Kansas Concludes Exhibition Play with Hornets

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball wraps up its exhibition slate with Emporia State on Sunday, Nov. 8 at 2 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks and Hornets meet for the ninth time in program history. The matchup is the second and final exhibition game for KU before tipping off the season on Nov. 15 with Texas Southern. Sunday’s game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network.
 
KANSAS FAST BREAKS

• The Jayhawks head into the game against Emporia State with a 21-game win streak in exhibition play. Overall, Kansas is 46-9 in exhibition play and 24-1 in exhibition contests played in Allen Fieldhouse.
• KU is 1-0 in exhibition play under first-year head coach Brandon Schneider after defeating Pittsburg State, 80-54, on Nov. 1. 
• According to KU’s records, the Jayhawks have an 8-0 mark against Emporia State, a series that started in 1969.
• Emporia State Connection: Brandon Schneider coached the Hornets for 12 seasons, guiding ESU to a 306-72 mark and a Division II National Championship in 2010.
• Kansas returns six letterwinners, including three starters, and welcome nine newcomers to the squad in 2015-16.
• A year ago, KU led the Big 12 Conference in three-point field goal percentage (35.6). Sophomores Chayla Cheadle and Lauren Aldridge combined for 33.8 percent from beyond the arc.
• The Jayhawks’ roster features six local products that hail from Kansas or Missouri. Junior Sydney Benoit and freshmen Kylee Kopatich and Tyler Johnson are from the Sunflower State, while redshirt junior Timeka O’Neal and sophomores Lauren Aldridge and Chayla Cheadle are from the Show Me State.
• In the month of November, the Jayhawks have an overall mark of 119-31 (.793). Kansas has won 22 of the last 25 games played in November dating back to the start of the 2010 season.
• Kansas has a record of 406-166 (.715) in Allen Fieldhouse. Over the last five seasons, Kansas has posted a 61-29 mark on its home court.
• The Jayhawks’ bench provided a spark offensively in 2014-15 and averaged 19.0 points per game. Kansas’ bench scored in double figures in 29 of 32 games.

 
ABOUT THE JAYHAWKS
Kansas kicks off the Brandon Schneider era with the start of 2015-16 and the new season brings a new mentality to the hardwood. The Jayhawks are playing tough and together basketball under the first-year head coach. KU returns six players from last year’s squad that went 15-17. Joining the veterans are nine new faces, who hope to make an immediate impact.
 
Among Kansas’ returning starters is 2015 All-Big 12 Freshman selection Lauren Aldridge. The Marshfield, Missouri native averaged 8.1 points and 4.9 assists per game as a freshman while connecting on 34.7 percent of her shots from beyond the arc. Sophomore Chayla Cheadle, who started every game of her rookie season, recorded 5.8 points and 3.3 rebounds per game.
 
The Jayhawks averaged 63.3 points per game behind 42.6 percent shooting from the field, but graduated their top three scorers at the conclusion of 2014-15. Cheslea Gardner, Natalie Knight and Asia Boyd accounted for 60 percent of KU’s offensive efforts last season. Defensively, Kansas held opponents to 38.2 percent shooting from the field with 150 blocks and 191 steals.
 
SCOUTING THE HORNETS
Emporia State was voted as the Mid-America Athletic Conference favorite by the league coaches after earning the top spot on the USA Today Division II Coaches Poll.
 
The Lady Hornets return four starters from last year’s 29-5 team that advanced to the NCAA Division II Final Four.  First-Team All-MIAA performer and MIAA Tournament MVP Kelly Moten and MIAA Freshman of the Year Addie Lackey will give the Lady Hornets one of the top backcourts in the nation. Moten averaged 14.9 points per game and led the Lady Hornets with 104 assists and 53 steals on the season. Lackey scored 9.6 points per game and had a team-high 46 made three-pointers on .393 shooting from behind the arc.
 
ESU averaged 70.7 points per game last season behind 42.5 percent shooting from the field, while allowing opponents 54.4 points per game and 32.9 percent shooting. The Lady Hornets grabbed 43.7 boards, blocked 7.9 shots and swiped 6.5 steals per game.
 
SERIES BREAKDOWN
Record
According to KU’s records, the Jayhawks have a perfect 8-0 record against Emporia State, including a 4-0 record in exhibition play.
 
Overview
Kansas and Emporia State have met a total of eight times prior to Sunday’s game, four of which have been exhibition games and the other four during the regular season. The first meeting between the Jayhawks and Hornets was March 2, 1969 in Lawrence and KU won.
 
Last Time Out
CeCe Harper and the Jayhawks downed Emporia State, 61-53, with an all-around team effort, during their final exhibition game of the 2013-14 season. Harper led the charge with 15 points, while grabbing six rebounds. Natalie Knight contributed 13 points of her own while Chelsea Gardner recorded 11 points. Emporia State was led by junior forward Merissa Quick, as she recorded a double-double, scoring 14 points to go along with 14 rebounds.
 
A LOOK BACK AT EXHIBITIONS
Dating back to the 1986-87 season, Kansas owns a 46-9 record in exhibition games. The Jayhawks have a 21-game winning streak and haven’t lost an exhibition game since 2004. The largest margin of defeat in an exhibition game for Kansas was 97 points after earning a 136-39 victory over the Monterrey Tigers on Aug. 30, 2003. Since 2003, the Jayhawks have posted a 24-1 exhibition mark inside Allen Fieldhouse.
 
TOUGH AND TOGETHER
First year head coach Brandon Schneider has brought a “tough and together” culture to Allen Fieldhouse and Kansas women’s basketball. The Jayhawks begin end every practice with T and T, which is short for tough and together. Schneider has vowed that his squads will compete and play together every day. Whether the Jayhawks are hitting the floor, flying over the scorers’ table or passing to a teammate, they will play tough and together.
 
HAWK TALK WITH COACH BRANDON
“Hawk Talk” with Kansas women’s basketball head coach Brandon Schneider is scheduled to begin after exhibition play, with the first show slated for Thursday, Nov. 12 at Henry T’s. Each week Schneider will be joined by a player guest. “Hawk Talk” allows fans to ask Schneider questions and hear the latest Kansas women’s basketball news. There will be a total of 15 “Hawk Talks” during the 2015-16 season. The show will air Thursdays from 6-7 p.m., with a few exceptions.
 
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks tip off the regular season on Sunday, Nov. 15 against Texas Southern at 2 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas’ season opener is its annual Salute to Service and special flags will be given away at the entrances while supplies last. The contest will air on the Jayhawk Television and Jayhawk Radio Networks.

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