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SPORTS / TUESDAY, FEBRUARY 16, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL
Pivotal moments ultimately cost Jayhawks the win
Adam Buhler/KANSAN
Freshman Guard Monica Engelman triggers a jump shot over Brittaine Raven of Texas. Engelman posted 22 points in Kansas' 85-82 double loss to losses Saturday afternoon.
Kansan recaps critical plays in the double-overtime loss to the Longhorns
BY MAX ROTHMAN
mrothman@kansan.com
twitter.com/maxrothman
The only way a game goes to double overtime is if someone messes up.
Kansas lost 85-82 against Texas in double overtime Saturday because of costly minor miscues. The sum of the errors was greater than their individual parts and the Jayhawks continually gave life to a Longhorn team they should have put away. Every possession counts in a game that was separated by just three points in the end. Below are some of the most influential plays that settled the final score:
ENGELMAN BOTCHES LAYUP
13:22 remaining in the 1st half: Freshman guard Monica Engelman pick-pocketed Texas junior Kathleen Nash and raced down the floor uncontested. She had an easy layup from the left side, but instead of planting with her right foot and laying it in with her left hand, she did the opposite, as if she were driving from the right side. Engelman missed the shot and the rim. Texas leads 16-12.
ENGELMAN GETS HER
PAYBACK
3:20 remaining in the 1st half Stalemated in the corner with the shot clock winding down and Nash towering three inches above her, Engelman frantically scanned her surroundings and found no open passing option. As the crowd emphatically counted down the final seconds of the shot clock, Engelman decided to flinger up a floater. She contorted her body to the right and, from an angle that was behind the glass, sunk the shot. She sprinted back to the other end of the floor like it was nothing more than a regular day's work. Kansas leads 32-28.
MORRIS AND FONTENETTE MISS
0:45.2 and 0:34 remaining in the 2nd half: With Kansas trailing by three and holding possession of the ball, Henrickson gave the shot to her senior leader, Sade Morris, Morris, who was just 4-of-15 from the field at that point, flew around a screen and had an open look, but the shot rattled out of the rim. Sophomore forward Aishah Sutherland promptly fouled Texas sophomore Ashleigh Fontenette, who headed to the free-throw line for a one and one opportunity. If she made just one free throw, it would have made it a two-possession game and sealed it for the Longhorns. Instead, Fontenette missed the first free throw and gave missed life. Texas leads 66-63.
IN THE HANDS OF THE FRESHMAN
0:14 remaining in the 2nd half:
Pressed in the left corner and jumping around a screen by freshman forward Carolyn Davis, Engelman pump faked but was tightly compressed by Nash's length. She passed it down low to Davis who then kicked it back outside to Engelman and set another screen. Engelman, who had missed her previous five shots, slid around Davis' screen, took a three from the left arch and buried it. Overtime, 66-66.
MORRIS FOULS, RAVEN
MAKES AND JACOBS
MISSES
0:11 remaining in the 1st OT: With Kansas leading by four, Morris blocked Texas senior Brittainey Raven's three-point attempt and while trying to retain the rebound, got walloped in the head by Raven's elbow. Despite what looked like an easy call, Morris was charged with the foul, sending Raven to the charity stripe for two. Raven hit both free throws pulling it to within two. Texas quickly fouled senior guard LaChelda Jacobs who missed the
first but hit the second free throw, keeping it at a one-possession game. Kansas leads 77-74.
0:01 remaining in the 1st OT:
Waiting at mid-court until the clock dropped to about eight seconds remaining, Fontenette faked right and charged past Jacobs to the left arch of the three-point line. Precisely where Engelman hit her game-tying shot, but on the opposite side, Fontenette nailed a three and sent the game into double over time 77.77
0:23 remaining in the 2nd OT:
After trading baskets and free
throws for four and a half minutes, Texas was up by three, but Kansas held possession. Everyone in the building knew that Engelman had to take the shot. Henrickson called a 30 second timeout to set it all up. But once the clock started running, Engelman and Morris were both denied the ball and Jacobs was left alone at the top of the key. With one second to go, Jacobs hurled up a contested third and it clunked off the side of the rim. No further game-tying threes to be seen. Texas wins 85-82.
Edited by Becky Howlett
KANSAS AT COLORADO
TONIGHT, 7 P.M.
BOULDER, CO.
Key to the game
Freshmen stars
In the Jayhawks past three games freshman guard Monica Engelman and freshman forward Carolyn Davis have led the Jayhawks in scoring. The duo scored 51 combined points in Saturday's double-overtime loss to No. 14 Texas. Their continued production will be key against Colorado as the pair only scored a combined 17 points in Kansas' first game against Colorado on Jan. 27 as the now-injured senior guard Danielle McCray led the Jayhawks with 29 points.Both freshmen have matured quite a bit in recent contests and they will have an opportunity to continue this trend as they share spots in the starting line up for the first time on the road.
Keep an eye on
Carolvn Davis
Davis has quickly evolved into one of the Jayhawks' most potent threats on both sides of the ball. In a loss to No. 14 Texas, Davis scored 29 points, pulled in 14 rebounds and blocked five shots. All of these stats represent career highs. Davis has done nothing but improve as the season has progressed and she should continue to do that against Colorado, the team she earned her first double-double against.
Davis
Opponent to watch
Brittany Spears
Scoring 28 points in the loss against No. 12 Oklahoma last Saturday, Colorado's junior forward Brittany Spears broke out of a mini twogame slump, in which she only scored 10 points. Playing at home against Kansas today, a team she put 21 points up against in a Jan. 27 loss, Spears should have ample opportunities to have another big game.
Spears
Quote of the day
"You've got to be able to guard and rebound. Especially on the road." — Coach Bonnie Henrickson
Prediction
KANSAS 73, COLORADO 58
Andrew Taylor
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