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Women's Basketball

Sunday, February 22, 2009

KU women upset No. 21 Iowa State, 58-47

By Chuck Woodling

Kansas' Danielle McCray (4) reaches up to pull down a rebound while LaChelda Jacobs (00) looks on during the game against Iowa State Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Photo by Jon Goering

Kansas' Danielle McCray (4) reaches up to pull down a rebound while LaChelda Jacobs (00) looks on during the game against Iowa State Sunday, Feb. 22, 2009, at Allen Fieldhouse.

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McCray has big game against Iowa State

The Kansas women's basketball team broke a four-game losing skid on Sunday by beating Iowa State 58-47.

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KU women upset Iowa State

KU played host to the No. 21 Iowa State Cyclones on Sunday. They defeated the Cyclones 58-47.

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Kansas women defeat Iowa State

KU's Danielle McCray had a game-high 24 points and 16 rebounds in KU's win over the Cyclones.

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Kansas women vs. Iowa State

If it wasn’t Armageddon, it may have been the closest thing to it for Kansas University’s beleaguered women’s basketball team.

Losers of eight of their previous nine games and facing a ranked team in No. 23 Iowa State, the Jayhawks were looking down the road to oblivion.

Goodbye oblivion … at least for now.

Thanks to a yeoman outing from Danielle McCray and a devilish defense, KU stunned the Cyclones, 58-47, on Sunday afternoon in Allen Fieldhouse.

“At some point, you get tired of losing,” KU senior guard Ivana Catic said, “and you find a way to win.”

No doubt a crowd of 7,069 had a lot of do with helping the Jayhawks find a way. The season-high throng, many wearing pink T-shirts as part of a breast-cancer-awareness promotion, provided a catalytic spark.

“You could feel the energy,” junior Sade Morris said, “and we took it in.”

McCray was marvelous, scoring 24 points, grabbing 16 rebounds — three more than her previous career high — and contributing three blocks and three steals.

“I couldn’t be more proud of Danielle,” KU coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “She let the game come to her, and she rebounded like a monster.”

And yet it was mostly a monstrous defense that enabled the Jayhawks to pull out of their tailspin, notably by forcing the Cyclones to miss 25 of their 30 second-half shots.

“You can’t win going 5-for-30 from the field,” Iowa State coach Bill Fennelly said. “Without question, it was the worst game we’ve played all year.”

All season, the Cyclones have relied primarily on the three-point goal, launching more shots from beyond the arc than any Big 12 Conference team.

But ISU made only three of 16 long-range shots, and that inaccuracy, said Henrickson, was largely due to the Jayhawks’ relentless defense.

“Our kids did a good job of getting them to play faster, to get them out of rhythm,” Henrickson said. “I said every shot needs to be contested, every three has got to be rushed.”

Added Catic: “They can make threes any time so you can never relax, and we never relaxed once.”

Still, Fennelly wasn’t ready to give Kansas’ defense 100 percent of the credit.

“I think that was part of it,” Fennelly said. “But it was a combination of their good defense and our bad offense. Our offense was pitiful. You have to score in this league, and we did not.”

Perhaps the most salient factor, however, was KU’s late domination. Many’s the time this season when the Jayhawks have wobbled down the stretch. Not Sunday.

Kansas was nursing a 46-45 lead with five minutes remaining, then outscored the Cyclones, 12-2, the rest of the way. Both those points were free throws as ISU bricked its last nine shots.

Meanwhile, free throws were another KU strength. The Jayhawks were 17-of-17 at the foul stripe in the second half, 8-for-8 in the last 2 1/2 minutes.

“Finally, in this game we held our lead,” sophomore Nicollette Smith said. “They’re a Top-25 team, but we held our lead, and I think that shows maturity.”

Kansas (14-10 overall, 3-9 Big 12) will travel to Oklahoma State on Wednesday night. Iowa State (19-7, 7-5) has dropped three of its last four.

Notes: KU knocked off a ranked team for the first time since toppling then-No. 23 Texas on Jan. 3, 2006. … The announced crowed was the seventh largest to watch a women’s game in Allen Fieldhouse. … Smith had to be helped off the floor with about 11 minutes remaining after suffering a sprained ankle, but she returned with under two minutes left. … Catic had six assists, but only two points. She has taken only 12 shots in KU’s dozen Big 12 games. … The Jayhawks were charged with 15 turnovers, a high number, yet 3 1/2 below their per-game average.

— Sports writer Chuck Woodling can be reached at 832-6348.

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Comments

Omegatron (anonymous) says...

It starts with one.

Hope they can gain momentum and finish the year strong. Something to build upon for next year.

February 22, 2009 at 4:37 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

mvjayhawk (anonymous) says...

one day Bonnie will recruit a point guard.....and we'll see if that one day will be on the Kansas sideline.

February 22, 2009 at 4:45 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

unljayhawk (anonymous) says...

She's got a point gaurd! A darn good one! Problem is we lost her for the season before it even started. Great win though!

February 22, 2009 at 5:19 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

eastTXjayhawk (anonymous) says...

yep, she's a good one, i wonder how her knee is coming along?
i have a cadaver ACL in my right knee, i think it may have come from Ted Williams as my softball gave has improved...

February 22, 2009 at 5:50 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

kucourtsider (anonymous) says...

The KU Men's basketball game is yesterday's news. give the ladies the headline this afternoon. Good grief, a team that has struggled all season pulls a GREAT defensive win out against a ranked opponent and they get a tiny blurb. Kind of a slap in the face.

Great win ladies. Keep up the STRONG defensive effort and slow up on those turnovers.

Excellent crowd today!

February 22, 2009 at 7:24 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

phogthedog (anonymous) says...

It helps to have a crowd there to cheer you on! We need to have this same kind of crowd next weekend. Come on Lou.......get your minions working on it! Anyone know why Aisha didn't play in the second half? She needs to play more, she's stronger under the basket than Krysten.

February 22, 2009 at 7:50 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Omegatron (anonymous) says...

LJ World for ya. All the effort and resources go into covering the Men's sports and the women are pretty much ignored.

At least they put some effort into putting out articles ahead of the game, if only for this game, instead of the day of.

February 22, 2009 at 8:35 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

Hate to be the spoiler for you, as this was indeed a great win for the ladies, but 95% of the readers are coming for KU Football and Men's basketball.

I wouldn't argue about the headline, but don't act like the alternative isn't as or more justifiable.

February 22, 2009 at 11:14 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Omegatron (anonymous) says...

"Hate to be the spoiler for you, as this was indeed a great win for the ladies, but 95% of the readers are coming for KU Football and Men's basketball.

I wouldn't argue about the headline, but don't act like the alternative isn't as or more justifiable."

The flipside of the arguement.

If they aren't going to cover all KU sports, it's illogical and misleading to name this site KUSports.com.

KU has a lot more sports then Football and Men's Basketball, and diverse enough in it's enrollment to have fans, students, and alumni who are interested each of those sports.

In addition, just because 95% of user comment(s) appear mainly on those two headline sport topics, one cannot assume that that translate to 95% of all who come here being only interested in those two sports.

February 23, 2009 at 12:04 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Omegatron (anonymous) says...

... and it's illogical for the university and local paper to ignore the third highest revenue generating sport on campus.

Look around the country, ranked women teams are either selling out their stadiums or coming very close to it.

February 23, 2009 at 12:15 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

3rd highest? It's a drop in the bucket..

You're right. KU does have other sports and those who are interested in them. KUSports covers a lot of them, obviously not in the same manner.

That's because KU and KUSports are doing what any good business ought to do. The business devotes the proportional amount of advertising and resources to each sport. The women could beat Tennessee and you're probably still going to have more people visiting this site to read about Cole, Sherron, Todd, and Kerry. Speculation, yes, but I'd be willing to bet on that.

February 23, 2009 at 8:08 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Phillbert (anonymous) says...

Great win for Coach Henrickson and the team! They have shown throughout the year that they have the potential to win games against ranked opponents, but had often not able to put together a complete game. Hopefully they'll use this win to build some late season momentum.

I also hope that the 7,000 fans who turned out to support a great cause will also turn out next Saturday at 7:00 when the team takes on Nebraska.

February 23, 2009 at 10:22 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Bigslick4KU (anonymous) says...

Phillbert you are correct. Just read the comments of the players about the crowd and there is an impact for them during the game.

Where is NJ? Those supportive and positive comments are missing today, what's the deal?

Great win ladies, see you for NU!!!

February 23, 2009 at 10:55 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Omegatron (anonymous) says...

"3rd highest?"

Please name another campus sport, outside the two headline sports, that plays in a venue that holds as many as 16,300.

"It's a drop in the bucket.."

Now.

But it has the potential of making a lot more depending on if the program becomes as successful as other programs at other schools (Duke, North Carolina, UCONN, Tennessee, etc... )

The more success the program has, the more interest it will gain. The more interest it gains, the higher the attendance. The higher the attendance, the more money it'll bring in at it's current rate. Once the interest is high enough, and steady enough, ticket prices can be raised.

"You're right. KU does have other sports and those who are interested in them. KUSports covers a lot of them, obviously not in the same manner.

That's because KU and KUSports are doing what any good business ought to do. The business devotes the proportional amount of advertising and resources to each sport. The women could beat Tennessee and you're probably still going to have more people visiting this site to read about Cole, Sherron, Todd, and Kerry. Speculation, yes, but I'd be willing to bet on that."

I wouldn't. Human Nature is to follow a winner. But I guess we'll find out in a year or so if you are right...

February 23, 2009 at 1:51 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

I don't buy it. Sorry. Even UNC doesn't sell out their women's games, and they win consistently.

Also, the amount of money KU makes off of people buying Kansas Basketball/Football shirts ALONE probably dwarfs what women's bball brings in counting all revenue mechanisms.

I'm not against women's basketball, and I think it's great that they came up with a big win. It just doesn't have the same kind of market that Men's BB and Football have, and you can't expect a news medium to not write/appeal to its market.

There enters the beauty of capitalistic endeavors. If you think the Women's College BBall (particularly KU WBB) market is bigger than KUSports does, go start your own website.

February 23, 2009 at 2:25 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

Also, playing in a venue that seats 16,300 and filling that venue are two very, very different things.

February 23, 2009 at 2:26 p.m. ( | suggest removal )

Omegatron (anonymous) says...

"I don't buy it. "

.... Third largest market please.

"It just doesn't have the same kind of market that Men's BB and Football have, and you can't expect a news medium to not write/appeal to its market."

You are right, it doesn't. Which is why it's the third largest market.

And you are wrong. Writing stories about women's basketball, and other ku sports, is appealing to the local market... which is what they have to cater to in order to continue to function and sell papers.

It's not a good thing when the local market has to go to outside sources for information about local interest.

This should be the first place someone in the local market goes for pre and post game coverage and information, not the last...

February 24, 2009 at 2:34 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Omegatron (anonymous) says...

Also, the local market have every right to expect the local media to hype games of interest ahead of the game that is played.

If the local media doesn't want to hype games of interest, that is find. But they then should forfeit the right to criticize lack of local interest.

http://www2.kusports.com/news/2009/fe...

February 24, 2009 at 2:48 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

Omegatron (anonymous) says...

rewrite...

But they then should forfeit the right to criticize lack of local interest and knowledge of said games.

.... hit the reply to fast.

February 24, 2009 at 2:52 a.m. ( | suggest removal )

JayViking (anonymous) says...

You say third highest like that means something.

It's a drop in the bucket. It's absolutely dwarfed. And that's why you'll see proportional coverage.

February 24, 2009 at 7:08 a.m. ( | suggest removal )