6B
/ SPORTS / THURSDAY, JANUARY 21, 2010 / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / KANSAN.COM
IOWA STATE 53, KANSAS 42
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL REWIND
GAME BANK MANIA MAJOR Freshman forward Carolyn Davis, left, and senior guard Danielle McCray fight for the ball after McCray lost control driving into the lane. McCray scored only six points in the game.
RECAP (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
Kansas kept it close for much of the second half. Just as Morris was to thank for her first half heroics, Henrickson looked to the bench for a second半 spark.
Freshman guard and birthday girl Monica Engelman gave Kansas its best chance at a comeback.
"For a young kid, she hit some big shots." Henrickson said.
When it seemed like all hope and energy were lost, Engelman scored a career high 10 points,
But Engelman could only bring her team to within three points of the Cyclone's lead before the gap ballooned.
all in the second half. Whether it was a clutch three, an intercepting steal or an assist to Morris, Engelman was an electric force off the bench.
"If we got a couple of stops towards the end, maybe it would have been a different outcome," Morris said.
"You've got to find a way to score fifty" Henrickson said.
now 1-23 when scoring less than 49 points.
Kansas must regroup and find some positives before taking on No. 13 Oklahoma in Norman, Okla., this Saturday.
Under Henrickson, Kansas is
"We've got to feed off each other more on the road." McCray said.
- Edited by Allyson Shaw
Save up to 90% OFF used textbooks and up to 30% OFF new textbooks. FREE 2-day shipping with an Amazon Prime FREE trial.
90 OFF 30 OFF 2DAYFREE
amazon.com
amazon.com/textbooks
**BASKETBALL MEMBER**
Freshman guard Monica Engelman squares up to shoot the ball against Iowa State Wednesday.
Engelman scored 10 points in the 53-42 loss.
McCray has big shoes, but Engelman easily fills them
Mike Gunnoe/KANSAN
BY ANDREW TAYLOR
ataylor@kansan.com
There's a certain legend surrounding Hilton Coliseum, the home of the Iowa State Cyclones. It's said that the building possesses a certain magic that helps guide the home team to unexpected victories.
While little magic was needed for the No. 21 Cyclones to defeat the Jayhawks 53-42, the occupants did manage to see a little "magic," as Kansas freshman guard Monica
began to discover her potential and look more than a little like senior guard Danielle McCray.
M c C r a y , the Jayhawks leading scorer, picked up her second foul with 12 and a half minutes to play in the first half and then rode the bench
McCray
Engelman
the rest of the way. That forced other Jayhawks to step up and try to fill some big shoes — a theme that has become a little too familiar after the injury to redshirt freshman guard Angel Goodrich.
The help the Jayhawks needed to survive the first half with a manageable deficit of five points came from a mirai of places, but most notably from freshman guard Monica Engelman.
"When Danielle was in foul trouble, 1 said, 'Monica, you're Danielle now,' coach Bonnie Henrickson said.
Through 16 games Engelman had provided a solid spark for the Jayhawks off the bench, averaging 3.7 points per game in relief efforts for senior guard Sade Morris and McCray
In the first half Engelman had one turnover and no points.
While Engelman's physical dimensions and the number on her jersey all stayed the same, her style of play changed drastically.
"She finally figured out that she was Danielle in the second half," Henrickson said, "so better late than never."
"She was in a little bit of birthday fog in the first half," Henrickson.
Engelman began knocking down open shots that helped dig into the Cyclones' lead and she nearly eliminated the freshman mistakes that plagued her play in
"She was in a little bit of a birthday fog in the first half."
BONNIE HENRICKSON coach
said. "She went one dribble pick up three times going left and then she finally put it on the floor and took one."
the first half.
Most would that kind of clutch performance from the team's preseason All-American, McCray, not a freshman
Then unexpectedly at the start of the second half, the "Hilton Magic" struck for Kansas. No one in the stands saw it and certainly no one sitting on press row saw it, but Engelman transformed into Danielle McCray.
from San Antonio, Texas
"My teammates, they challenge me and my coaches encourage me to take shots like that," Engelman said.
Engelman finished the game with a career high 10 points, all scored in the second half. She even outscored the real McCray by four.
"It gives off energy to everyone, and it gives her confidence that she can knock that down," McCray said, "and it gives me confidence that I don't have to score for us to be in it."
Despite the tough loss, which moves Kansas to a 1-3 record in conference play, the Jayhawks at the very least know that it is possible to survive without McCray.
While Engelman's career performance last night was certainly a welcome event for the Jayhawks, they will need to ask much more of the freshman guard if they wish to get back on the winning track this season and stay competitive in seasons to come.
"That's what we've been trying to tell her," Henrickson said. "You're Danielle next year, you've got to be more aggressive."
When McCray ends her eligibility this season, Engelman will have to be McCray full time. That entails more than just making up for part of the 20.9 points per game that McCray averages, it also includes an increased leadership role.
Edited by Kate Larrabee
www.ContinuingEd.ku.edu (keyword: testprep) - 785-864-5823