The women's basketball team, three days after what head coachTracy Roller thought was her team's best offensive performance ofthe season, will travel to Lawrence, Kansas to take on the KansasJayhawks (3-2) on Saturday.
On Tuesday night the Cardinals (4-4) scored a season high 86points, but fell to Louisville 94-86. They shot 52 percent from thefloor, including 66 percent from behind the arch in the secondhalf, but their defense couldn't hold Louisville down the stretch.The Cardinals will look to have a strong defensive game, whilekeeping up the offensive power against a physical Kansas team.
"If you're smarter than them, if you execute well, and you takecare of the ball in their trapping, pressing, crazy defense, Ithink the experience that we have will help us in the long run,"Roller said.
Several individuals for the Cardinals continue to put up greatnumbers. Junior Kate Endress has shot a combined 54 percent fromthe floor this year and leads the team averaging 19 points pergame. Seniors Johna Goff and Jessica Reiter are behind Endress:Goff averages 12.8, while Reiter averages nine with 10.4 reboundsper game.
While the Kansas team appears very young, with only one senioron the roster, they return all five of their starters and seven whoin total accounted for 90 percent of their points last season.Sophomore Crystal Kemp is the only player who averages scoring inthe double figures with 14. The Jayhawks also have two players whoaverage just under 10 points per game. Freshman Lauren Ervinaverages 9.6 points off the bench and sophomore Tamara Ransburgaverages 9.2. Ransburg, who was a top recruit in the country twoyears ago, was named the team's MVP last season after she led theBig 12 in blocks.
"They're extremely athletic, they do a good job of pressuringthe ball and they make your life miserable," Roller said. "If wecan get past the first initial pressure sequence and really handlethat, then we'll be fine if we can just execute in the end."
The Jayhawks head coach, Marian Washington, has spent all of her31 head coaching years with the team earning a 554-349 (.614)record. She will be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall ofFame in June.
"She's a legend in our sport," Roller said. "When you seesomeone like Marian who has stayed and made it her home, I think itsays a lot about her and her staff that she's done a good job ingetting in a great class."
After their offensive showing Tuesday night, the Cardinals arehoping they can make it happen on Saturday for the first time thisseason.
"We're do," Roller said. "I keep waiting for both ends (of thecourt) to come together and I feel like what a great place to haveit happen, Allen Fieldhouse, with all the tradition inbasketball."
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