tough weekend," Center said. "I didn't think we were tough enough. I didn't think we competed down the line the way we needed to beat the team teams." In the Kentucky match, the teams were tied three matches apiece. The match came down to Kansas junior Martin Eriksson's match. Eriksson, who lost in three sets, said he had problems with fatigue. "I was giving it my all." Erksson said. "I just got tired. But we need to improve on our mental toughness. The best teams in the country look more focused. They don't have any breakdowns and don't give their opponent anything. Talent-wise we are as good as anyone in the country." Kansas will have to be focused when it faces Drake, Center said, because the General will have his troops ready to play. "When I was at Kansas, it was a young group of players," Riley said. "My role was to make sure they were on the right track. The match will be more special for me than my players. But Riley said that "The General" had been an appropriate moniker when he was a coach at Kansas because of the personnel on the team. "It's nice to play against friends rather than enemies." Riley said he saw several similarities between Kansas and Drake. He attributed the success of both programs to the fact that Kansas and Drake had the most talent of any teams in the region. Erickson said that this match could be a springboard for other matches, including the Big Eight and NCAA tournaments. "I think we are the team to beat right now." Eriksson said. "It's a big match for us because we can gain respect when the Big Eight Tournament rolls around. I think we can keep on improving then I think we can do well at the NCAA tournament." Kansas loses championships to Nebraska Despite strong individual performances by the Kansas men's swimming team, Nebraska won its 15th consecutive Big Eight Championship Wednesday in Oklahoma City. Both the Kansas men's and women's teams led through the first two days of the meet but could not hold on and lost to Nebraska. SPORTS BRIEFS Freshman Erik Jorgensen won his second event of the meet and set a conference record in the 1650-yard freestyle with a time of 15:23.28. Jorgensen also won the 500-vard freestyle. Senior Scott Townsend also won his second event of the meet in the 100-yard freestyle. He also contributed to the Jayhawks 400-yard freestyle relay team, which on its event.. Senior diver Tim Davidson won the 1- and 3-meter competition. Football schedule The season opener at Houston has been switched from Sept. 3 to Sept. 1 because of a scheduling conflict with the Houston Astros baseball team. The Kansas football team has made a change and an addition to its 1994 schedule. 1994 Kansas Football Sent 1 at Houston The Kansas State game will be televised nationally on Oct. 6 by ESPN. It will be the third night game ever at Memorial Stadium. Kansas athletic director Bob Frederick also announced the addition of Alabama-Birmingham. Kansas will play host to the Blazers on Sept. 24 at Memorial Stadium. Sept. 10 MICHIGAN STATE Sept. 17 at Texas Christian Sept. 24 ALABAMA-BIRM: INGHAM Oct. 6 KANSAS STATE Oct. 15 at Iowa State Oct. 22 OKLAHOMA Oct. 29 OKLAHOMA STATE Nov. 5 at Nebraska Nov. 12 COLORADO Nov. 19 at Missouri Tennis boats Badgers Nora Koves, playing in the No.1 singles spot for the Jayhawks, defeated Marija Neubauer 3-6, 2-6, and 6-2 Kansas also won the No.3 and 5 singles spots, but lost in the No.2, 4 and 6 singles positions. The No. 9 Kansas women's tennis team defeated No. 28 Wisconsin 5-3 yesterday at the USTA/TA Women's National Indoor Tennis Championship in Madison, Wis. Koves and Jensen, the No. 4 doubles team in the nation, defeated Neubauer and Colleen Luevz 3-6, 2-1 and 6-2. The Jayhawks will play in the quarterfinals today.