THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY, NOVEMBER 20, 2012
PAGE 11
WASHINGTON STATE 41
REWIND
TARA BRYANT/KANSAN
senior guard Travis Reeford rushes to the basket to defeat a Washington State opponent to the basket during Monday's game, where the Jawhaws won 78-41. Reeford had 17 points during the game.
Releford surprises with scoring outbreak
MAX GOODWIN
Kansas City, Mo. — The passes were crisp, the defense was stifling and the shots were falling for Kansas as the Jayhawks played their way to a dominating win over Washington State at the Sprint Center.
mgoodwin@kansan.com
Kansas shot 64 percent from the field and 50 percent from 3-point range in the first half. The Jayhawks looked like a team that could be favored to win their conference this season. Even senior guard Travis Releford drained a three, ending his slump of eleven straight misses in the previous three games.
Releford reemerged as a scoring threat last night in the Sprint Center, playing mere miles from his home in Kansas City. Mo. With 17 points, he led the team in scoring for the first time this season.
In the second half, another deep shot from Releford's hands swished through the net. Releford's inability to consistently make jump shots has been a subject of discussion during his career at Kansas. On
The Jayhawks won't consistently expect those points from Releford, which makes them even sweeter when they are there. This was not the first time in a Kansas game that Releford proved he has the ability to score. Last season, he was named the Big 12 player of the week when he averaged 22 points in two conference games. Releford also led the Jayhawks in scoring with 15 points against Ohio State during the Final Four last year.
Monday night, there was nothing about Releford's stroke that worried Kansas fans.
Releford sat smiling on the sidelines for the final minutes of the game, his team leading by 40 points. In his 23 minutes on the court, Releford scored 17 points from seven shots.
It may have been the comfort of playing in his hometown, or maybe it was Releford's determination to be more efficient than he was during the Chattanooga game where he squandered six shots to score just two points. Whatever the case, Releford played confidently and aggressively.
Defense has been a consistent strength for Releford. He played with more defensive intensity in just four games this year than he did in any of his past three seasons. Against Chattanooga, Releford's pressure on the ball was a spark for Kansas' second half run. On Monday, he did it on the offensive end.
There may not be many more games this season where Releford leads the team in scoring, but he has proven his value so far this season. He will bring tough defensive pressure every time he guards the ball. It appears he has once again proven that his scoring ability can surprise opponents who focus their game planning for McLemore, Johnson or Withey.
Releford's ability to surprise opponents is something that Kansas fans have seen before. His defense is something they have seen often. On Monday, Releford was the most efficient and productive player for the Jayhawks.
Edited by Emma McElhaney
SCHEDULE
*all games in bold are at home
Date Opponent Time
Oct. 30 EMPORIA STATE (EXHIBITION) W, 88-54
Nov. 5 WASHBURN (EXHIBITION) W, 62-50
Nov. 9 SOUTHEAST MISSOURI STATE W, 74-55
Nov. 13 MICHIGAN STATE L, 67-64
Nov. 15 CHATTANOOGA (CBE) W, 69-55
Nov. 19 WASHINGTON STATE (CBE) W, 78-41
Nov. 20 ST. LOUIS (CBE) 8:30 p.m.
Nov. 26 SAN JOSE STATE 8 p.m.
Nov. 30 OREGON STATE 7 p.m.
Dec. 8 COLORADO 1 p.m.
Dec. 15 BELMONT 6 p.m.
Dec. 18 RICHMOND 6 p.m.
Dec. 22 OHIO STATE 3 p.m.
Dec. 29 AMERICAN UNIVERSITY 7 p.m.
Jan. 6 TEMPLE 12:30/3:30 p.m.
Jan. 9 IOWA STATE 6 p.m.
Jan. 12 TEXAS TECH 3 p.m.
Jan. 14 BAYLOR 8 p.m.
Jan. 19 TEXAS 1 p.m.
Jan. 22 KANSAS STATE 7 p.m.
Jan. 26 OKLAHOMA 3 p.m.
Jan. 28 WEST VIRGINIA 8 p.m.
Feb. 2 OKLAHOMA STATE 3 p.m.
Feb. 6 TCU 8 p.m.
Feb. 9 OKLAHOMA 3 p.m.
Feb. 11 KANSAS STATE 8 p.m.
Feb. 16 TEXAS 8 p.m.
Feb. 20 OKLAHOMA STATE 3 p.m.
Feb. 23 TCU 3 p.m.
Feb. 25 IOWA STATE 8 p.m.
Feb. 29 OKLAHOMA STATE 7 p.m.
March 2 WEST VIRGINIA 1 p.m.
March 4 TEXAS TECH 8 p.m.
March 9 BAYLOR
TYLER ROSTE/KANSAN
Senior center Jeff Withey powers through a defender to get an easy bucket in the first half of Monday's game. Withey had eight points.
GAME TO REMEMBER
Senior guard Travis Releford
Reelford broke out of his scoring slump, leading the Jayhawks with 17 points. More importantly, Reelford attacked the basket early on, allowing him to build confidence.
him to build confidence
Releford
which he showed by making his first two 3-point attempts, ending an O-11 cold streak from 3-point range.
QUOTE OF THE GAME
"I don't know if it's so much in
thought we did a really good job moving the ball in the first half. Of course we made shots, everything looks
Self
better when you
make shots, but we got the ball where we wanted it and guys shared it. It's probably the best we've executed so far this year."
Kansas coach Bill Self
be a part of KANSAN MEDIA THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN is hiring news staff*
Apply by Friday (11/30) at kansan.com/apply and Meet the section editors at one of our info-sessions: Monday (11/19) or Tuesday (11/20) at 5:30pm in the Richard R. Clarkson Gallery on the first floor of Stauffer Flint
News & Entertainment Reporters • Correspondent Writers • Sports Writers & Columnists • Opinion Columnists • Photographers • Designers • Copy Editors
THERE WILL BE PIZZA.
*You don't have to be a journalism major to contribute. Email Hannah Wise at applications@kansan.com with questions
- Discount is available in-store or online at kubookstore.com. See website for all details.