WBB | Gaels Travel to Face Kansas Jayhawks This Weekend

Sunday, December 15

Lawrence, Kan.

Noon

Saint Mary's College of California

Kansas

Photo by: Saint Mary's Athletics / Tod Fierner

WBB | Gaels Travel to Face Kansas Jayhawks This Weekend

12/12/2019 12:00:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Game #8
Saint Mary's Gaels (4-4) vs. Kansas Jayhawks (8-0)
Saturday, December 15, 2019 at Noon
Lawrence, Kan. — Allen Fieldhouse
Live Stats

MORAGA, Calif. — Saint Mary's hits the road this week to take on the Kansas Jayhawks for the first time in program history.

LAST TIME OUT
The Gaels won their second contest in a row last weekend as they scored their most points in a game yet and took the 84-67 win against Cal Poly. Saint Mary's made a season-high, 45 attempts and a season-high 18 treys from the three-point line against the Mustangs, surpassing their previous record of 44 attempts in the matchup against Western Kentucky. SMC also recorded a season-high 28 assists during the contest and junior Madeline Holland collected 13 assists which is an individual season-high for her. Sophomore Taycee Wedin led the team with a total of 19 points and was just one point high of her season-high. The Gaels shot 40 percent from the three-point line during the matchup compared to 12.5 from Cal Poly.

GAELS FROM THE THREE
SMC improved their shooting from beyond the arc to 37 percent last weekend as well as brought their field goal percentage to 43 percent. Saint Mary's is now ranked 40th in the nation and second in the conference in three-point field goal percentage. Wedin is currently leading the team with an individual three-point percentage of 40.6, while sophomore Sam Simons is close behind at 40.4 percent. Wedin has made the most treys this season (28) and she recorded six in the last contest, which is the third time this season she has done so. The Gaels made a season-high, 45 attempts from the three-point line against Cal Poly, surpassing their previous record of 44 attempts in the matchup against Western Kentucky. SMC leads the WCC in most three-point field goals attempted (238), made (87), and per game (10.9) and is ranked fourth in the nation in threes per game.

KANSAS
The Jayhawks have had a hot start to their season as they have yet to lose a match. Kansas is 8-0 on the year following their most recent victory over Florida at home. Kansas has played all but two of their matches at home this season and they are now 6-0 at the Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks only two matches on the road were at the Florida Atlantic University Thanksgiving Tournament when they beat Wright State 74-63 followed by a 90-60 victory over FAU. Kansas finished the 2018-19 season with a record of 13-18 and they made it to the second round of the Big 12 Championships before falling to Iowa State 58-75.

Offensively leading the Jayhawks this season is freshman Holly Kersgieter who is averaging 12.6 points per game with a field goal percentage of 50.7 and a three-point field goal percentage of 45.5. Close behind her teammate is freshman Zakiyah Franklin with an average of 11.3 points per contest. Defensively, junior Tina Stephens leads the team with 8.4 rebounds per matchup and a total of 67 on the season. Kansas as a team is shooting 45.6 percent from the field and 30.9 from beyond the arc with an average of 78.1 points per game. The Jayhawks have outscored their opponents 625 to 451 and have outscored their opponents 126 to 85 in the fourth quarter alone.

#GaelsRise – For ticket information to all home basketball games, call the SMC Ticket Office today at 925-631-4689 or click the ticket link here to purchase your seats now.