Jayhawks conclude regular season at West Virginia

GAME 29 
 

Date Feb. 27, 2017
Time 6 p.m. (CT)
Location Morgantown, W. Va.
Notes Game Notes

LIVE COVERAGE
TV Root Sports
Radio Jayhawk Radio Network
Audio Audio Stream
Stats Live Stats 

 HOW THEY COMPARE

KU WVUU
61.8 PPG 74.6
33.7 FG% 44.5
30.3 3FG% 35.6
63.7 FT% 72.3
37.9 REB 41.6
11.7 AST 16.0
3.4 BLK 5.8
9.4 STL 8.6

 LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball plays its final regular-season game of the 2016-17 season on Monday, Feb. 27, against West Virginia. Tipoff for the second game of the 2017 series with the Mountaineers is slated for 6 p.m., on Root Sports and the Jayhawk Television Network. 

Following the Jayhawks
Kansas’ game at West Virginia will air on Root Sports and the Jayhawk Radio Network, while live stats will also be available through WVU’s website, wvusports.com. Additionally, fans can follow the Jayhawks on twitter at @KUwbball.

Fast Breaks

  • Monday’s matchup is the second meeting between Kansas and West Virginia this season and the final regular-season game before the 2017 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. The Jayhawks look to snap a four-game losing streak to the Mountaineers.
  • The Jayhawks have an 4-7 mark against West Virginia since 1992 and a 2-3 record when playing inside WVU Coliseum.
  • Six of Kansas’ first seven Big 12 Conference games of 2017 were against nationally-ranked opponents. Kansas is 0-8 against teams ranked in the top 25 this season.
  • KU forced Texas (1/4) to turn the ball over 31 times, a season-high mark for the Jayhawks’ defense. Kansas leads the league in turnovers forced with 18.6 per game.
  • Kansas has forced 20 or more turnovers in nine of 17 Big 12 contests this season. 
  • Redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington scored a career-high 36 points against Iowa State (2/21), the most points netted by a Jayhawk since Carolyn Davis also recorded 36 points against Nebraska in 2011. 
  • Washington has led all scorers in 10 of her 17 Big 12 contests in 2017. Washington leads the league in scoring in Big 12-only games with 19.4 points per contest and is third in the conference in all games with 17.0 points per game.

About the Jayhawks
Kansas hits the road for its regular-season finale at West Virginia on Monday before making the trek to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for the 2017 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. KU looks to even the series with a road victory on Monday night. Entering the second meeting of the year between the Jayhawks and the Mountaineers, KU is 8-20 on the season with a 2-15 mark in Big 12 Conference action. 

The Jayhawks are averaging 61.8 points per game with a scoring margin of -10.2. KU is making 33.7 percent of its shots from the field, while converting 30.3 percent of its attempts from the 3-point line. Kansas is averaging 37.9 boards per game. The Jayhawks have also swiped 9.4 steals per contest, good for the second-most by any team in the conference. 

Redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington has stormed onto the hardwood and paced KU’s offense in 2016-17. Washington leads the league in scoring in conference play with 19.4 points per game. She had a career-high night against Iowa State (2/21) after pouring in 36 points behind a 12-for-19 effort from  the field. Washington is third in the Big 12 in scoring on the season with 17.0 points per game. She has netted double figures in 21 games this season, including 15 of her 17 outings in conference play. 

Senior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen highlighted KU’s Senior Day on Saturday with a career-high 21 points, her first game to net over 20 points in her career as a Jayhawk. Manning-Allen wasn’t the only Jayhawk to have a career day against K-State (2/25), as junior guard Chayla Cheadle pulled down a personal-best 16 rebounds, the most by a Jayhawk since Chelsea Gardner grabbed 20 against West Virginia in 2015. 

Scouting the Mountaineers
West Virginia heads into its regular-season finale having lost two of its last three games, both away from WVU Coliseum. The Mountaineers have won their last home games and look to sweep the season series over the Jayhawks with a victory on Monday night. WVU is 19-10 on the season and a 7-10 mark in Big 12 Conference play. 

The Mountaineers are averaging 74.6 points per game heading into the contest against the Jayhawks and have a +12.3 scoring margin. West Virginia is connecting on 44.5 percent of its shots from the field and 35.6 percent from long range. Defensively, WVU is averaging 41.6 rebounds, 8.6 steals and 5.8 blocks per game.

Sophomore guard Tynice Martin is pacing West Virginia’s offense with a team-high 17.8 points per game, while junior forward Teana Muldrow is scoring 14.7 points per contest. Senior center Lanay Montgomery is the final Mountaineer averaging double figures with 11.3 points per game. Montgomery is connecting on 68.1 percent of her shots from the field. Montgomery leads the team with 9.1 boards per game, just shy of averaging a double-double on the season. 

This Day in Kansas Women’s Basketball History
Record on Feb. 27: 3-6
Monday’s contest is the 10th time in program history that Kansas has played on Feb. 27. On this day in 1988, Kansas shot 58.5 percent from the field in an 80-72 victory over Missouri. The Jayhawks were led by Lisa Baker’s double-double after recording 19 points and 14 rebounds.

New Kid on the Block
After sitting out a year to comply with NCAA transfer rules, redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington has made her presence known around the league. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native is averaging 17.0 points, third-most in the Big 12, behind a 34.9 shooting percentage from the floor. In Big 12 Conference action, Washington leads the conference with 19.4 points per game. She has shot 40 percent or better in eight of her 17 league outings this season, including a 71.4 percent mark at Kansas State (1/11). Washington scored a career-best 36 points against Iowa State (2/21), marking her 21st double-digit scoring effort and 10th with 20 or more points this season. 

Rising in the Ranks
After recording four blocks at Oklahoma State (1/25), senior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen moved into ninth place all-time in Kansas’ record book for career blocks. Manning-Allen has swatted away 113 blocks in her career and needs one more to move into eighth place. Senior Timeka O’Neal has a career 3-point field goal average of 39.1 (87-of-222), which is the second-best shooting percentage from long range and surpasses her former teammate Natalie Knight’s mark of 38.2 percent and behind Sandy Shaw’s 43.6 career average.

Up Next
Kansas heads to Oklahoma City, Oklahoma for the 2017 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. KU’s first-round matchup will air on FCS and the Jayhawk Radio Network on Friday, March 3, inside Chesapeake Energy Arena. 

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