When Kansas University and Missouri meet in any sport, it’s easy for people with Kansas City ties to get excited.
Blair Waltz of the KU women’s basketball team gets fired up for a different reason.
“I don’t think it’s just because I’m a Kansas City girl,” Waltz said. “It’s because my high school teammates play on the team.”
Waltz, a sophomore forward and a 2001 graduate of Blue Valley North High in Overland Park, was part of a phenomenal program that won two state titles and earned four consecutive berths in the Class 6A state tournament.
Tracy Lozier, Waltz’s Blue Valley North teammate, is on Missouri’s roster for a 1:05 p.m. tipoff today at Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be televised live on Fox Sports Midwest (Sunflower Broadband channel 51).
Another former prep teammate, Wannette Smith, left the Missouri team earlier this season for health reasons.
Lozier, a junior, scored 11 points in MU’s 69-57 victory on Feb. 9, 2002, and Waltz has been waiting a year to get vindication.
“It’s a game I look forward to,” Waltz said. “And it’s the Border War, so of course we’re going to want to win it.”
The new Border War Series has been lopsided. Missouri leads 11.5 to 2.5, and with KU’s fall sports struggling a women’s basketball victory would be helpful.
“It has been hyped more so with the trophy this year,” KU coach Marian Washington said. “For the fans especially, I think it is really exciting for them to have this kind of rivalry year in and year out with Missouri and Kansas State.”
KU (9-12 overall, 2-8 Big 12 Conference) hasn’t played since losing 89-47 a week ago at Texas. The extra time off was almost a blessing for Waltz. Her nagging back pain was finally diagnosed as sacroiliac syndrome, and she was able to rest.
“It’s with your pelvis and your alignment,” Waltz said. “My alignment’s off, and it’s making all my muscles tight. I’m feeling better, though.”
| When: 1:05 p.m. today.Where: Allen Fieldhouse.Television: Fox Sports Midwest, Sunflower Broadband channel 51.Records: Kansas (9-12 overall, 2-8 Big 12 Conference) vs. Missouri (12-9, 6-4).Series: KU leads, 33-28, but Missouri has won the last five meetings. |
Waltz is expected to play, but will likely give up her starting spot to freshman Erica Hallman.
Otherwise, Missouri (12-9, 6-4) will be facing a healthy, rested Kansas squad. The Tigers have caught fire recently, topping Iowa State 70-57 on Wednesday and beating Nebraska 74-53 last Saturday. They’ve won five in a row against Kansas, dating to January 2000.
“They have three returning starters,” Washington said. “I think that they are a pretty solid ballclub, and if you aren’t able to handle their aggressive, very intense defense, I think you are going to run into trouble.”
Probable Starters
Kansas (9-12, 2-8)
F — Crystal Kemp, 6-2, Fr., 11.0
F — Tamara Ransburg, 6-4, Fr., 9.9
G — Leila Mengüç, 5-6, Jr., 2.8
G — Erica Hallman, 5-8, Fr., 5.6
G — Aquanita Burras, 5-9, Soph., 11.1
F — Evan Unrau, 6-1, Jr., 15.7
F — Stretch James, 6-2, Jr., 9.3
C — Melanie Fisher, 6-2, Jr., 5.7
G — Tracy Lozier, 5-10, Jr., 9.0
G — Kerensa Barr, 5-10, Sr., 11.7
Tipoff: 1:05 p.m., Allen Fieldhouse.
Telecast: Fox Sports Midwest (Sunflower Broadband channel 51)
Broadcast: Jayhawk Network, including KLWN 1320
