TUCSON, ARIZ. ? Kansas paid the price for poor shooting.
KU’s women’s basketball team pulled within two points of Arizona late in Friday night’s game at McKale Center, but the Jayhawks missed 12 of their final 15 shots and suffered an 81-73 loss.
Kansas | 34 | 39 | 73 |
Arizona | 33 | 48 | 81 |
Attendance: 3,108.
“We missed a lot of layups,” said KU coach Marian Washington, whose team fell to 6-4 overall. “We didn’t do too well from the free-throw line. When you’re on the road, you’ve got to be able to take care of the little things.”
The Jayhawks outrebounded Arizona 46-38 and made three fewer turnovers. But the Wildcats (10-2) made 50 percent of their field-goal attempts (29 of 58), compared to 37.3 percent (28 of 75) for Kansas.
After Jennifer Jackson hit a jumper on the game’s first possession, the Jayhawks missed 11 of their next 13 shots. Many of KU’s misfires came from point-blank range.
“In the paint, we had some opportunities,” Washington said. “Our outside shooting was not that good, and we couldn’t open things up as well as we wanted to.”
KU was 2-of-9 from three-point range and 15-of-23 from the foul line.
Jaclyn Johnson KU’s leading scorer with an average of 17.4 points per game made three of 12 field-goal attempts, seven of 11 free throws and finished with 14 points while playing a season-high 38 minutes.
KU led 6-4 when starting center Kristin Geoffroy went to the bench with two fouls less than four minutes into the game. The Wildcats responded with 14-4 run, taking an 18-10 lead on Aimee Grzyb’s three-pointer with 10:09 left in the half.
Arizona still led by eight, 20-12, when Brooke Reves sparked a 9-0 KU sizz with two baskets and an assist. Her layup gave Kansas a 21-20 lead with 7:03 remaining. The Wildcats tied the score three times, but KU managed a 34-33 halftime lead.
Kansas started hot in the second half. Reves who led KU with 16 points scored six points in the period’s first 2:40, and the Jayhawks led 45-39 after backup center Dalchon Brown’s bucket with 16:54 to play.
Brown a junior college transfer played a season-high 14 minutes and finished with eight points.
KU cooled off, though, missing its next seven field-goal attempts. The Wildcats reclaimed the lead on a Reshea Bristol’s three-pointer with 13:14 remaining.
There were six lead changes and three ties in the ensuing eight minutes before momentum swung in Arizona’s favor.
After Johnson gave KU a 61-59 lead with 7:49 remaining, the Jayhawks turned the ball over on four of their next five possessions. Arizona took advantage with a 7-0 run, capped by Elizabeth Pickney’s bucket with 5:08 remaining.
Johnson countered with a three-point play that cut the deficit to 66-64, but KU never climbed any closer.
Arizona stretched its lead back to eight points when Pickney scored five straight points for a 75-67 lead with 1:17 to play.
Reserve guard KC Hilgenkamp kept the deficit from reaching double-digits with two baskets and an assist in the final minute. The junior finished with 11 points.
Backup post player Nikki White added nine points and five rebounds. The junior had missed the previous two games with a hip injury.
Pickney led Arizona with 24 points and eight rebounds. Reserve Veranda James, who had missed five games due to a concussion and academic problems, added 17 points and seven rebounds. Bristol had 11 points and 10 assists, and Grzyb added 13 points.
Kansas will play its final nonconference game Sunday afternoon at UC-Santa Barbara (5-5). The Jayhawks begin Big 12 play with a Jan. 6 home game against Baylor.
“I’m pleased with our overall effort,” Washington said. “We have to keep getting better.”
Three-point goals: 2-9 (Johnson 1-2, Hilgenkamp 1-5, Reves 0-1, Jackson 0-1). Assists: 18 (Scott 4, Hilgenkamp 4, Reves 3, Johnson 3, Bosi 2, Geoffroy 1, Jackson 1). Turnovers: 22 (Johnson 5, Jackson 4, Reves 3, Hilgenkamp 3, Scott 2, Bosi 2, Geoffroy, White 1, Brown 1). Blocked shots: 2 (Jackson 1, White 1). Steals: 9 (Reves 4, Johnson 1, Geoffroy 1, Jackson 1, Scott 1, Hilgenkamp 1). |
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Three-point goals: 4-12 (Grzyb 3-6, Bristol 1-5, Bozeman 0-1). Assists: 20 (Bristol 10, Bozeman 4, Taylor 2, Warren 2, Grzyb 1, James 1). Turnovers: 25 (Bristol 6, Bozeman 5, Pickney 3, Taylor 3, Grzyb 3, Warren 2, Allen 1, James 1, team 1). Blocked shots: 5 (Taylor 3, Pickney 2). Steals: 9 (Pickney 2, James 2, Taylor 1, Bristol 1, Bozeman 1, Allen 1, Warren 1). |