FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 24, 2006
SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN 3B
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
SPRING TRAINING
Visa problems cause players to miss flights, camp
JUPITER, Fla. — Better late than never, new St. Louis Cardinals right fielder Juan Encarnacion showed up for spring training on Thursday after battling visa problems and a missed flight.
Three other Dominican players with visa problems — infielders Hector Luna and Deiiv Cruz and pitcher Juan Mateo — were expected in camp Friday. Encarnacion did not workout Thursday, but is expected to on Friday.
camp I would hesitate to use in a spring training game," La Russa said. "Everyone is working hard."
11 a.m., Saturday, Allen Fieldhouse
After so many years as a National League powerhouse — the Cardinals have been in three of the past four NL championship series — La Russa worried about complacency.
"We've been contending for a number of years," La Russa said. "What you have to be careful about is that it's not automatic."
Border Showdown on tap
The Cardinals announced that pitcher-turned-outfielder Rick Ankiel and pitchers Brad Thompson and Anthony Reyes agreed to terms, which were not disclosed. Ankiel had been a concern because he had run out of options.
"Now I can go out there and just concentrate on playing," said Ankiel, who has been taking a lot of practice in the outfield. "Every day I seem to be getting a little more comfortable. The more I see of it, the better off I'll be."
Kansas to play for pride against a tough Mizzou squad KU Tip-off MU Tip-off
The visa issue was worked out Wednesday, but Encarnacion, Cruz and Mateo missed flights from the Dominican Republic to Miami, delaying their arrival in Jupiter. While Encarnacion was the only one to show up Thursday, Mateo and Cruz are in Jupiter, and Luna is expected to arrive shortly, Cardinals spokesman Brian Bartow said.
Kansas Jayhawks (15-10,4-10 Big 12 Conference)
Even without the Latin American players, manager Tony La Russa has liked what he has seen with the exhibition season approaching.
Last time out:
Kansas continued a two-year road losing streak against Big 12 teams in the south with a 62-50 loss to Texas Tech. Coach Bonnie Hendrickson was encouraged by her team's performance, as the Jayhawks trailed by only two late in the game. Texas Tech drew more than 9,000 fans to the game, and is currently in position to make the NCAA tournament.
Player to watch:
Senior forward Crystal Kemp has only two more home games remaining in her career as a Jayhawk. Winning one of these two would help the team's chances of making the WNIT, which was a goal the team set at the beginning of the year. Both games are against rivals, Missouri and Kansas State, which will bring even more excitement to the games.
3 quick facts:
118 - Combined minutes (out of 120) that Kemp and senior guards Erica Hallman and Kaylee Brown played in the first Missouri game.
57 - The Jayhawks three-point percentage in the first half of that game. They entered the locker room leading by five.
The Associated Press
22 - The Jayhawks three-point percentage in the second half. Kansas lost the game 64-57.
"I haven't seen anyone in
Key to victory:
in Columbia, it was a one-possession game in the final minutes, but Kansas couldn't close the gap. In recent games, the Kansas defense has been playing well, and a big performance on Saturday would take some of the heat off the offense, which has been relied on all season to make big plays.
Missouri Tigers (20-6, 10-4 Big 12 Conference)
Last time out:
Missouri guaranteed its best finish ever in the Big 12 on Wednesday night after defeating Iowa State 67-59. The Tigers got a solid inside-outside combo from senior guard LaToya Bond and senior center Christelle N'Garsanet. Bond scored a game-high 22 points, her 12th 20-point game this season.
Bond burned the Kansas defense for 31 points, including 13 in the final 10 minutes. She will be matched up for most of the afternoon against Kansas' top defender, junior guard Sharita Smith. Smith has shut down opponents' top guards on numerous occasions this season.
3 quick facts:
51 - Combined points for Bond and N'Garsanet against Kansas in Columbia, Mo.
8. 77 - Missouri's average steals per game.
22 - Free throws shot by the Tigers in the final 13 minutes of their victory against the Jayhawks.
missouri was outplayed on both ends of the floor for the first 34 minutes of game in Columbia, Mo. earlier this season. The Tigers made the mistake of allowing Kansas' senior guards Erica Hallman and Kaylee Brown to get open behind the three-point line early and often, shooting nearly 60 percent from three-point range. If Missouri lets Kansas get that many open looks, Hallman and Brown will burn Missouri again.
OFFENSE
Coming into the Border Showdown, the Jayhawks are playing some of their best offense of the season. Kemp has found help inside from freshman forward Marija Zinic and sophomore guard Taylor McIntosh. Kemp gets double-teamed nearly every time she touches the ball and is finding a way to pass the ball to McIntosh or Zinic for open shots. Wednesday night in Lubbock, McIntosh had a career-high 14 points.
DEFENSE
Defenses get an extra boost when playing in front of a home crowd, and Kansas should enjoy one of the bigger crowds of the season against its border rival. The defense has been assisted in recent weeks by the emergence of junior guard Sharita Smith. When in the game, Smith has been assigned to the opposing team's best player, but she creates an offensive void that Hallman and Brown will have to fill.
Missouri has one of the conference's top guard/ forward combinations in senior center Christelle N'Garsanet and senior guard LaToya Bond. The Tigers are dependent on those two having strong performances each game. In the meeting earlier this season, the two seniors combined for 80 percent of their team's scoring.
OFFENSE
DEFENSE
In the team's meeting two weeks ago at Mizzou Arena, Missouri had trouble locating Kansas' guards on the perimeter. The Jayhawks got numerous open shots, especially behind the three-point line. Missouri cannot afford a repeat of its defensive performance against Kansas if it wents to sweep the season series.
Ryan Schneider
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