THURSDAY, MARCH 8, 2007 WWW.KANSAN.COM
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
SPORTS
PAGE 1B
》 60 SECONDS TO GRADUATION
Women's basketball still shows promise
EMPORIA - I spent my Wednesday evening watching Free State High School dismantle Shawnee Mission West High School in the state basketball tournament.
This is relevant because the game was played in W.L. White Auditorium, home of the women's basketball team at Emporia State University — quite possibly the most successful women's basketball program in the state over the past 10 years.
Beware, Emporia fans,
Kansas coach Bonnie
Henrickson has her players
making a run at a title that has
been yours. The Jayhawks struggled
mightily this year, but
somehow, some way, the team started winning games down the stretch.
It won't be this year, but the Kansas women will soon make a name for themselves that will rival the other women's basketball programs in the state. Kansas picked up a virtually impossible win Tuesday and hung in there for some time against Baylor on Wednesday night.
Sure the much more highly seeded Bears eventually had their way with a young and vastly overmatched Jayhawk team, but just winning one game far exceeded the reasonable expectations of anyone but those who are on the team.
Henrickson took a group of seven freshmen, three sophomores, two juniors and two seniors, and turned them into a team that could win. Freshman Kelly Kohn became a real scoring threat this season — although she contributed no points in losing to Baylor — and a team leader.
Senior Sharita Smith developed into a player the jayhawks could count on. The starting guard chipped in six points in losing to Baylor.
While they had Smith, what this team was missing all season long was a senior who could pick up the young team until the freshman matured. Crystal Kemp fulfilled that role on last year's team.
The Jayhawks had someone who could have been this year's senior leader. Arkansas junior Lauren Ervin would have been a senior at Kansas this year, if not for a transfer after her freshman campaign.
Ervin, who is only the second ever Arkansas women's basketball player to average in double figures, was named to the SEC all-conference team and has seemed to find the maturity that eluded her at Kansas. Ervin, who was at the heart of a brawl in Columbia, Mo., her freshman
year, is on her fourth school since leaving Kansas, but she finally seems to have gotten her act together.
What could have been if the Ervin of 2006-2007 had appeared in 2003-2004? Odds are this year's women's basketball team would have been much better and would have won enough games to at least
SEE KEALING ON PAGE 5B
BASEBALL
Second-longest game ends in blowout
Erik Morrison, junior shortstop, hits a homerun during Wednesday night's game at Hoglund Ballpark. The hit gave the Jayhawks three runs in their 27-4 victory against the Baker Wildcats.
Lisa Lipovac/KANSAN
BY ALISSA BAUER
Loyal through the first half of Wednesday's 24-7 blowout against Baker (5-4) University, Kansas (11-5) fans were scarce by the end of chilly midweek game.
The second longest game of the season, at two hours and 52 minutes, completed the Jayhawks' four games in-four-days run.
The last time the Jayhawks unloaded a beating like Wednesday's was in the 2004 season against the University of Wisconsin—Milwaukee. The back-to-back midweek games played before heading to No. 10 Arkansas this weekend resulted in 42 Kansas runs on 43 hits.
"Those are games you have to dominate when you're a Division I program," coach Ritch Price said. "You're trying to get everyone in the ballgame and in order to do that your players have to swing the bats the way they're capable of."
At least the lajhayws shared the load amongst themselves, as Price
kept his word getting his younger players in to Wednesday's game. Twenty-four of the Jayhawks' 35-man roster saw time against the Wildcats.
Of the position players, all but five had at least one hit.
Junior shortstop Eric Morrison again led the way for the potent Jayhawk offense, hitting a solid 3-for-4, including a three-run homer, scoring three times and knocking four runs in. Once again, the shortstop was just a triple away from the cycle.
"I'm not really worried about any of the cycle stuff." Morrison said. "I mean, it would be pretty sweet to get it. It's in the back of the mind, but we got the 'W.'"
Like Tabor College the night before, Baker jumped on Kansas first. The Wildcats manufactured a run, driving in lead off batter Ben Mejia with back-to-back ground outs to the right side.
Much like Tuesday night, Kansas
BAYLOR 71,KANSAS 54
CINDERELLA RUN BLOCKED
SEE BASEBALL ON PAGE 4B
Miracle run falls short after rough start to game
BY ASHER FUSCO
OKLAHOMA CITY — After upsetting Oklahoma State on Tuesday, Kansas hoped to extend their improbable drive through the Big 12 Tournament against Baylor on Wednesday. After a 71-54 loss, it appears the Jayhawks may have used the last of their energy in the first round.
Kansas was noticeably sluggish compared to a Baylor squad that last played on Feb. 28. Kansas players that rarely showed signs of fatigue throughout the season routinely looked one step behind their opponents.
Early on in the game, Baylor forward Bernice Mosby looked deserving of the All-Big 12 First Team nomination she received this season. The lanky senior took advantage of Kansas' fatigue, grabbing rebounds, maneuvering through the Kansas defense and scoring with ease on several occasions. The senior finished with 12 points in only 22 minutes of playing time.
By the time 10 minutes had ticked off of the clock in the first half, Baylor had jumped out to a 16-6 lead.
Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson paced the sideline pleading the Jayhawks to get into their defensive sets as the Bears went on a 14-2 run.
SEE WOMEN'S BASKETBALL ON PAGE 5B
Ty Russell/ASSOCIATED PRESS
details
36 Kansas'shooting percentage
20 Jayhawk turnovers
5-4 Kansas' record in its last nine games
22
combined points for Shaquina Mosley and Sharita Smith in their final games
offensive rebounds for junior forward Taylor McIntosh
Baylor forward Danielle Wilson blocks the shot of freshman forward Danielle McCray in the first half of Wednesday's Big 12 Tournament game in Oklahoma City.
>> SWIMMING AND DIVING
Trio chosen to travel to Minnesota for NCAA championship
With the NCAA swimming and diving championships kicking off today, three University of Kansas swimmers are set to partake in their own version of March Madness.
BY DANIEL MOLINA
Senior co-captain Jenny Short, sophomore Danielle Herrmann and freshman Ashley Robinson received invitations to the three-day event at the University of Minnesota. Each swimmer qualified in her respective race by swimming a time that ranks
in the top 31 in the nation.
The last time Kansas qualified three swimmers was in 1998. Even more impressive is that each swimmer will hit the water in multiple races throughout the competition.
Short is set to compete in both the 100- and 200-yard backstroke races. Herrmann will do the same in the breaststroke category and will also swim in the 200 yard individual medley. Robinson, a Jayhawk newcomer who came out of nowhere to place 3rd at the Big 12 Championships in
the 1650-yard freestyle, will represent Kansas in that event as well as in the 500-ward freestyle.
The group is led into Minnesota by Short, one of two layhawks to qualify for the NCAA Championships in 2005. This year's championships will see a career come full circle for the Olathe native. Her first 200-yard backstroke race as a freshman was in the same pool.
It also marks her final go-around in a collegiate setting, a bittersweet reality for the senior. However, her
experience at the tournament two years ago should come in handy.
"I feel a lot more confident this time around, it was completely a surprise," Short said. "This year it was my goal."
"We come in with the attitude of simply achieving a best time in their events," Campbell said. "Instead of thinking about winning or placing in
For first-timers Robinson and Herrmann, both Short and coach Clark Campbell stressed a simple approach.
Short's advice: relax and enjoy the moment.
"There aren't any expectations, necessarily, this time around." Short said. "They have two or three years left and they're so talented."
Kansan sportswriter Daniel Molina can be contacted at dmolina@kansan.com.
— Edited by Jyl Unruh