Kansas Heads to the Big Apple for first road trip

LAWRENCE, Kan. — After starting out the 2017-18 season with nine-straight home games, Kansas women’s basketball will hit the road for two contests before the holiday break. The Jayhawks start their road tilt at St. John’s on Monday, Dec. 18, inside Carnesecca Arena.
 
Following the Jayhawks
Kansas’ first road game of the season will be broadcast on ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network. Additionally, Jayhawk fans can follow all the action on twitter (@KUwbball) or live stats (redstormsports.com). 

Fast Breaks

• Kansas opened the 2017-18 season with a seven-game winning streak, marking just the eighth time in program history to begin a season 7-0.
• The Jayhawks closed out their nine-game homestand with a 51-50 victory over Southeast Missouri (12/10) to conclude the home stretch with an 8-1 mark.
• KU’s impressive defense throughout the first nine games of the season has placed Kansas 24th in the nation and second in the Big 12 for scoring defense, keeping its opponents to scoring an average of 55.3 points per game so far.
• The Jayhawks are sixth in the nation and second in the league for field goal percentage defense, holding their opponents to 32.2 percent shooting from the field. 
• When Brandon Schneider-coached teams are leading with less than five minutes to play, his overall record is 363-12, and 18-0 at Kansas.
• Junior guards Kylee Kopatich and Christalah Lyons rank among the top 10 in scoring in the Big 12 standings. Kopatich’s 16.8 points per game rank fifth, while Lyons’ 14.6 points per game round out the top 10. 
• Lyons has netted double-figure scoring efforts in eight of KU’s first nine games, including a career-high 22 points against UMKC (11/29).
• Redshirt-sophomore center Tyler Johnson ranks sixth in the league for field goal percentage, knocking down 61.5 percent (32-of-52) of her shots.

About the Jayhawks
After suffering its first loss of the season, Kansas answered with a come-from-behind 51-50 victory over Southeast Missouri before taking a week hiatus for final exams. The comeback win against SEMO improved KU’s record to 8-1 on the year, the best start in head coach Brandon Schneider’s tenure. Prior to KU’s loss to the Nebraska (12/6), the Jayhawks had jumped out to a 7-0 start, marking just the eighth time in program history that KU started the season with a seven-game win streak. 

Despite dropping their first game of the season to Nebraska, the Jayhawks bounced back with a victory over the Redhawks and hit the road with momentum on their side. Kansas’ defensive efforts continue to be a highlight of the season. KU’s field goal percentage defense is among one of the best in the country, holding opponents to shooting just 32.2 percent per game. The Jayhawks have held their opponents to 55.3 points per game thus far in the season, placing them 24th in the nation and second in the league for scoring defense.

On the offensive end, Kansas has two players averaging double-digit scoring figures. Junior guards Kylee Kopatich and Christalah Lyons are netting 16.8 and 14.6 points per game, respectively. Lyons has netted double digits in eight of KU’s nine games so far. Six Jayhawks are shooting over 40 percent from the field, including a team-best 61.5 percent from redshirt-sophomore center Tyler Johnson. 

Scouting the Red Storm
St. John’s looks to bounce back after suffering a double-overtime loss, 67-64, to Fordham. The Red Storm’s loss to Fordham is just the third on the season as St. John’s heads into the matchup against Kansas with a 6-3 mark, including a 3-1 record at home. Prior to the overtime loss, the Red Storm won its last three games. 

The Rd Storm has five players averaging double-digit scoring efforts, led by sophomore guard Andrayah Adams. She is netting 13.0 points per game, while shooting 50.6 percent from the field. Redshirt-freshman guard Tiana England leads the team with 55 assists and is scoring 12.7 points per contest. St. John’s is averaging 72.0 points per game, while connecting on 44.5 of its attempts from the floor. Additionally, the Red Storm is shooting 40.5 percent from long range.

Defensively, St. John’s is holding its opponents to 64.8 points and limiting the opposition’s shooting percentage to 39.6. The Red Storm is averaging 34.6 rebounds, 5.2 blocks and 7.8 steals per game. Senior forward Maya Singleton leads the team with 99 rebounds and 16 blocks.

This Day in Kansas Women’s Basketball History
Record on Dec. 18: 3-2
When playing on Dec. 18, Kansas has compiled a 3-2 record. The Jayhawks’ first game on Dec. 18 was played during the 1982-83 season when KU defeated Minnesota, 78-72. KU’s defense was too much for the Gophers to overcome after forcing 34 turnovers, including nine steals. The Jayhawks were led in scoring by Angie Snider with 22 points and 10 rebounds.

Around the League
While the Jayhawks sit among the top of many national stat rankings, Kansas is also fairing well in the Big 12 Conference stat rankings. KU’s scoring defense is second-best in the league after limiting its opponents to 55.3 points per game. Additionally, the Jayhawks’ defense is second in field goal percentage defense (32.2) and second in 3-point field goal defense (26.7). Individually, junior guard Kylee Kopatich is fifth in scoring (16.8) and junior guard Christalah Lyons is 10th in points per game (14.6). Redshirt-sophomore center Tyler Johnson is connecting on 61.5 percent of her attempts, which is the sixth-best mark in the Big 12.

D-D-D-Defense
After nine games in 2017-18, Kansas’ tough defense has been on display inside Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks have limited their opponents to an average of 55.3 points per game, putting KU in second place of the league’s scoring defense standings. KU has also held its opponents to just 32.2 percent shooting from the field, ranking sixth in the nation and second in the Big 12 for field goal percentage defense. 

Celebrating 50 Years of Kansas Women’s Sports
The intercollegiate women’s sports department was created by the University in 1968 and began with six sports: women’s basketball, softball, volleyball, swimming, gymnastics and field hockey. An annual budget of $2,000 was provided in 1968 when Marlene Mawson was tasked with initiating a women’s intercollegiate athletics program. This budget was expected to cover all expenses for sports equipment, uniforms and travel. Mawson’s job duties involved coaching, administering the program and teaching in the Physical Education department. By 1975, the University had handed out its first athletic scholarships to women.

Up Next
Kansas women’s basketball stays on the road and faces Iona on Wednesday, Dec. 20, for its second game during its trip to the Big Apple. The contest will air on ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network.
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