It’s bounce-back time for Kansas University’s women’s basketball team.
After Wednesday’s 57-54 loss at Oklahoma State, the Jayhawks will play host today to struggling Colorado.
Tipoff will be 1:05 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse. The Big 12 Conference game will be televised live on Sunflower Broadband Channel 6.
First-year KU coach Bonnie Henrickson says her players were maintaining an even keel despite a season of promising highs and perplexing lows.
“You can tell they’re disappointed, but we’re not devastated,” Henrickson said. “To see how poorly we played (at OSU), and it was still a one-possession game, is tough to sit and think about. We’ve got to be able to rebound and be resilient and win the next game.”
KU (10-11 overall, 3-7 Big 12) will meet a Colorado team (8-13, 1-9) that has struggled more than the Jayhawks.
The Buffaloes come to town dragging a six-game losing streak. The skein includes a 65-60 loss to the Jayhawks on Jan. 25 in Boulder. The Buffaloes have two starters taller than Crystal Kemp, KU’s biggest player, yet Henrickson said height wasn’t much of a problem because the Jayhawks have long-range scoring options.
“Our perimeter stepped up and didn’t force us to win it inside for 40 minutes,” Henrickson said.
One of the players making a difference is guard Erica Hallman, who scorched Colorado in the previous meeting with 18 points.
Colorado is last in the league standings primarily because the Buffaloes surrender an average of 70 points per game, the worst in the Big 12. In comparison, Nebraska has the 11th-ranked defense at 64 points a game.
Henrickson stressed the need to focus on the Buffaloes if the Jayhawks want to keep their flickering postseason hopes alive.
“That’s what we all want, but if that’s what you’re staring at, and all of sudden you slip like we slipped the other night, if we do that again and do it a couple of more times, then what we’re focusing on, we’re never going to get,” Henrickson said.
Today’s game is the first of four straight for the Jayhawks in Allen Fieldhouse. Powerhouse Texas Tech will be here Wednesday, followed by Nebraska a week from today and Baylor on Feb. 23.
Norman, Okla. ? One lucky Oklahoma University women’s basketball fan will leave today’s game against Kansas University with a pair of diamond earrings.
Kansas would settle for leaving town with an elusive Big 12 Conference victory.
Tipoff will be at 4:05 p.m. at Lloyd Noble Center. The game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Radio Network, including KLWN 1320, and televised live on Fox Sports Midwest (Sunflower Broadband Channel 51).
In conjunction with Valentine’s Day, a Norman jeweler will award the diamond earrings during a halftime contest. The Jayhawks (9-12 overall, 2-8 Big 12) would be happy to halt their three-game losing streak.
KU knocked off Oklahoma State two weeks ago, just two days after coach Marian Washington announced she was taking an indefinite leave of absence for undisclosed medical reasons.
However, under interim coach Lynette Woodard, the Jayhawks since have dropped successive games to Texas Tech, Nebraska and Kansas State.
Oklahoma (15-6, 5-5) is coming off one of the biggest wins in program history — a stunning 68-62 win over Texas Tech in Lubbock. The loss was the first for Tech on its home floor since a 70-67 setback to Texas in March.
“It’s a huge win for our program, for our season,” Oklahoma coach Sherri Coale said.
Kansas also played a top-10 team its last time out, bowing to No. 9-ranked K-State, 81-51, in Allen Fieldhouse.
“We’ve got to learn from one of these games,” said KU guard Erica Hallman, who led the Jayhawks with 14 points against Kansas State.
“We can’t dwell on it though. We have to play Oklahoma on their floor, and they’re a great team. We just have to get it together. Hopefully, by the time the conference is over and the tournament starts, we’ll be better.”
6Sports video: Lady Jayhawks ready for battle against Sooners