Wednesday, March 7, 2007
OKLAHOMA CITY — As a rule, Kansas’ Shaquina Mosley is the quickest player on the court. Tuesday night, Oklahoma State’s Andrea Riley was an exception to the rule.
Both under 5-foot-7, the two small guards engaged in a fast-paced, back-and-forth battle in the first round of the Big 12 Tournament.
Riley, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, is a carbon-copy of Mosley: slight-of-build but effectively reckless on her way to the hoop. Both guards showcase impressive foot speed and coordination coupled with relentless competitive fire.
“In the past, she might have played above her speed limit,” Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “She has gotten so much more poised.”
Riley utilized her quickness and ball handling to exploit the zone defense Kansas used to neutralize her ability to penetrate.
Riley scored 15 points, but her most important contributions were intangible. The mere threat she presented forced Kansas to overcompensate and leave other Cowgirls wide open.
Granted several easy opportunities, senior forward Rashidat Sadiq buried three three-pointers and tallied 13 points in the opening half alone. Junior guard Danielle Green capitalized on her opportunities by scoring 19 points and making five trips to the free-throw line.
Riley affected the game on the defensive end as well. With just more than seven minutes remaining in the game, she intercepted a pass and darted down the court with the ball for an uncontested layup. The basket gave the Cowgirls a 55-52 lead and seemingly put them in control, but the Jayhawks prevailed because of Mosley’s clutch shooting and junior forward Taylor McIntosh’s tough rebounding. Kansas received little respite from Riley’s energetic onslaught, as she played the entire game.
“I knew she was quick, so I couldn’t step away from her,” Mosley said. “I just wanted to contain her.”
Another factor working against the underdog Jayhawks was the decidedly pro-Cowgirl crowd at the Cox Convention Center. Riley only made matters worse for Kansas, repeatedly pumping up the crowd and high-fiving the Oklahoma State cheerleaders.
pullquote
In the past, she might have played above her speed limit. She has gotten so much more poised.
-coach Bonnie Hendrickson
Mosley tried her best to counter Riley’s efforts, adding another impressive game to her senior season. Mosley scored 18 points and grabbed seven rebounds. However, Riley matched Mosley steal-for-steal and basket-for-basket throughout the close game.
The opening-round matchup may not have looked like anything more than a contest to determine who would receive the privilege of facing Baylor in the second round, but it meant more than that. Tuesday night’s action showed that a torch is being passed. Whenever Kansas’ run through the Big 12 Tournament ends, Mosley will have to reluctantly hand the title of most exciting player in the conference to Riley.
Kansan sportswriter Asher Fusco can be contacted at afusco@kansan.com.
— Edited by Katie Sullivan
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