Kansas

Last time out

No Kansas team wants to lose to Missouri, and certainly not in the fashion the Jayhawks did on Saturday. After leading the first 34 minutes of the game, the Jayhawks watched the Tigers make a late run for a 64-57 victory. The loss almost certainly eliminates Kansas’ chance of playing in the NCAA Tournament.

Player to watch

Freshman guard Ivana Catic. With the suspension of junior guard Shaquina Mosley, there is no margin of error for Catic. She must have a big game, or she will allow Nebraska’s defense to double-team senior guard Erica Hallman.

3 quick facts

2 — The number of games Kansas has won in its last 10.

15 — The number of times senior forward Crystal Kemp has been the leading scorer this season.

2001 — The last time a Jayhawk was named to the Academic All-District Team before Kemp was named last week.

Key to victory

If the Jayhawks are going to make a late-season run into the WNIT, this is the game to do it. Tonight’s game is probably the most favorable for the rest of the season, and will be a good gauge as to whether the Jayhawks are fighting out the season or packing up and going home for the offseason.

Nebraska

Last time out

Nebraska started slowly on Saturday and lost 69-50 to Texas A&M.; Freshman forward Kelsey Griffin played one of the best games of her young career against the Aggies. Griffin scored 20 points on 9-of-10 shooting from the field, along with five rebounds and three steals.

Player to watch

Junior guard Kiera Hardy is one of the Big 12 Conference’s top guards. She’s eighth on the conference scoring list, averaging 17 points a game. In the previous meeting between the two teams, Hardy scored a game-high 26 points, including four three-pointers.

3 quick facts

3 — The number of consecutive losses by the Cornhuskers.

51.9 — Nebraska’s field goal percentage in its earlier meeting with Kansas last month.

68.5 — The Cornhuskers’ average point total per game.

Key to victory

Kansas could not answer Hardy’s hot shooting when the two teams met in January in Lincoln, Neb. The Jayhawks have had difficulty in conference play this season on defense; several opponents have shot at least 40 percent from the field against them. If Hardy can catch fire again, it could be a long night defensively for Kansas.

Kansas Rankings

OFFENSE

A lackluster offensive performance at Missouri raised eyebrows, as offense has typically been the strength of this team. Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson attributed it afterward to her players standing around while one player tried to make a play by herself. Kansas’ main offensive threats, senior forward Crystal Kemp and senior guard Erica Hallman, usually play almost all of the game, so it’s important for them to be active, especially toward the end of a long season. The problems aren’t a mystery, or as Henrickson put it: “There’s nothing wrong with the offenses we run.”

DEFENSE

Sophomore forward Taylor McIntosh has come on strong, and her rebounding has helped the Jayhawks immensely. Still, the negatives far outweigh the positives in this category. The most important thing for Kansas will be to adjust when Nebraska starts using motion and sets picks to create open shots. If the Jayhawks’ defenders can’t follow the ball, the Cornhuskers will take advantage of every opportunity.

— Michael Phillips

Nebraska Rankings

OFFENSE

The Cornhuskers have a solid inside-outside combination in Kelsey Griffin and Kiera Hardy. Both rank in the top 10 in the conference in scoring. Nebraska ranks in the middle of the pack in the conference in both scoring and field goal percentage. Effective play from Griffin and Hardy was too much in the first meeting, and it could be tonight.

DEFENSE

A zone defense in the team’s earlier meeting sent Kansas’ offense into a deep funk. The zone can be effective against the Jayhawks, especially if the three-point shots aren’t falling. For Nebraska, the key will be denying Kansas access into the paint with senior forward Crystal Kemp. If it can limit Kemp’s touches, it forces Kansas’ streaky shooting guards to win the game.

— Ryan Schneider