8A the university daily kansan
sports
monday, february 9,2004
Nebraska women take over at game's end
By Jonathan Kealing
jkealeng@kansan.com
Kansan sportwriter
LINCOLN, Neb. — For 30 minutes, the Jayhawks hung around and even led as they visited the Nebraska Cornhuskers on Saturday. But the problem is that a basketball game lasts 40 minutes.
Led by Larisha Graves with 17 points and 5 rebounds, the Jayhawks managed to catch up from an early six-point deficit, and to take a 4 point lead after nine minutes of the first half.
From there, the lead would see swaw back and forth with neither team going ahead by more than four. The score was 27-24 in favor of Nebraska at the half.
"Coach Yori told us a lot at half," Nebraska junior guard Jina Johansen said. "We needed to play harder and get on the offensive boards."
For 10 minutes, Yori's words appeared to have fallen on deaf
"Any time a team is making a run, you notice the intensity. Especially when they have that home-field advantage and the crowd behind them. They were ready."
Crystal Kemp Sophomore forward
ears. However, in the last 10 minutes of the second half, Nebraska came alive. Kansas interim coach Lynette Woodard said that at the end of the game, her team let down its guard.
"We played well for 32 minutes," Woodard said. "I think about then we started to rest a little bit, because Nebraska wasn't
getting those shots."
It was then that Nebraska went to a zone defense, which effectively stifled the Kansas offense. The change appeared to confuse the Kansas team, and forced it to take shots that it had not had to take earlier. By the time the game was over, the Jayhawks would be shooting 32.4 percent from the field, including 0-4 three-point shots.
"We felt like we were getting beat off the dribble a lot," Nebraska coach Connie Yori said. "so we felt like we needed to go to that."
Then the Cornhuskers seemed to remember Yori's halftime words. In the second half, Nebraska out-rebounded Kansas 27-16. That edge allowed Nebraska 11 second-chance points after halftime. Kansas had two second-chance points in each half.
"We got hurt quite a bit on the boards," Woodard said.
For the game, Nebraska pulled down 15 more boards than Kansas.
The Kansas women were without freshman standout and team-leading rebounder Lauren Ervin. Ervin, who averages 6.9 rebounds per contest, was suspended for one game because she missed Wednesday's game against Texas Tech, and did not follow proper team policy.
"They had two or three players on our side; it was hard to figure out who to box out. Plus they had everyone coming at the boards," sophomore forward Crystal Kemp said.
All of those facts alone did not cause Kansas' defeat. Instead, a 27-7 run at the end of the game propelled Nebraska to its 11-point victory, 59-48. That run had been preceded by 11 straight Kansas points, which had Kansas leading by nine.
"Any time a team is making a run, you notice the intensity," Kemp said. "Especially when they have that home-field advantage and the crowd behind them. They were ready."
Both teams, however, faced scoring droughts throughout the
game. Ultimately, it came down to which team's offense broke down in the final minutes of the game. Nebraska went 10 minutes at the beginning of the second half without a field goal, while Kansas had two four-minute stretches without a single point.
Lost in all the scoring draughts and general inability to rebound, two Kansas players had standout games. Junior guard Larisa Graves had 17 points, 14 of which came in the first half, and sophomore forward Tamara Ransburg recorded her second double-double of the season. Ransburg had 13 total rebounds, nine of those in the second half.
"She was on the boards. We talked to her about feeling that energy, but she has to want the ball more." Woodard said.
— Edited by Collin LaJoie
Ervin serves suspension at Nebraska competition
Women's Basketball
University of Kansas interim women's basketball coach Lynette Woodard announced Saturday that freshman Lauren Ervin would serve a one-game suspension for violation of team rules.
Ervin, who traveled with the team to Lincoln,Neb.,served her suspension at the Nebraska game.
Woodard and Ervin met on Saturday afternoon.
"Lauren and I have met, and I think she is able to understand what I was trying to get across to her in terms of team policies," Woodard said. "She will sit out tonight's game and we will take it from there."
The 6-foot-4 freshman from Inglewood, Calif., has played in 18 games this season, starting in one. She averages 7.7 points and a team-best 6.9 rebounds per game.
Colorado pulls out last second victory over Kansas State
The Associated Press
- Staff reports
BOULDER, Colo. — On the list of consecutive Big 12 road losses, this one ranked No. 20 for Kansas State.
On the scale of heartbreak, it was near the toon.
The Wildcats (10-9, 2-6 Big 12) had an 81-80 lead at Colorado Saturday with 4 seconds left. The ball was in the hands of a Colorado player who had not scored all day.
But that wouldn't last. Jayson
"We never thought we'd lose. Not once. We never gave up hope."
Tim Ellis Senior guard
Obauayuze hit a driving lay-up with 3.6 seconds left, lifting Colorado to an.82-81 victory and dooming the Wildcats on a day they outplayed the opposition in
almost every way.
"They outshot us at the free-throw line, outrebounded us and just outplayed us," said Colorado coach Ricardo Patton. "I don't believe the best team won the game."
"It's the first game-winning shot of my career." Obazuaye said. "It was my only bucket of the game, but it was the game-winner."
Blair Wilson scored 26 points, including 7-of-10 from 3-point range, for Colorado (13-7, 5-4).
David Harrison added 19 points and Michel Morandais 18 for the Buffaloes, who squandered an 11-point lead with 3:49 remaining.
Kansas State, which has lost 15 straight road games overall, was led by Tim Ellis with 25 points and Jeremiah Massey with 21 points and 12 rebounds.
The Wildcats haven't won a road game in the conference since beating Colorado on March 3,2001.
come to you just like a pass and watching it slip right through your hands," Ellis said.
"It was like watching the win
There were nine ties and 10 lead changes in the first half before Wilson began putting on a shooting display.
He hit 3-pointers on three straight possessions at one point.
Ellis missed a desperation shot at the buzzer.
Wilson's 3-pointer with 9:02 left gave Colorado a 67-56 lead, then five straight points by
Massey helped Kansas State trim the deficit to five points.
"We never thought we'd lose," Ellis said. "Not once. We never gave up hope."
Thirteen of Kansas State's last 16 losses have been by 10 points or fewer.
"It's frustrating — big-time frustrating," said Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge. "It's really tough. You win a game like this, and your season looks different. Everything looks different."
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