Kansas women traveling to Texas

Jayhawks, Aggies to clash tonight in College Station

? Kansas University’s women’s basketball team will get its second Big 12 Conference road test today when it travels to take on Texas A&M.

KU is 7-7 overall, 0-3 in the Big 12, and has lost its last three games. Texas A&M is 10-3 overall, 1-2 in the league, and is coming off its first win in league play. Tipoff is 7 tonight in Reed Arena.

The Jayhawks lost to Iowa State, 70-37, Wednesday in Lawrence. KU shot just 25 percent for the game and was outrebounded 47-33. Junior Kaylee Brown and freshman Taylor McIntosh each scored eight points to lead KU. Junior Crystal Kemp tied for game-high honors with nine rebounds and tied her career-high with four blocked shots.

Kemp leads the Jayhawks in scoring and rebounding with 14.9 points and 8.4 rebounds a game. She owns five double-doubles, which is the fourth-most in the conference. Junior Erica Hallman is second on the squad with 12.1 ppg to go with a team-best 4.9 assists per outing.

McIntosh leads all freshmen in the Big 12 with 6.7 rebounds per game and is second among all players in offensive rebounding with 3.29 per outing.

The Jayhawks’ strength all season has been on the defensive end. KU is fourth in the league, holding all opponents to 55.4 points per game.

Impressively, Kansas has drawn 23 charges while being called for just seven. KU is averaging 58.2 points per game on 40.4 percent shooting and grabbing 34.1 rebounds per game, while giving up 55.4 points per game on 38.7 percent shooting and 35.5 boards per outing.

Texas A&M is coming off its first Big 12 Conference victory against Oklahoma State on Wednesday. Freshman guard A’Quonesia Franklin paced the Aggies with 13 points, eight rebounds and five assists. Freshman guard/forward Morenike Atunrase chipped in 12 points and seven boards.

A&M pulled out the win despite shooting just 30 percent from the field and being outrebounded 53-42.

Junior forward Tamea Scales averages 11.1 points and 6.1 rebounds per game for the season to lead the Aggies. Six other players are averaging over five points per outing.

Tipoff: 7 tonightWhere: Reed Arena; CollegeStation, Texas.PROBABLE STARTERSKansas (7-7 overall, 0-3 Big 12)F — Crystal Kemp, 6-foot-2, Jr. (14.9 ppg)F — Taylor McIntosh, 5-11, Fr. (6.7 rpg)G — Aquanita Burras, 5-9, Sr. (9.6 ppg)G — Kaylee Brown, 5-8, Jr. (9.5 ppg)G — Erica Hallman, 5-8, Jr. (12.1 ppg)Texas A&M (10-3, 1-2)F — Morenike Artunrase, 5-10, Fr. (8.8 ppg)F — Tamea Scales, 6-0, Jr. (11.1 ppg)G — Charlette Castile, 5-8, Sr. (8.7 ppg)G — A’Quonesia Franklin, 5-3, Fr. (5.2 ppg)G — Erica Roy, 5-8, Jr. (6.5 ppg)

Texas A&M averages 68.8 points on 41.6 percent shooting and pulls down 37.0 rebounds per game, while giving up 57.1 points on 38.9 percent shooting and 38.8 rebounds per game. The Aggies lead the conference in steals (12.23 spg), turnover margin (+8.38) and offensive rebounding (15.54 orpg).

Tonight’s matchup marks the 10th all-time meeting between the two schools with Kansas leading the series 7-2. The Jayhawks never have lost in College Station, owning a 4-0 advantage. Texas A&M took last year’s meeting, 69-63, in Lawrence.

KU’s last win against Texas A&M came Jan. 25, 2003, when the Jayhawks downed the Aggies 64-57 in College Station.

A&M is coached by Gary Blair, who is 19-22 in his third year at Texas A&M and 427-185 in his 21st season overall.

Before dropping league games against Baylor (64-50) and at Oklahoma (73-53) to open Big 12 play, the Aggies went 9-1 in non-conference play.

Picked to finish 10th in the Big 12, A&M returns two starters among seven letterwinners to a team that went 9-19 overall and tied with KU for 11th place in the league in 2003-04.