Kansan file photo

Aquanita Burras, senior guard, is blocked by Nebraska’s Danielle Page after making it past two other Nebraska players during the Jayhawks’ game at Nebraska on Jan. 29. The game ended with a 59-48 Nebraska victory. The Cornhuskers will play the Jayhawks at 2 p.m. Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse.

Several weeks ago, the match-up against unranked Nebraska seemed to be a relative break in Kansas’ rugged late season schedule.

Instead, the Jayhawks will face a peaking Cornhusker team that has won five of its last six games, most recently a 14-point victory against Texas A&M.; Nebraska also issued an 88-59 defeat to No. 19 Iowa State last Saturday. Picked to finish ninth in the Big 12 Conference in a preseason poll, the Huskers currently stand in a tie for third place.

The Jayhawks, however, are coming off a 66-53 home defeat to No. 15 Texas Tech in which the Jayhawks showed a clear lack of full intensity in the first half. Because of the lackluster performance on Wednesday, Kansas is eager to rebound.

“Because of how we played, I think we are going to be more determined to play better on Sunday,” Kansas senior guard Aquanita Burras said.

Better focus is a necessity for Kansas to play well against the remaining teams on the conference slate, Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said.

“We certainly have to be better to compete against the teams we have coming up the rest of the schedule,” Henrickson said.

Sunday the Jayhawks hope to avenge the Jan. 29 defeat by Nebraska.

Taking a tight contest into halftime, the Huskers rode a second half wave led by freshman forward Danielle Page and sophomore guard Kiera Hardy.

The reserve Page has quickly risen as a first-year player to become an offensive leader for Nebraska, 16-8 (8-4 Big 12).

“Danielle is growing every day,” Nebraska coach Connie Yori said. “She is getting better every day in practice and in every game. She is very talented and now is the time that she is hitting her stride and understanding the kind of player she can be at this level.”

Henrickson also said Page, averaging 9.2 points and 4.6 rebounds in conference play, would be a thorn in the Jayhawks’ side coming off the bench.

Hardy, an athletic guard who leads Nebraska in scoring, could create even more headaches for Kansas. Producing nearly 22 points per contest in league play, Hardy led all scorers in the season’s first match-up.

To counter the threat of Hardy, Kansas will need to produce from the perimeter.

Inconsistent outside shooting and a lack of open opportunities have been the downfalls for the Jayhawks throughout the Big 12 season, including the Texas Tech contest.

In the opening 20 minutes of the first game against Nebraska, Kansas made four three-point shots and trailed by one at the break. The Jayhawks made only one three-pointer in the second half and were outscored by 10.

A solid perimeter contribution from junior guards Kaylee Brown and Erica Hallman will be needed to keep pace with the Huskers.

Success from the outside would open up the lane for junior forward Crystal Kemp, who endures steady double teams. Kemp has played off the added inside pressure by taking her scoring game outside and extending the range of her jump shots.

Kemp posted a strong second period against the Lady Raiders with 12 points on five-for-seven shooting.

A performance equal to Kemp’s second-half showing will be needed for Kansas to hang with Nebraska in the 1 p.m. contest on Sunday.

Edited by Lori Bettes