2B THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
FRIDAY, FEBRUARY 17, 2006
ATHLETICS CALENDAR
FRIDAY
**Softball** vs. Central Michigan; Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, 5:45 p.m., Las Vegas
+Softball vs. Cal Poly, Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, 8 p.m., Las Vegas
Baseball vs. USC, Public Storage Classic, 8 p.m., Los Angeles
SATURDAY
*Tennis at Louisville, 10 a.m., Louis-
ville, Ky.
+ Men's basketball vs. Missouri, 2:45 o.m. Allen Fieldhouse
Player to watch: Russell Robinson
+Women's basketball at Iowa State,
1 p.m., Ames, Iowa
The sophomore guard will be responsible for shutting down Missouri's lone scoring threat, Thomas Gardner. Robinson heads up one of the toughest
Robinson
conference with Mario Chalmers.
+Softball vs. BYU, Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, 3:30 p.m., Las Vegas
♣Softball vs. Tennessee, Louisville
Slugger Desert Classic, 8 p.m., Las
Vegas
*Baseball vs. San Diego, Public Storage Classic, 2 p.m., Los Angeles
SUNDAY
**Softball** vs. UNLV, Louisville Slugger Desert Classic, 1 p.m., Las Vegas
+Baseball vs. Vanderbilt, Public Storage Classic, 2 p.m., Los Angeles
MONDAY
*Women's golf vs. Michigan State,
Central District Invitational, All day,
Parrish, Fla.
TUESDAY
Men's basketball vs. Baylor; 7 p.m. Allen Fieldhouse
♦ Women's golf vs. Michigan State, Central District Invitational, all day, Parrish, Fla.
TALK TO US
Tell us your news. Contact Eric Sor-
rentino or Erick Schmidt at 864-4858
or sports@kansan.com
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Player to watch:
Junior guard Sharita Smith played terrific defense on Wednesday night against Nebraska. Smith has struggled to get in a rhythm intensely, but she will likely continue to play as long as she can shut down the opposing teams' scoring threats. When she came in during Wednesday's game, it was to replace freshman guard Ivana Catic or senior guard Kaylee Brown.
Key to victory
run, which will involve guards making shots and then turning around and stopping the Cyclones on the other end of the court.
season in review:
Kansas has run out of
Season in review:
must-win games, and with a 3-9 conference record is considered an outsider to make the women's NIT. Making the postseason is not an impossible task, and Kansas could help its case with a road win in Ames. It would also provide momentum going into next week's game at Texas Tech.
Kansas lost to Nebraska 65-57 at Allen Fieldhouse in a game that was tied in the final minutes. Nebraska guard Kiera Hardy had 19 points, including the three-point shot that put the Cornhuskers up for good. After the game, Henrickson revealed that the team had been banned from wearing clothing that said "Kansas" during practice, saying that was a privilege the team had to earn.
Last time out:
Michael Phillips
Player to watch:
Iowa State guards, junior Lyndsey Medders and freshman Heather Ezell. Both shoot 32 percent for the season behind the arc, ranking in the top 15 in the conference. If they can consistently make their three-pointers, Kansas mush find a way to respond. Medders was out of the game in Lawrence with an injury, and Ezell was held to just 1-7 from three-point range.
Key to victory:
The Cyclones three-point shooting has been the key in numerous games this season. The team has lived and died by the three-pointer and the same should be true on Saturday. Without the three, Iowa State will be forced to establish an inside presence against Kansas' senior forward Crystal Kemp.
Iowa State has won three straight games, its longest winning streak in conference play this season. At 6-6 in the conference, Iowa State is trying to play its way off the bubble and into the postseason. Being swept by Kansas would let the air out of Iowa State's tournament bubble.
Season in review;
Last time out:
Iowa State defeated Texas Tech 69-65 Tuesday night in Ames, Iowa. The Cyclones' sophomore forward Liza Blideaux recorded her first career double-double, scoring 22 points and grabbing 10 rebounds. The team is usually among the best in the conference in three-point shooting, but got the victory despite only shooting 1-12 from behind the arc for the game.
Ryan Schneider
WOMEN'S TENNIS
Culture gives team winning edge
BY ANTONIO MENDOZA
amendoza@kansan.com
KANSAN SWITCHWRITER
For the third straight match, the Kansas Jayhawks will be heading out of state to face an opponent. This weekend, the team will face the Louisville Cardinals at 10 a.m. on Saturday at Louisville, Ky.
Kansas has a record of 3-1 this season, with two shutouts against Drake and Ball State.
Coach Amy Hall-Holt said that some of the team's success came from the friendships that the players had developed off the court, as well as learning the
culture of the players' places of origins.
Five out of the nine players on the team are from different countries, with three of those five from Russia, and only one person is from the state of Kansas. Freshmen Ksenia Bukina, Yuliana Svistun and sophomore Liza Avdeeva all hail from Russia.
said she came to Kansas to play tennis because she would be able to play tennis and go to school at the same time and because Avdeeva was already playing for KU.
"They want to come here because they want an education and they want to be a part of the United States and they know the education is a little more valuable here." Hall-Holt said.
The two remaining players from other countries are freshman Edina Horvath of Hungary, and senior Christine Skoda of Alberta, Canada. The lone player from the state of Kansas is sophomore Stephanie Smith of Salina.
Hall-Holt said, "The last couple weeks it has been great with us traveling and they all get along and they have fun. If they are in a hotel room, they
Earlier this season, Bukina
are all usually in one room watching a movie, it's never a separation."
Louisville comes in with a record of 9-1, with six shutouts. The Cardinals are ranked No. 74 in the nation, and their only loss came to Kentucky by a score of 4-3.
"It's definitely going to be a very competitive match. They are ranked in the top 75 right now," Hall-Holt said. She thinks that a win against the Cardinals will give them a very good chance of being ranked.
— Edited by Jodi Ann Holopirek
MLB
Royals sign 2 players to minor league deals
SURPRISE, Ariz. — Outfielder Chad Allen and infielder Benji Gil agreed to minor league contracts Thursday with the Kansas City Royals and were invited to spring training.
Allen appeared in 21 games last season with the Texas Rangers, hitting .283. He also has played in the majors with the Minnesota Twins, Cleveland Indians and Florida Marlins. Allen has a .269 average in 516 games in the majors.
The 35-year-old Gil was a first-round pick of the Rangers in 1991. He was the Rangers' starting shortstop in 1995, but hit .219 in 130 games.
The Associated Press
F