Women's Basketball Heads to Kansas
12/5/2007 12:00:00 AM | Women's Basketball
Dec. 5, 2007
MILWAUKEE - The Marquette women's basketball team will look for its third consecutive victory when it plays at Kansas on Thursday, Dec. 6. Tip-off is set for 7 p.m., at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.
It will be the second meeting between the Golden Eagles and Jayhawks. The two teams met previously in the first round of the NCAA Tournament in 1999 in West Lafayette, Ind. The Jayhawks came out on top, 64-58.
Marquette (4-2) is one of 23 teams outside the top 25 receiving votes in both the Associated Press and ESPN/USA Today Coaches Poll. The Golden Eagles received 10 votes in this week's coaches' poll and three in the AP Poll.
In the Golden Eagles' last time out, sophomore All-America candidate Krystal Ellis returned to the court after a three-game absence due to injury (knee) and scored 21 points to lead the Golden Eagles to a 60-48 victory at Green Bay on Dec. 1. Her jumper with 5:07 remaining in the game put the score at 47-43 in favor of MU and helped her to become the 20th player in program history to hit the 1,000 point mark. Currently, Ellis has 1,010 career points.
For her efforts, Ellis earned BIG EAST Honor Roll recognition. Ellis averages a team-best 21.3 points per game and 4.3 assists per game.
Senior Svetlana Kovalenko has been dominant on the glass for the Golden Eagles early on this season as she leads the team with 9.5 rebounds per game. The average ranks tied for third in the BIG EAST and 44th in the nation. Kovalenko has given MU 10 or more boards in all but two games this season.
Kansas (5-1), also riding a two-game win streak, is bolstered by a pair averaging double-figure points. Danielle McCray leads Kansas with 15.3 ppg, and Sade Morris follows with 13.3 ppg. McCray has also added 7.3 rpg. She gave Kansas 16 points in each of its last two wins over Creighton (91-56) and Saint Louis (81-55).
Following its trip to Kansas, the Golden Eagles will return home for three games before the Christmas holiday. Marquette will host Indiana State (Dec. 15), Northwestern (Dec. 17) and Ark.-Pine Bluff (Dec. 21).
For tickets call 414-288-GOMU.
