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WEDNESDAY, NOVEMBER 30, 2011
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Engelman benched for lack of effort, urgency
KATHLEEN GIER
kgier@kansan.com
Monica Engelman played in every game during her freshman year and started every game in her sophomore season. The junior guard from San Antonio entered this season as a second-year captain and led the team in 3-point shooting. It appeared that she would continue her streak after starting the first four games, but she was not on the bench with the starters for introductions on Sunday. She stood in line with the other players and took a new spot at the end of the bench for tip off. The streak was over and the crowd was puzzled.
Engelman is the third player this season — after freshman Asia Boyd and sophomore Keena Mays — who coach Bonnie Henrickson has benched because of a lack of effort in practice and a lack of production in games. The statement has been made, and Henrickson waits to see if the players hear her message.
Sophomore guard CeCe Harper stepped in and garnered her first career start, and Engelman was first off the bench at the 14
minute, 19 second mark of the first half in the game against Florida Atlantic. She played 15 minutes and scored eight points late in the second half. She also had three fouls and three turnovers. In the first five games, she has averaged only 6.6 points. Last season, she averaged 12.1 points per game.
"We need who Monica has been for us," Henrickson said. "We need her to play well to help us win. We don't need her to just play and not contribute and not compete on both ends of the floor."
In the game against Indiana University-Purdue University Indianapolis (IUPUI), Engelman played 28 minutes and recorded four rebounds, but failed to score and only had one offensive rebound.
"She had no sense of urgency, none, on either end of the floor," Henrickson said. "And worse defensively than offensively. That's why she wasn't on the floor a lot today."
ting beat off the dribble as well; these elements all factored into Henrickson's decision.
Before the game, Engelman was leading the team in turnovers. Henrickson said she was missing back-door cuts and get-
Junior forward Carolyn Davis and junior guard Angel Goodrich also serve as captains for the team. They have led the team in scoring with the help of senior forward Aishah Sutherland.
Davis said she expected Engelman to come back strong, but admitted that she had work to do.
"She understands she has to be a role player for us," Davis said. "She's going to get there. This is the beginning of the season. Everyone is working through a lot of kinks. She knows the player she has to be for us, and she's going to be that."
Engelman hit a team-high of 47 3-pointers last season and ranked 10th in program history with a 39.5 3-point shooting percent. Her 3-point shooting percentage was 43.1 percent during conference play last season. So far this season, Engelman has only made one 3-pointer.
- Edited by C.J. Matson
Junior guard Mizah Engelman dishes the ball off to a teammate in the first half Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas won the game 82-63. Engelman started the game on the bench because Bonnie Henrickson questioned her effort.
MIKE GUNNOE/KANSAN
Young basketball players working to secure playing time
RYAN MCCARTHY
rmccarthy@kansan.com
After three wins this weekend at the Basketball Travelers Tip-Off Classic in Lawrence, the women's basketball team gained valuable game experience for not only the starting rotation but for the bench, too.
ing three games in three days.
Accumulating playing time for all the players will be valuable for the layhawks as the season moves toward conference play, and teams are sometimes forced to extend their benches when play-
"Your freshman have to play a lot of minutes, and that was good for us to let them be out there and see what they can do for us," junior forward Carolyn Davis said. "I think it shows they'll be a big help for us off the bench."
"I need to work hard and stay focused," Boyd said. "As long as I
One freshman that saw more minutes this weekend was guard Asia Boyd. A highly touted athlete coming out of high school, Boyd hopes to break into the playing rotation for the season.
keep doing those things, I will stay on the floor."
Freshman forward Bunny Williams also got playing time and worked the post for much of the weekend. Williams is still a developing player, but she is another tall body that can help the team.
Williams played 21 minutes on Sunday against Florida Atlantic. She also had a career high of seven points and three rebounds.
In Friday's game against Lamar,
Sophomore guard CeCe Harper also looks to step up her game in the next few weeks.
Harper played 24 minutes with a major emphasis on her defensive play.
"Right now we are looking for somebody to make good defensive decisions to play that third guard," coach Bonnie Henrickson said. "We need somebody to guard, throw the ball inside and help us on the glass. And she did all three of those things right away."
Harper impressed the coaching staff enough that she earned her first career start in Sunday's game against Florida Atlantic.
She finished the game with five points and two rebounds in 21 minutes for the Jayhawks.
In six games there have been several variations of rotations in and out of the Jayhawks' lineup, so continuing a strong effort on the defensive end of the floor will be the key for all of the players to secure minutes.
Kansas plays Southern Methodist University at 7 p.m. Thursday at Allen Fieldhouse.
Edited by Rachel Schultz
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