When: 7 p.m. today
Where: Allen Fieldhouse
Who: Baylor
Series: Baylor leads, 23-8
Big, bad Bears: Already on a four-game losing skid, Kansas University’s women’s basketball team will face its biggest challenge to date of coach Brandon Schneider’s first season tonight, when No. 4 Baylor visits Allen Fieldhouse.
But sophomore guard Lauren Aldridge said KU (5-8 overall, 0-2 Big 12) isn’t at a place where it can worry about its opponent more than in itself — even if that foe is the Bears (14-1, 1-1).
“Baylor is good. Baylor is always going to be good. I think that, yet again, you can’t look at who they are, we need to evaluate ourselves and what we do, get back to doing what we do best,” Aldridge said. “It shouldn’t make a difference for any of us. They’re the opposing team and we don’t like them, whether they have Baylor written on their chest or they have, school of the I don’t know. We have to go out and play hard every single game.”
Her teammate and fellow sophomore, guard Chayla Cheadle, echoed that line of thinking: “We know this is going to be a big game for us. Every game is a big game for us, especially this season, but I think we’re really excited to play and we just need to do what we know how to do and get out there and execute.”
Dynamic duo: KU guards Lauren Aldridge, a sophomore, and Kylee Kopatich, a freshman, have been two of the more consistent scorers in the KU lineup so far this season. Aldridge, who started all 32 games at point guard during her freshman season a year ago, leads the Jayhawks with a 12.2-point scoring average. Kopatich, who hails from nearby Olathe South High, is right behind her at 11.1 points per game. Both players have reached double figures in scoring in 10 of KU’s 13 games this season and the two guards are also among KU’s leading three-point shooters).
A streak of their own: KU’s men may have a stranglehold on the Big 12 regular season title, having won 11 in a row, but the Baylor women have put together a nice streak of their own. Baylor has won five consecutive Big 12 tournament titles.
Slumping: KU as a whole. The Jayhawks have lost four straight, including three at home, and have not enjoyed a victory since a 61-54, overtime win over Navy back on December 13. The average margin of defeat during KU’s current four-game losing skid is 16 points (67-51) and the Jayhawks have struggled to score throughout the season, failing to top 53 points five times this season.
Probable starters
Kansas (5-8 overall, 0-2 Big 12)
G — Lauren Aldridge, 5-7, so.
G — Jayde Christopher, 5-8, fr.
G — Kylee Kopatich, 5-10, fr.
F — Jada Brown, 6-0, jr.
F — Caelynn Manning-Allen, 6-4, jr.
Baylor (14-1 overall, 1-1)
G — Niya Johnson, 5-8, sr.
G — Alexis Jones, 5-9, jr.
F — Nina Davis, 5-11, jr.
F — Beatrice Mompremier, 6-4, fr.
C — Kristina Higgins, 6-4, sr.