Jayhawks to take on Buffaloes

By KANSAN

Friday, February 23, 2007

OFFENSE

Colorado relies on junior forward Jackie McFarland to shoulder much of the load on offense. She is averaging 18 points per game, second in the conference, and her 61-percent field-goal shooting ranks first in the conference. McFarland is an outstanding player, but could use some help from her teammates from time to time. Senior forward Jasmina Ilic is not afraid to shoot, but she only converts on 35 percent of her attempts. Freshman guard Whitney Houston has proven to be one of the sloppiest ball-handlers in the Big 12, committing 81 turnovers.

The Kansas offense is the polar opposite of Colorado’s. After struggling early in the season, the Jayhawks have shown improvement in recent games. Kansas has found success by sharing the ball and distributing shots evenly. Freshmen Kelly Kohn, Sade Morris and Danielle McCray have blossomed as scorers as the season has progressed, and senior Shaquina Mosley is capable of breaking down any defense with her ability to get to the hoop.

Advantage: Jayhawks

DEFENSE

Saturday’s matchup showcases the weakest defenses in the conference. Colorado ranks last in points allowed per game and Kansas stands in 11th place. When the teams met in Lawrence earlier this month, the Kansas defense was just sturdy enough to give the team its first conference victory. In that game, McFarland and Houston ran wild, accounting for 47 of the Buffaloes’ 68 points. Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson will undoubtedly need to think up a new game plan to neutralize McFarland, one of the nation’s most efficient scorers.

McFarland is also a force on defense, ranking among the conference leaders in rebounds and blocked shots. Unfortunately for Colorado, the rest of the team has shown an aversion to crashing the boards or playing any defense. Sophomore center Kara Richards is 6-foot-4, but plays like she is six inches shorter, grabbing only five rebounds per game. In the last several weeks, Kansas has enjoyed outstanding rebounding efforts from post players McCray and junior guard Taylor McIntosh, and Mosley is always a threat to tally double-digit rebounds.

Advantage: Jayhawks

MOMENTUM

Both teams played well against stellar competition earlier this week. Kansas fought hard but lost to No. 13th Oklahoma, and Colorado nearly upset No. 14 Baylor. Although each squad is merely trying to avoid the bottom of the standings at this point, the teams obviously possess enough pride to give their best effort in every game. The Jayhawks are still riding the momentum from a thrilling double-overtime victory against Kansas State, while Colorado is trying to avoid a three-game losing. The Buffaloes have used their high-altitude home court to their advantage so far this season by posting a 4-3 home conference record. However, the Jayhawks are an extremely well-conditioned group of players and should have no problem keeping up with the Buffaloes for all 40 minutes.

Advantage: Jayhawks

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