It didn’t take long for Kansas University freshman Lauren Ervin to make an immediate impact for the KU women’s basketball program.

Eighteen seconds, to be exact.

That’s how long it took from when the 6-foot-4 forward from Inglewood, Calif., checked into Sunday’s exhibition game against St. Louis Goldstar to when she scored her first points in a Jayhawk uniform, easily gliding to the basket for a layup off the glass.

The touted freshman didn’t stop there. Ervin tied for game-high honors in both points (14) and rebounds (eight), and the Jayhawks routed Goldstar, a team of former players from the state of Missouri, 79-28, at Allen Fieldhouse.

“I was a little nervous coming into my first game,” said Ervin, who was listed as the second-best player in the nation by some recruiting services. “It was pretty exciting to make my first basket. I just did whatever came to me.”

KU coach Marian Washington noticed.

“I told Lauren that now I would remember the first shot of your first collegiate game. She started smiling,” said Washington, who officially found out Sunday she was chosen for induction into the Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame.

Ervin also got a few grins out of her teammates late in Sunday’s contest with what was the highlight of the game.

The athletic forward received the ball near midcourt and led a two-on-one Jayhawk fastbreak. When Goldstar defender Sandy Fletcher closed in on Ervin near the free-throw line, the freshman faked out Fletcher with the ball and then scored on a double-pump layin.

Kansas University coach Marian Washington, left, instructs her team to play tighter defense during the first half. The Jayhawks defeated St. Louis Goldstar, 79-28, in an exhibition game Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse. It also officially was announced Sunday that Washington, joined on the bench by assistant coaches Lynette Woodard, center, and Tim Eatman, would be inducted into the Women's Basketball Hall of Fame.

“I think that was the most intense one,” a smiling Ervin said of her debut, in which she also snagged three steals, a block and an assist. “That was pretty fun.”

Sophomore Crystal Kemp continued her impressive preseason play, tying Ervin with 14 points on 6-of-11 shooting. Tamara Ransburg added 10 points, while junior-college transfers Kandis Bonner and Kaylee Brown scored nine and eight points, respectively.

Sophomore point guard Erica Hallman collected 10 assists — a few of the no-look variety — and also added seven points in KU’s final exhibition tune-up before Friday’s season opener at UMKC.

Goldstar — which was coming off its only win in nine exhibition games, an 81-79 overtime victory Saturday over Missouri Western — couldn’t compete with Kansas for long.

The Jayhawks jumped to a 10-0 lead and held Goldstar scoreless for nearly seven minutes.

Kansas closed the half with a 20-4 run to go ahead 42-11. The St. Louis squad shot a woeful 19 percent from the field.

Things didn’t get much better for Goldstar in the second half, and Washington said that allowed her team to work on a few specific areas of its game.

“Halfcourt defense,” Washington said with a shrug. “Without a doubt we got to keep getting better at it.”

What hasn’t been in doubt for the Jayhawks so far in two preseason games is that Kansas has several players with the ability to score this season.

The Jayhawks showed that again Sunday, despite three potential starters sitting on the bench.

Junior Blair Waltz missed the game because she suffered a concussion in practice earlier this week. Larisha Graves was not in Allen Fieldhouse because she was attending the funeral of a family member. Aquanita Burras, KU’s second-leading scorer last season, and freshman Sharita Smith missed both exhibition games because of injuries.

“Obviously, when we have three potential starters out, it’s a good time to look at the depth,” Washington said. “These are times that you see how important having some depth in every position is.”

While Washington knew that she was going to be inducted into the Women’s Hall of Fame earlier in the week, she said she still was excited Sunday when it became official.

“You get to a place in your career where you are still focused on what you are trying to do, but you can stop and enjoy that this is a wonderful thing,” said Washington, who is entering her 31st season as the Jayhawks’ coach.

Washington and the five other members of the Class of 2004 officially were introduced during Sunday’s State Farm Women’s Tip-Off Classic and will be enshrined during ceremonies June 11-12, 2004 in Knoxville, Tenn.