Cowgirls picked as favorite

Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Offense:

Oklahoma State brings a high-powered and exciting offense to the opening-round game against Kansas. Freshman guard Andrea Riley is the key to the offense’s ignition. The Big 12 Freshman of the Year is averaging 13 points and four assists per game. As an added bonus, Riley’s assist-to-turnover ratio is more than 1-to-1, an exceptional stat for any point guard, let alone a freshman. As a whole, the Cowgirl offense is a balanced and well-oiled machine, complete with four players averaging double-digit points per game. Kansas has had a topsy-turvy season on the offensive end. Most recently, the Jayhawks enjoyed an outstanding offensive outing in a 70-66 victory at Missouri. Junior forward Taylor McIntosh and senior guard Shaquina Mosley both had career-high point totals. Freshman forward Danielle McCray has started to show some long-awaited consistency lately, scoring in double-digits in three of the last four games.

Defense:

Oklahoma State’s defense is ranked second in the Big 12 for two reasons: Riley and Maria Cordero. Riley provides the quickness on the perimeter and Cordero the toughness under the basket. Cordero, a junior center, has 20 blocked shots to go along with 45 steals. Riley will pester the Jayhawk guards constantly with her quick hands and impressive agility. Kansas’ defense has improved throughout the conference season. At the beginning of the season, the Jayhawks lacked the toughness and grit that lead to great defense. Sharita Smith’s emergence solved that problem. The senior guard provides little in the way of offense, but never relents on defense, a trait that will be useful against the outstanding Oklahoma State guards.

Momentum:

Both teams enter the tournament on hot streaks. Kansas won three of its final six games. The team’s spirit is high after spoiling Missouri’s senior night celebration last week, and Mosley and McIntosh appear to be hitting their strides at the perfect time. Oklahoma State recovered from a mid-season collapse to win the final three games of the conference season. Victories against Texas and Kansas State were expected, but the Cowgirls’ 63-60 victory over Nebraska was an impressive upset. Oklahoma State brings a little bit of added incentive to the Big 12 tournament: An NCAA tournament bid. If the Cowgirls manage to win one or two games in Oklahoma City this week, they will be in line for an at-large bid to the Big Dance.

— Asher Fusco

Speed Trials

Tuesday night saw the two quickest guards in the conference battle it ...

/news/2007/mar/07/wbb_sider/

Underdog KU faces OSU

“We don’t want to be able to say our last game we ...

/news/2007/mar/06/wbb/

Old Fashioned Upset

The 11th seeded women's basketball team pulled out the stops to defeat ...

/news/2007/mar/07/wbb_gamer/

Chalk another one up for Kansas

The Jayhawks took on Missouri Thursday night at Mizzou Arena. Stellar performances ...

/news/2007/mar/02/wbbgamer/

Riley puts on a show

The Jayhawks had no answer for Cowgirl guard Andrea Riley, the Big ...

/news/2008/jan/12/riley_puts_show/

Women’s basketball athletes earn honors

Four athletes named to Academic All-Big 12 team, two for the second ...

/news/2007/mar/05/wbb_briefs/

Women’s basketball enters postseason

KU walks into the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 11 seed. ...

/news/2007/mar/06/big12/

Women’s basketball’s Big 12 dream dashed

Sloppy play doomed the Jayhawks Wednesday night as the Oklahoma State Cowgirls ...

/news/2008/mar/13/wbbgamer/

Women’s basketball looks to fix woes in ...

The Jayhawks take a five-game losing streak into their Big 12 tournament ...

/news/2010/mar/10/womens-basketball-looks-fix-woes-tournament/

Jayhawks to take on Buffaloes

The women’s basketball team heads to the Rockies to take on Colorado. ...

/news/2007/feb/23/WBB_gameday/

McIntosh finishes strong

Taylor McIntosh ended the regular season last week with a 17-point performance, ...

/news/2007/mar/06/mcintosh/

Cowgirls upset Jayhawks

/news/2005/feb/10/sports_womensbasketball_cowgirls/

Younger players need to fill seniors' shoes

/news/2006/mar/27/wbbspin/

Bragging rights at stake tonight in Columbia

Women hope for a win at Missouri to build momentum for the ...

/news/2007/mar/01/wbb/

Oklahoma State defeats Kansas 82-62

The Cowgirls eliminated the Jayhawks from the Big 12 Tournament Wednesday night.

/news/2008/mar/13/wbbsider/

Henrickson extension a product of recruiting

Despite an overall 40-49 record during her time at Kansas, Bonnie Henrickson ...

/news/2007/may/09/wbb/

Changes to team causes improvements in performance

/news/2005/feb/09/sports_basketball_womens_win/

Gameday: Kansas @ Kansas State

/news/2006/jan/25/women_gameda/

Women’s Big 12 Conference competitive

A run-down of The Big 12 women’s conference

/news/2008/jan/29/womens_big_12/

Davis scores big but can’t save Jayhawks

Kansas loses in first round of the tournament but maintains high hopes ...

/news/2010/mar/12/davis-scores-big-cant-save-jayhawks/

Morning Brew: Big 12 basketball awards

A midseason look at the best players in the Big 12 Conference.

/news/2009/feb/03/brew_awards/

Women prepare for fast foe

OSU’s Andrea Riley will pose a significant challenge for the Jayhawks tonight.

/news/2009/feb/25/women_prepare/

Sloppy play lead to KU’s loss against ...

A recap of Wednesday’s game

/news/2008/jan/31/wbb/

Future uncertain for Jayhawks

Freshmen players were key to Jayhawk success this season. Their mid-season slump ...

/news/2007/mar/14/wbb/

Kansas devastated by loss against Oklahoma State, ...

The women’s basketball team upset about 66-63 defeat against the Cowgirls

/news/2012/feb/29/kansas-devastated-loss/

Women’s team eyes NCAA tournament

Now that last year’s crop of freshmen has matured into a more ...

/news/2007/oct/15/W_Basketball/

Women’s team loses late-season game to K-State

Rebounding problems and defensive slips led to Kansas' most recent loss in ...

/news/2008/mar/06/WBB/

Women’s basketball pushes to second round with ...

The Jayhawks won their second straight first round game of Big 12 ...

/news/2008/mar/12/womens_basketball/

Gameday: Women's Basketball KU-OSU

/news/2006/jan/20/womens_bb/

The good, the bad and the offseason

With three separate lists, we look at why Kansas succeeded, why they ...

/news/2008/apr/03/five/

Kansas ready to run with conference's best

Kansan writers preview Big XII women's teams.

/news/2009/oct/28/kansas-ready-run-conferences-best/

Fieldhouse will host women's tournament

The Jayhawks are excited at the opportunity to play again, especially in ...

/news/2008/mar/24/fieldhouse_plays_host_womens_national_invitational/

KU vs. NU Gameday

/news/2006/feb/15/ku_nu_gameday/

KU Gameday: November 27, 2007

This is the projected game day.

/news/2007/nov/27/ku_gameday_november_27_2007/

Women’s basketball looks to fix woes in ...

The Jayhawks take a five-game losing streak into their Big 12 tournament ...

/news/2010/mar/11/womens-basketball-looks-fix-woes-tournament/

Soccer team seeks redemption in Stillwater

After losing to Oklahoma State in last year’s Big 12 Tournament, the ...

/news/2008/oct/10/soccer/

Women’s Big 12 Championship not set in ...

Big 12 women’s basketball reporter Andrew Wiebe ranks the Big 12 teams ...

/news/2008/mar/04/womens_big_12/

A knockout performance

Shaquina Mosley led the Jayhawks to another exciting win against Missouri on ...

/news/2007/mar/02/wbbsider/

Women’s basketball team falls to Baylor

Coach goes to the bench early hoping to build momentum but the ...

/news/2007/mar/08/wbb_gamer/

Henrickson has improved women's team

Women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson turned around a mediocre team since she ...