Birmingham, Ala. ? Kansas University women’s basketball coach Marian Washington couldn’t complain about bench production in the Jayhawks’ opening game at the Blazer Classic.
Production from her starters is another matter.
Kansas | 31 | 31 | 62 |
Alabama-Birmingham | 39 | 28 | 67 |
KU’s reserves contributed more than half of the Jayhawks’ points and outscored Alabama-Birmingham’s bench by 34 points, but Kansas fell to the host Blazers, 67-62, on Saturday night at Bartow Arena.
Kansas reserves Kristin Geoffroy, KC Hilgenkamp and Fernanda Bosi combined to hit 16 of 29 shots, scored a combined 36 points, had 11 rebounds, six assists, four blocked shots and six steals.
But none of Kansas’ starters reached double figures in any category.
UAB (2-1) had three starters in double figures. Deanna Jackson led the way with 26 points and 16 rebounds. Brandi Stallings added 16 points and Mia Thrash added 15.
Hilgenkamp and Bosi led the Jayhawks (2-1) with 13 points apiece, and Geoffroy added 10.
The Blazers hit 57.1 percent of their first-half shots in bolting to a 39-31 lead, but Kansas chipped away in the second half, pulling to 61-60 before UAB pulled away.
Kansas hit 50 percent of its first-half shots but just 38.9 after the break. Kansas hit just four of 13 three-pointers, while UAB was 5-for-9 from beyond the arc.
UAB also outscored Kansas 10-2 from the free-throw line to overcome 24 turnovers. Kansas had just 16.
Jennifer Jackson, playing close to her home town of Tuscaloosa, led the Kansas starters with eight points. Jaclyn Johnson added seven before fouling out early in the second half. Brooke Reves had seven rebounds and four points.
Geoffroy set career highs with seven rebounds and four blocks.
Kansas will play Louisiana-Monroe at 2 p.m. today in a Blazer Classic consolation game. UAB will face Tennessee-Martin in the championship game.
Three-point goals: 4-13 (Bosi 3-5, Hilgenkamp 1-2, Reves 0-1, Johnson 0-1, Jackson 0-1, Scott 0-3). Assists: 15 (Bosi 4, Jackson 3, Reves 2, Johnson 2, Scott 2, Geoffroy, Hilgenkamp). Turnovers: 16 (Johnson 4, Jackson 3, Bosi 3, Reves 2, Geoffroy 2, Scott, Hilgenkamp). Blocked shots: 7 (Geoffroy 4, Reves, Johnson, White). Steals: 12 (Hilgenkamp 3, Johnson 2, Scott 2, Bosi 2, Reves, Jackson, Geoffroy). |
|||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
Three-point goals: 5-9 (Stallings 4-6, Thrash 1-1, Jackson 0-1, White 0-1). Assists: 14 (Rhodes 3, Jackson 2, Stallings 2, White 2, Broussard 2, Thrash, Thomas, Smith). Turnovers: 24 (White 5, Thrash 4, Broussard 4, Jackson 3, Stallings 3, Smith 2, Thomas, Brown, team). Blocked shots: 1 (Jackson). Steals: 4 (Jackson 3, Rhodes). |