Fieldhouse will host women's tournament
Kansas will play Evansville in the second round tonight at 7 p.m.
The Jayhawks are excited at the opportunity to play again, especially in the comfort of their home arena.
By Taylor Bern (Contact)
Monday, March 24th, 2008
For the second time in three years Kansas will play host to a game in the Women’s National Invitation Tournament.
Tonight at 7 p.m. Kansas meets Evansville in the second round of the WNIT. The Jayhawks received a first round bye while the Purple Aces advanced to the second round with a 60-58 victory over Southeast Missouri on Thursday.
Photo by Jon Goering
Kansas will play host to Evansville in the second round of the Women's National Invitational Tournament tonight at 7 p.m.
“No matter what happens these kids are excited about the opportunity,” coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “Their intensity and effort in practice has been great.”
Kansas last took to the court on March 12 in Kansas City when it fell 82-62 to Oklahoma State in the second round of the Big 12 tournament.
“I’m excited just to play again and try to redeem that loss,” senior forward Taylor McIntosh said.
McIntosh also said that her team enjoyed having a week and a half in between games to focus on themselves.
On the flip side, Henrickson can see how the Purple Aces may come into the game with a little more confidence.
“I think for them, the advantage is that they played and had success and feel awfully good about themselves coming back from being down 17,” Henrickson said.
Either way, the Jayhawks believe that the game will be decided on the defensive end.
“Defensively we’ve got to turn up the pressure, try and create some offense from our defense and then be able to dominate the boards,” Henrickson said.
“I think we need to be as good defensively as we were against Nebraska (on March 11), just play with a lot of energy,” McIntosh said. “If you watch that game and then the Oklahoma State game we looked like two different teams within 24 hours.”
Henrickson is also looking to use Kansas’ size advantage by getting freshman center Krysten Boogaard involved early and letting new starting point guard LaChelda Jacobs use her play-making ability.
Jacobs quickness allows her to do several things for the Kansas offense.
“It comes from me just being aggressive on the offensive end and looking up and finding my teammates,” Jacobs said.
This season Allen Fieldhouse has provided comfort rarely found on the road for the Jayhawks. That’s why they’re especially excited to get this game at home.
“It’s going to be a great atmosphere for us to play in and we’re going to have a lot of fun with it,” Jacobs said.
—Edited by Sasha Roe
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