Kansas University’s women’s basketball team matched the 1991-92 squad for the best start in program history, improving to 10-0 with a 73-60 win over Pepperdine Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
“We still have 16 conference games in front of us but we have one more before we get into conference play,” said senior Crystal Kemp led the Jayhawks with 27 points — 17 in the second half — one shy of her career high and has now eclipsed the 20-point mark in two of the last three games.
With her 10 field goals, Kemp moved into 10th on KU’s all-time list with 503. Senior Erica Hallman finished with 17 points, and freshman Ivana Catic chipped in with 14 points and five assists.
“It’s one more game until the big show,” Catic said. “I am just trying to get myself prepared for the next game and then get ready for the big show.”
The Jayhawks led by as many as 17 points in the contest en route to their fifth double-figure victory of the year.
“We got great energy from the crowd,” KU coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “They really gave our kids energy in the second half when the game was teetering back and forth. I was proud how our kids dug down. In the first half I thought we played undisciplined offensively. In the second half I thought we were a little bit better.”
Kansas continued its stellar play on defense, limiting Pepperdine to 41 percent shooting and forcing 19 turnovers. The Jayhawks, which have their first 10-game winning streak since winning 11 straight between Dec. 22 and Jan. 30 in the 1993-94 season, have now kept every opponent this season under 50-percent shooting from the field.
Pepperdine held KU to 30 percent shooting and pressured the Jayhawks into 15 turnovers. The difference in the game, however, came from the free-throw line. Kansas shot 16-23, while the Waves connected on only 9 of 20 attempts from the charity stripe.
“I think they understand the time, situation, and score,” Henrickson said of her team closing out a close game. ” I thought we took a couple quick shots, but for the most part we are still learning. We are fortunate to have three seniors that all have high basketball IQ’s. Those kids have been good leaders all year and we need them to continue to be.”
Kansas will take on LaSalle on Dec. 30 in a 7 p.m. contest at Allen Fieldhouse.
