THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN SPORTS
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WEDNESDAY, FEBRUARY 2, 2011
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KANSAS 88, TEXAS TECH 66
Freshman guard Josh Selby shoots over Texas Tech foward Paul Cooper during the first half. Selby scored 14 points on 6-of-12 shooting and dished out a team high four assists in the 88-66 victory at United Spirit Arena Tuesday night.
Jerrv Wanda/KANSAN
Selfearns win at Texas Tech
BY TIM DWYER
tdywer@kansan.com
twitter.com/UDKbasketball
LUBBOCK, Texas — A few years ago, after Texas Tech coach Pat Knight had just seen his team take a 58-point thumping at the hands of Kansas, he offered up one of those quotes that sticks around for years longer than the actual game will be remembered.
This wasn't a necklace game, but early on, as the Jayhawks rolled to a 10-2 lead and cruised to a 50-point first half, it certainly had the makings of it.
"I feel like someone put a meat necklace around my neck," he said, "and threw me into the lion's den."
Sometimes,offensively,it all just
clicks for the Jayhawks this year. It did against Colorado, but the defense didn't show up to complement it. It did against Kansas
State, and the Jayhawks ran the Wildcats out of Allen Fieldhouse in a scorched-earth 22-point beating.
For the third straight game, the Jayhawks just had it offensively. Five
"Making shots is contagious," coach Bill Self said. "When you miss layups, it seems like your 15-footers get harder. When you
PAGE 8A
"We made so many shots early.I think everybody was just confident."
players scored in double figures, and a sixth, Mario Little, finished one point shy with nine as the Jayhawks posted an 88-66 victory against Texas Tech.
BILL SELF Coach
make layups,
it seems like
your 15-footers get easier."
Kansas hit shots inside and early. The Jayhawks had 48 points in the paint to the Red Raiders' 16 and hit the
first three shots and six of their first seven.
"We made so many shots early," Self said. "I think everybody was just confident."
Marcus Morris led the Jayhawks with 18 points, making it all seven conference games and the last 11 overall that he's done so. Thomas Robinson was right behind him with his second consecutive 17-point, nine-rebound effort. Markieff Morris logged the only double-double of the game with 11 points and 12 boards.
"We were playing through our bigs early," Brady Morningstar said. "That's what we need to do."
Morningstar's 12 points marked the second time in three games he has hit double figures after not pulling the feat for nearly an entire calendar year. He's also posting a remarkable 24-to-5 assist-to-turnover rate since conference play began (for the uninitiated, a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover rate is
usually seen as good). As a team, the Jayhawks posted 17 assists against just six turnovers, with Morningstar accounting for four and one, respectively.
"It's Brady more than anybody," Marcus said about why the offense has been rolling since the loss to Texas. "He's making shots and that's opening up the defense for us."
For the third straight game, Kansas finished with better than 50 percent shooting and 40 percent from three. But for all the offensive success Kansas has been having lately, Robinson offered the simplest explanation.
"Tonight," he said, "you know, things came easy."
— Edited by Caroline Bledowski
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Jayhawks hope to end five-game losing streak
BY KATHLEEN GIER kqier@kansan.com
Sophomore guard and team co-captain Monica Engelman is no stranger to late season struggles after Kansas lost seven of their last eight games in conference last season and ended 5-11 with a first round loss in the Big 12 Tournament.
After a 13-1 start to the season,
the Jayhawks dropped to the last spot in the Big 12 Conference as of Jan. 30. On a five game skid Kansas' record has dropped to 14-7 and 1-6 in conference play.
"The most important thing is staying together, working on us and to stay together," Engelman said.
Engelman led the team in a difficult game against Kansas State on Saturday where she scored 18 points on 7-11 shooting. She pulled down five rebounds and dished two assists.
"She struggled so much in early conference-play, but she is
Kansas will host Colorado tonight at 7 in hopes of recording a second victory in conference play.
returning to what she had been in non-conference and much of last year," coach Bonnie Henrickson said.
The team has been working on plays in transition. In offensive transition they have not been communicating which has led to turnovers, and on defense players are not shifting and matching up. These issues led to trouble in the loss to Kansas State.
The Jayhawks defeated the Buffaloes 68-58 on Jan. 12 for their lone victory in the conference.
"We have confidence from us getting the 'W' at their place," Engelman said.
"We competed and played hard, but we didn't make enough plays to it done." Hendricks said.
This will be the final time that Kansas and Colorado will play as conference brethren as Colorado is set to leave the Big 12 Conference next year. The all-time series is tied
"We have to embrace taking care of the little things," Engelman said. "If we focus on rebounding, taking care of the ball and grinding it out and we can be where we want to be."
at 33 games apiece.
Colorado is led by senior forward Brittany Spears and sophomore guard Chucky Jeffery who average 17.7 and 14.6 points per game respectively. Kansas had trouble guarding Colorado's top two, allowing a combined 39 points.
Colorado enters the game with a conference record of 2-5. The team is winless on the road this season.
"We have to be able to contain one-on-one and rotate to play team half-court defense," Henrickson said.
Senior center Krysten Boogaard has the opportunity to break the 2000-point scoring mark in the game tonight. Bogaard only needs three more points to join this prestigious list.
Edited by Corey Thibodeaux
Jerry Wann/KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Sophomore guard Monica Engelman pulls up for a jump shot during the second half. Engelman hit just 1-0-7-7 shots attempt for five points and dished out five rebounds in the 66-52 loss at Mizzou Arena last Wednesday night.
COMMENTARY
Jayhawks succeed by getting ball inside
BY MIKE VERNON mvernon@kansan.com
Kansas Basketball had the right idea coming into a chilly Lubbock, Texas on Tuesday night.
Get the ball inside.
They didn't try to shoot too many threes, they didn't try to take their man one-on-one, and they weren't forcing bad shots early in the shot clock. Kansas did exactly what it needed to do early in the game to put the Red Raiders away.
Time after time in the first half the Jayhawks got the ball inside and scored a seemingly effortless two points. By the end of the first 20 minutes the Jayhawks outscored Texas Tech 28-6 in points in the paint.
Kansas dominated the game when they were getting the ball inside early, which also typically opens up the three point shot.
The problem for Kansas is that it sometimes fails to remember they can control nearly every opponent on the inside offensively.
Kansas made their first three three-point shots and did not have a miss from three-point range until the seven-minute mark in the first half. The Jayhawks also converted on 57.9 percent of their field goals in the first half.
The first nine minutes of the second half Kansas tied Texas Tech in points in the paint at 4-4. Tech outscored the Jayhawks 16-14 during that stretch.
There is no coincidence that when the big boys are active early, Kansas will rock and roll. Junior Marcus Morris had 18 on Tuesday to go along with sophomore Thomas Robinson's 17, and junior Markieff Morris' 11. Kansas shot 20 threes and made eight of them, with 12 of the threes coming in the second half once the game was already put away.
Last game against Kansas State those three players combined for 47 of the Jayhawks 90 total points. The Jayhawks also only had to attempt 10 three's that game. Coach Bill Self came away very impressed with two of the big men's performances from that game.
After that game it was clear that the team felt they had some momentum to take into Texas Tech. "It was definitely what we needed," senior guard Brady Morningstar said. "We look forward to keep playing like that."
"Keef was great. He can control it inside," Self said, "and Thomas was terrific."
Marcus Morris was feeling confident as well. "It is great that we are moving forward," he said.
Against Texas, Kansas' only loss, the three big scored a combined total of 28 points and Kansas was forced to shoot 19 threes.
The guards also were getting the ball inside as opposed to setting for the three. Josh Selby scored eight of his 14 total points, the most of any guard, inside the three-point line.
It should now be clear for Kansas that they can make life much easier for themselves if they pound the ball inside and don't settle for the three. Look for the Jayhawks to really hone in on scoring inside against their next two opponents, Nebraska and Missouri. The games will be much more tranquil for Kansas fans if they do.
Edited by Corey Thibodeaux