KU women look for strong end to games, season

By Matt Tait     Feb 12, 2014

The last time the Kansas University women’s basketball team faced TCU, the Jayhawks let the game slip away, 52-50, despite holding an 11-point lead with 5:23 to play.

As KU coach Bonnie Henrickson and her players prepare for tonight’s 7 p.m. rematch with the Horned Frogs at Allen Fieldhouse, their minds are fixed on holding their focus to the end.

“How we got up 11 was we made a run in transition and then they turned around and did it to us,” Henrickson said of TCU’s victory on Jan. 8 in Fort Worth, Texas. “We were so passive on the offensive end and then we really didn’t get back in transition. From a mentality standpoint, that’s what went down, and we all remember that, how passive we were and how aggressive they were.”

Freshman forward Jada Brown said the Jayhawks (11-13 overall, 4-8 Big 12) all feel a sense of urgency to bring their A-games to the court every night to give Kansas a chance to finish its season strong.

“I think we need to have the mindset to extend that 11-point lead,” Brown said. “I think that’s where we get comfortable sometimes and lose focus, when we get ahead by a lot, so it’s just having the mentality to step on their throats instead of when we get up by 11 we get comfortable.”

Henrickson, who has preached consistency all season, said it’s time for the Jayhawks to step up. Just six games remain in the regular season before the Big 12 Tournament in Oklahoma City.

“We all have to say, ‘OK, but I have to do more. It’s not enough,'” Henrickson said. “Because we haven’t won.”

While the focus this week has been on the rematch with TCU (14-9, 5-6), Henrickson said her team has talked big picture as it gears up for one last run at building a postseason resume.

“It’s a fine line,” Henrickson said. “I said, ‘We’re gonna have this conversation, but as soon as we’re done we gotta zoom focus again and go with the process of how do you beat TCU. Because if we get caught up in, ‘Oh my gosh, there’s six games left,’ and all those things. … we need to be mature enough to have that conversation.”

TCU has won two games in a row and is averaging 64.5 points per game and shooting 39.4 percent from the field. Freshman Zahna Medley leads the Horned Frogs with 16 points and 3.8 assists per game, while junior Latricia Lovings has recorded a team-best 8.0 rebounds and 3.9 blocks per game.

Kansas owns a 3-2 lead in the all-time series between the two schools, which dates back to 2009. KU swept three meetings with TCU in 2013. Asked if getting revenge for January’s loss was on their minds, the Jayhawks said payback played a big part in this week’s preparation.

“Of course,” Brown said. “Nobody wants to get (swept). So we definitely have to win this next game and we’re definitely going into it with a mindset like that.”

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Written By Matt Tait

A native of Colorado, Matt moved to Lawrence in 1988 and has been in town ever since. He graduated from Lawrence High in 1996 and the University of Kansas in 2000 with a degree in Journalism. After covering KU sports for the University Daily Kansan and Rivals.com, Matt joined the World Company (and later Ogden Publications) in 2001 and has held several positions with the paper and KUsports.com in the past 20+ years. He became the Journal-World Sports Editor in 2018. Throughout his career, Matt has won several local and national awards from both the Associated Press Sports Editors and the Kansas Press Association. In 2021, he was named the Kansas Sportswriter of the Year by the National Sports Media Association. Matt lives in Lawrence with his wife, Allison, and two daughters, Kate and Molly. When he's not covering KU sports, he likes to spend his time playing basketball and golf, listening to and writing music and traveling the world with friends and family.