Lubbock, Texas ? Kansas University is on a hot streak. Texas Tech is in a terrible tailspin.
Yet when the two Big 12 Conference schools clash in women’s basketball tonight, it’s not unreasonable to expect the unexpected.
Tipoff will be at 7 p.m. at United Spirit Arena.
After winning three of its last four games, Kansas (15-9 overall, 4-7 Big 12) is hoping to finish strong and perhaps secure an NCAA Tournament bid, although coach Bonnie Henrickson isn’t counting that chicken.
“Right now all we’re concerned about is getting No. 16,” Henrickson said.
Meanwhile, Texas Tech (14-11 overall, 2-9 Big 12) is reeling. After winning 12 of their first 13 games, the Red Raiders have dropped 10 of their last 12 and have fallen into 11th place in Big 12 standings.
Second-year coach Kristy Curry has six junior-college transfers on her roster, and the Raiders haven’t been able to overcome a tendency to go into scoring funks.
“That’s been our biggest thing,” Curry said. “In the game that we’ve really struggled, we’ve gone long stretches where we weren’t able to score.”
Kansas also had scoring droughts early in the conference season, but the Jayhawks have been more consistent lately with the emergence of 6-foot-5 freshman Krysten Boogaard as a threat.
Nevertheless, Kansas has dropped all five of its conference road games, and no KU team has won in Lubbock since 1978. In fact, Tech has captured the last eight meetings, including last year’s 66-65 triumph in Lawrence. KU’s last victory over the Raiders was in 1999.
“We know they play very well at home,” KU guard LaChelda Jacobs said of the Raiders. “We have just got to keep on rolling and stay aggressive. If we do that, then hopefully we can go down there and get a win.”
Jacobs’ play off the bench has been a catalyst during the Jayhawks’ resurgence. The 5-10 sophomore guard had 10 points and a game-high six assists in Sunday’s 62-61 victory over Nebraska in Allen Fieldhouse.
“Jacobs was definitely a factor,” NU coach Connie Yori said.