After studying Danielle McCray’s three-point struggles lately, Kansas University women’s basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson approached the freshman forward before Sunday’s game and emphasized setting her feet before preparing to fire away.
“She told me that,” McCray said. “And I was ready every time I caught it.”
Heeding her coach’s advice, McCray scored a career-high 25 points on 6-of-7 shooting behind the arc. Behind the freshman’s performance and Shaquina Mosley’s near triple-double, the Jayhawks defeated Kansas State, 82-74, in double-overtime Sunday afternoon in Allen Fieldhouse.
The victory halted a 12-game losing streak to their Sunflower State rivals, which made for an ebullient postgame locker room.
“It was incredible,” freshman Kelly Kohn said. “We’ve been feeling the whole streak and rivalry all week.”
The rivalry game ebbed and flowed with nine ties and 13 lead changes. Kansas (9-17 overall, 3-10 Big 12 Conference) led, 58-56, with 17 seconds left in regulation when Kansas State freshman Ashley Sweat, the No. 2 option, scored on an inbound play. The forward posted a career- and team-high 20 points.
“She did a nice job on the catch and score,” Kansas State coach Deb Patterson said. “On a day when we struggled offensively, for a freshman to maintain that consistency is impressive.'”
It was KU’s turn for late-game heroics during the first overtime. With the her team trailing 70-68, Mosley drove past two defenders to tie the game with five seconds left.
“There was a wide-open lane,” Mosley said. “So I just took it in.”
The senior filled the stat box with an all-around performance, notching 21 points, a career-high 14 rebounds, nine assists and three blocks – part of her impressive comeback year.
After a ballyhooed career at Central Arizona Community College, the KU faithful expected major contributions from her as a junior, but the guard scored only 2.9 points per game last year. Henrickson has met with her weekly to improve their communication, along with her shot selection and turnovers.
“Her and I have really worked,” Henrickson said. “She’s playing with a lot more confidence.”
That self-assuredness extends to the 5-foot-6 guard’s play on the glass.
“They think they can just elevate over me,” she said. “People don’t think I’m going to jump that high. They don’t really worry about me going to the rim. “
Mosley and the rest of her team outrebounded Kansas State 50-39 overall and 25-13 in the first half.
“We were dominated obviously on the boards,” Patterson said.
McCray, who struggled early in the season with her conditioning, contributed 10 of those boards in a commanding 47-minute performance. Sunday, McCray saved her best for last, scoring seven of the team’s 12 points during the second overtime to power her team to victory.
“I’m really confident,” McCray said. “That’s what coach (Henrickson) says she likes about me.”
The Olathe native called it her best game, and her baskets pierced the Wildcats like daggers. With less than six minutes left in the first half, her three-point shot gave KU a 20-19 lead and sparked a 10-0 run.
During the second overtime, a McCray three stretched the lead to 75-71 with 2:58 left, and a warm-up-the-buses-three gave KU a 81-71 lead with 57 seconds left.
Kohn also delivered momentum-changing threes, going 3-of-6 behind the arc en route to 16 points. That followed a miserable 0-for-8, scoreless performance during the last game, a 67-57 loss to Missouri.
Henrickson praised Kohn’s resiliency and her aggressiveness driving to the goal.
“You like that she thinks the next one is going in,” Henrickson said. “You can tell there’s a freight train coming. No matter what, she’s going to the rim.”
The Jayhawks received one of their most balanced performances of the year. Taylor McIntosh chipped in 10 rebounds, and Sade Morris scored 13 in addition to the contributions from McCray, Mosley and Kohn.
On the other side, the Wildcats struggled from the floor expect for Sweat, Kimberly Dietz (17 points) and Claire Coggins (14 points).
“Three offensive players is not enough to win in this league,” Patterson said.
The Wildcats (16-0, 4-9) clearly missed sophomore forward Marlies Gipson, who averaged 12.8 points and 8.3 rebounds before injuring her knee Jan. 17 at Nebraska. Kansas State fell to 2-8 in games without Gipson.
But the Jayhawks eradicated another statistic – a 12-game losing streak – with a climactic win.
“It’s a great feeling to win – ever,” Kohn said. “But to beat K-State at home feels great.”
Jared SoaresFor the third straight match, Emily Brown and the Kansas University volleyball team had something to smile about.
“We’re all about breaking streaks,” Brown said.
After Saturday night’s dominating performance against Texas Tech, consider another one broken.
The Jayhawks ended a five-match home losing skid, sweeping the Red Raiders, 30-26, 30-25, 30-22, to improve to 15-11 and take over sole possession of sixth place in the Big 12 Conference.
On Nov. 5, Kansas broke a string of 21 straight losses to Kansas State and an eight-match losing streak by defeating the 24th-ranked Wildcats, 3-1.
“I know that helped my confidence,” Brown said, “and you can tell as a team we’re playing a little bit different.”
The Jayhawks also are playing with a greater sense of purpose knowing they currently are on the dreaded NCAA Tournament bubble.
“There’s urgency – you can tell,” Kansas coach Ray Bechard said. “There’s urgency within our team knowing we need to keep winning if we want to keep playing.”
With five league teams near-certain invitees to the Big Dance, Kansas finds itself on the outside looking in with seven conference victories and three matches to play.
“As good as our conference is, we think they’ll go deeper than that,” Bechard said, “if somebody steps up there and gives them a reason to do that.”
The Jayhawks staked their claim Saturday night, taking the match, 3-0, without the Red Raiders posing a threat.
Kansas trailed only once in the three games, and that was after a Tech spike made it 1-0 on the first point of Game One.
Brown again led the Jayhawks, finding extra power in her spikes to finish with 14 kills. The sophomore also contributed five of Kansas’ nine service aces.
“We’re all very hopeful,” Brown said. “It’s not just like a prayer to get in. If we keep this up, we’re going to be fine.”
The Jayhawks also performed well at the end of games, improving in an area that haunted them during their eight-match losing streak in October.
“There were games that were semi-close that maybe a couple of weeks ago we might have wondered if we could finish those games,” Bechard said. “Now, we’re staying composed.”
Josi Lima notched 11 kills, and Paula Caten added nine.
Dani Wittman contributed three service aces.
Kansas will finish its schedule with matches at Texas A&M, at home against No. 12 Missouri and on the road against Iowa State.
And even though the Jayhawks see themselves as “streak busters,” Brown knows the best way to make the postseason would be for the squad not to break its current three-match winning string.
“We know we kind of dug ourselves a big hole in the middle of the season,” Brown said. “Everybody’s just doing whatever they can to make sure we win.”
