In three decades of recorded history, no Kansas University women’s basketball team ever has swept its nonconference foes.
Now LaSalle stands in the way of the broom. The Explorers are the Jayhawks’ last opponent before Big 12 Conference play begins next week.
With so much at stake, it isn’t likely KU’s players will have any difficulty focusing tonight on LaSalle.
“It won’t be tough at all,” senior forward Crystal Kemp said. “I think it’s important to go into Big 12 play undefeated.”
Tipoff will be 7:05 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse, with a live telecast on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6.
KU coach Bonnie Henrickson expressed little concern when asked if her players might be looking ahead.
“I don’t think so,” Henrickson said. “But you have to have upperclassmen who understand how important it is.”
Henrickson has three senior starters – Kemp, Erica Hallman and Kaylee Brown – and they rank 1-2-3 in team scoring. Kemp scored 27 points in Wednesday night’s 73-60 victory over Pepperdine in Allen Fieldhouse.
“Crystal is like this every game,” freshman point guard Ivana Catic said. “She is definitely a senior leader that we can count on. I don’t think that she cares so much for the figures. The only thing that she cares about is the W.”
Catic vows she, too, won’t be looking too far down the road.
“We have one more game to the Big Show,” she said, “and I want to have a good game.”
A victory tonight also would give the Jayhawks (10-0) the fastest start in school history. The 1991-92 team began with 10 straight victories before Arizona State halted the streak with a 72-71 victory in a tournament in Miami. That KU club, coached by Marian Washington, went on to post a 25-6 record and capture the Big Eight regular-season championship.
No one has projected this year’s team as a Big 12 title favorite, however. The Jayhawks may be 10-0, but their schedule has been underwhelming. In fact, KU is one of only seven unbeaten teams remaining in NCAA Div. I and the only one of those unbeatens that isn’t ranked.
LaSalle seems to be another so-so foe. The Explorers have dropped six of their nine outings. The Philadelphia school’s lone victories have been over Wagner, Rider and Tennessee-Martin.
On the flip side, the Explorers lost by a point to Villanova in their most recent outing eight days ago, and they’re outscoring their opponents by about two points a game.
