Kansas Cruises Past Temple, 76-56

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Another balanced offensive performance by Kansas saw four Jayhawks score in double figures for the second-straight game as KU cruised to victory over Temple, 76-56, inside Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday afternoon.

Senior forward Chelsea Gardner paved the way with her 20th-career double-double. The DeSoto, Texas native has had impressive performances in the first four games of her final season as a Jayhawk. Her accomplishments for the afternoon’s win included her third game of the season with 20 or more points after knocking in 22 points. It was also her second game of the season reaching 10 or more rebounds. The senior was also perfect form the free throw line, making all four of her shots.

Three other Jayhawks joined Gardner with double-digit scoring efforts. Freshmen guards Lauren Aldridge and Chayla Cheadle each ended with 13 points. Senior guard Natalie Knight had 11 points and seven rebounds. On the afternoon, Kansas shot 44 percent from the field and shined behind the three-point line with nine total three-point shots for 43 percent on the night.

“To get some different rotations in and different players to play together, that was good,” said head coach Bonnie Henrickson. “There are some things we need to get better at but I thought from an intensity and a pride standpoint, kind of coming in there angry, mad and playing that way, it was a good thing. We are all disappointed how the game ended up yesterday, there is nothing we could do about that except play harder today.”

Temple saw double-digits from freshmen guards Alliya Butts and Tanaya Atkinson, who had 19 and 12 points, respectively. The Owls were held to 33 percent from field goal range and only made 3-of-10 free throw shots.

Temple took control early by pulling down the opening tip and putting up a layup by sophomore guard Feyonda Fitzgerald to start the game. Kansas replied with a three-point basket by Knight. Both teams then struggled to convert on offense. A jumper made by Cheadle was the first field goal since the first minute of the game. Aldridge wanted a moment of her own and laid in a trey to follow Cheadle’s bucket. Kansas led going into the first media break, 10-2,with the help of a 10-0 run.

The Jayhawks continued to be effective on offense after the timeout. Knight immediately completed a shot beyond the arc. Once Kansas got the ball again, the Jayhawks passed it around before getting the ball to Gardner in the paint, who put up a jumper just before the shot clock expired.

The Owls struggled to put points on the board for over seven minutes and allowed the Jayhawks to go on a 15-2 run. A collection of Jayhawks including Gardner, Knight, Cheadle and Aldridge all contributed to the run and helped KU build a comfortable lead, 15-6, before the next official timeout.

With nearly 10 minutes left of action in the first half, Temple took its first timeout. Quick on her feet, Cheadle spun around a couple of Owls and put up a contested jump shot to continue the Jayhawks’ hot shooting efforts after the break. A couple of possessions later, Aldridge assisted Cheadle and she chalked up another three points for Kansas. KU continued to widen its lead, 29-10, after establishing another 7-0 run over Temple.

Kansas was on fire from the three-point line and shot 53.3 percent from behind the arc in the opening half. With six and a half minutes to play in the first frame senior guard Asia Boyd tallied the Jayhawks’ six trey of the afternoon. Not even two minutes later and having not missed a single shot yet in the game, Aldridge put up her third basket behind the arc.

Aldridge, a native of Marshfield, Missouri, finished the night with 4-for-4 from the field. She also has tallied 13 assists and no turnovers in the last two games. Knight followed her lead and put up a three of her own just before Morgan would do the same thing on the next possession. Temple was forced to take a timeout as Kansas’ advantaged mounted to 40-18.

“Lauren went back-to-back (games) without any (turnovers), it takes poise and composure for a young player to do that against speed, length and athleticism. She did a nice job throwing it insidem” said Henrickson.

With two minutes remaining, Gardner was fouled in the act of shooting a jump shot. She continued Kansas’ affinity of putting up three points at a time by completing a traditional three-point play at the line. The Owls could not convert on their own end and allowed Kansas to go on another run, this time putting up 13 unanswered shots. With almost 50 points in the first 20 minutes, KU led 48-20 going into the halftime break.

The Jayhawks had a total of eight field goals from beyond the arc. They shot 52 percent from field-goal range and went 17-for-33. Kansas held Temple to 30 percent from the field and only allowed eight field goals from the Owls in the first 20 minutes. Aldridge and Gardner had already reached double figures with 15 and 11 points, respectively.

To start the second half, neither team could convert on offense. Gardner accomplished the first bucket of the half at the 17-minute mark. Atkinson answered at the other end with a three-point shot. Trading baskets now, Cheadle made a jump shot on the Jayhawks’ end. Following suit, Morgan made another two points for Kansas on the next possession. KU now led by 30, 54-24.

With 15 minutes to play, Gardner pulled down her 10th rebound of the afternoon and hit her 20th-career double-double mark. Temple answered with a three from senior guard Tyonna Williams once it got the ball back. With Kansas back on its own end, the Owls surrounded Boyd trying to keep her from making a shot. She was eventually fouled, which resulted in freshman guard Terriell Bradley putting up Kansas’ ninth three-pointer.

Unable to hold onto the ball, Kansas allowed four Temple points off of turnovers, but still led 57-33 going into the under-12 media timeout. After which, Boyd drained a jumper. Then a lull in completion took place for both teams. That was until Temple’s Robinson knocked down a layup. Gardner countered at the other end and was fouled before converting a layup. At the line, she finished a traditional three-point play.

With seven minutes left in the game, Kansas was quick in transition with a couple of long passes that ended in Boyd dishing it to Cheadle in the paint, who posted her fifth field goal of the afternoon. Kansas still had the advantage, 68-46.

Still with a perfect shot record, Aldridge put up a layup after a KU timeout. Her shot went unanswered by the Owls at the other end. A couple possessions later, Temple rallied and sophomore center Taylor Robinson made a layup. At the other end, Gardner missed a shot, which resulted a dead ball and the final media timeout. KU continued to control the lead, 72-53, with three minutes left to play. The same story continued for the final minutes of the game and Kansas took home the win, 76-56.

NOTES:

Freshman Chayla Cheadle earned a spot in the starting lineup for the first time in the Crimson and Blue. She ended the game with 13 points, her second double-figure scoring performance of the season.
Senior Chelsea Gardner reached 20-point plateau for the third time in the first four games of the 2014-15 campaign. She also posted her 20th-career double-double with 22 points and 10 rebounds. The senior also posted a perfect performance from the free throw line going 4-for-4.
With this afternoon’s game, Aldridge had back-to-back appearances with zero turnovers and a total of 13 assists. The freshman put up double digits with 13 points. She didn’t miss a single shot throughout the whole 40 minutes; 4-for-4 from the field, making 3-for-3 behind the arc, and she was a perfect 2-for-2 at the free throw line.

UP NEXT:
Kansas will host Georgetown for the third game of the 2014 Naismith Hall of Fame Women’s Basketball Challenge on Sunday, Nov. 23, inside Allen Fieldhouse. Game time is slated for 2 p.m.

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