It had been a tough game for the leading returning scorer from last year, Kylee Kopatich.
The sophomore guard was just 2-9 from the field and 0-4 from the three point line, heading into the second overtime period with only five points. That did not stop Kopatich from going off in the next 5 minutes.
“It was about time I hit a three.”
On a broken play with just 20 seconds left to go and the Jayhawks nursing a three point lead, the ball was deflected away from junior guard Chayla Cheadle and into the hands of Kopatich. The sophomore, having missed her previous four attempts, readied for this potential game-clincher.
Kopatich drained the shot, and KU (2-2) went on to defeat Oral Roberts (1-3) in double overtime by a final score of 64-56.
Kopatich finished the overtime period with 7 of KU’s 12 points, connecting on a mid range jumper prior to the dagger three, and putting in a couple of free throws soon after it. For the game, Kopatich scored 12 points on 4-11 shooting, grabbing 9 rebounds in the process.
Kansas and Oral Roberts found themselves in a sloppy game all night long, combining for 50 turnovers. The Jayhawks shot 30% from the field, while the Golden Eagles posted a 32% mark.
A huge reason KU was the one to come out on top in this one was free throws. The Jayhawks shot poorly from the charity stripe, putting in only 16-27 (59%), but the Golden Eagles were even worse, connecting on just 3-13 (23%).
Takeaways:
Kansas front court players came into Wednesday night only averaging 8.3 points per game as a collective unit. Versus Oral Roberts, they were able to get 18. As an additional positive, senior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen was able to grab 11 rebounds. These numbers are still likely not where head coach Brandon Schneider wants them to be, but there were improvements against the Golden Eagles.
The Jayhawk backcourt struggled for most of Wednesday’s game against Oral Roberts. Sophomore guard McKenzie Calvert scored 21 points, but on 6-21 shooting, and sophomore guard Aisia Robertson went scoreless on 0-6 shooting. However, junior guard Jessica Washington was out on Wednesday after being suspended for a game because of an on-court incident in Memphis. While the Jayhawk backcourt did not play particularly well, they might get some added confidence from winning without their leader.
Next game information:
KU will welcome the 1-3 North Dakota Fighting Hawks into Allen Fieldhouse on Sunday, November 27th, at 2 PM.
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