Kansas women suffer first setback, 73-61

By Jesse Newell     Jan 8, 2006

Jill Peitzmeier/Lincoln Journal-Star Photo
Kansas University guard Ivana Catic, right, drives past Nebraska's T.K. LaFleur. The Huskers handed the Jayhawks their first loss of the season, 73-61, Saturday night in the Devaney Center in Lincoln, Neb.

Of all things, it was a zone defense that finally busted Kansas University’s women’s basketball team.

Though the Jayhawks had welcomed zone through their 12-game undefeated stretch because of strong perimeter shooting, it was a 3-2 Nebraska spread that stifled the Jayhawks in a 73-61 loss to the Cornhuskers on Saturday night in the Devaney Center.

Kansas fell to 12-1, ending its school-record unbeaten streak to start the season.

“They just really took us out of our rhythm there because we were settling for outside shots,” KU forward Crystal Kemp said. “If we would have just took our time and penetrated the zone, I think we would have gotten what we wanted. I think we panicked a little bit.”

After shooting well in the first half – making 59 percent of their shots from the field – the Jayhawks’ strength became their greatest weakness in the final 16 minutes.

Trailing 45-39, Nebraska coach Connie Yori implemented the 3-2 zone, put in place to bother an outside-shooting team like Kansas.

It worked. The Jayhawks made just one of 10 three-pointers the rest of the way and often settled for the long-range shots even when they weren’t falling.

“Shooters should always think the next one’s going in,” KU coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “I just wish we would have taken a different next one.”

Nebraska also was helped by a strong performance from all-conference standout Kiera Hardy.

The junior contributed 26 points, scoring on a variety of tough shots including two step-back fadeaways and also a banked three.

“Today I had God on my side,” Hardy said. “Some of them were very hard. I just tried to stay focused, and I really got lucky today.”

Still, Henrickson refused to believe the league’s leading returning scorer was more lucky than good.

“She’s done that her entire career,” Henrickson said. “She gets great separation off the dribble and is explosive to the rim. She’s a tough matchup for everybody in this league.”

After winning 12 straight home contests to start the season, Kansas dropped its first game away from Allen Fieldhouse.

And though a season-high 7,114 Nebraska fans attended, Henrickson said it was offensive execution – and not the setting – that hurt the Jayhawks the most.

“We didn’t do that well enough to win,” Henrickson said, “and it wouldn’t have mattered where we played.”

Kansas certainly didn’t seem overwhelmed early in its first road test of the year.

A Sarah White three from the corner capped a 10-0 Husker run in the first half, giving Nebraska a 20-15 lead and chance to blow the game wide-open with 10:48 remaining.

But the Jayhawks remained unfazed, scoring the next seven points, with each of the three seniors contributing a basket to put Kansas on top.

The Jayhawks led 35-34 at the break, but mustered just 16 points in the final 16 1/2 minutes.

Kemp led Kansas with 23 points and 11 rebounds. She made 11 of her 14 shots from the floor.

Kaylee Brown added 13 points, while Sophronia Sallard provided a spark off the bench with eight minutes, two assists and three rebounds after not playing in the previous six games.

The Jayhawks will travel to Colorado to face the Buffaloes on Tuesday.

Though disappointed, Henrickson said her team would not let the loss linger.

“We didn’t overreact to being 12-0,” Henrickson said, “and we’re not going to overreact to losing a game.”

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