Members of the women's basketball team watch a video skit of theirs from behind a curtain before being introduced to the fieldhouse crowd on Friday, Oct. 10, 2014.

When her Kansas University women’s basketball teammates discovered during a weight-room session that freshman guard Lauren Aldridge could do backflips, they had one piece of advice for her.

“You should do that for Late Night,” senior guard Natalie Knight related.

The 5-foot-7 guard from Marshfield, Missouri, definitely earned the team’s crowd-pleaser title during the Jayhawks’ dance routine at Late Night in the Phog festivities Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

Aldridge’s coach, Bonnie Henrickson, knew she could play. But she just learned at rehearsals the previous evening that the newcomer used to be a competitive gymnast.

“All of a sudden, she took off,” Henrickson said. “I’m like, ‘What is she doing?’ I could not believe it.”

The coach said the feat proved to be a show-stopper: “I don’t think there were a lot of people in this facility tonight that could do that.”

As for the actual basketball, the Jayhawks scrimmaged for only 12 minutes in front of the Kansas faithful, who showed their support while waiting for the night’s main event.

The Blue team, led by senior post Chelsea Gardner and Knight, dispatched the Crimson team, with Asia Boyd, Bunny Williams and others, 22-16.

Of course, Henrickson never worries long about how the players perform in the scrimmage.

“If we play well, I don’t get too amped up about it,” she said. “If we don’t play well, I don’t get too fired up about that.”

Still, after drawing cheers from the crowd for her triangle-playing during a music video of “All About That Bass,” the KU coach walked away pleased with the play of freshman guard Chayla Cheadle, who scored four points. Most of all, Henrickson appreciated Cheadle’s assertiveness.

“That’s really who she’s been,” the coach said. “Sometimes they are who they are out here, and sometimes they’re not, just because of the energy (in the building).”

Gardner proved, as expected, to be the best player on the floor. The senior led all players (by a six-point margin) with a game-high 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting and pulled down a scrimmage-best five rebounds.

Truthfully, though, Henrickson was most concerned about the team’s freshmen, many of whom came to past Late Nights on visits.

“It’s different sitting in the stands watching it,” Henrickson said, “than being able to dance and play in front of it.”

Added Knight, after completing her final Late Night at KU: “I think we’ll grow to be pretty good this year.”