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About The daily Nebraskan. ([Lincoln, Neb.) 1901-current | View Entire Issue (March 3, 1997)
LaFrentz grows ByMikeKluck Senior Reporter Besides being ranked No. 1, which means getting every opponent’s best shot, the Kansas basketball team has had many other obstacles to over come this season. The Jayhawks played the first 10 games of the season with out point guard Jacque Vaughn, who suffered a broken right wrist over the summer. Kansas did not miss a beat without its senior leader and picked up wins against No. 9 Cin cinnati and at No. 10 UCLA. Then nine games after Vaughn’s return senior center Scott Pollard broke his foot and missed eight games. Despite losing in double overtime to Missouri without Pollard, the Jayhawks still kept their No. 1 rank-', ing. Now with the team healthy, Kan sas is prepared to make a run at its season-long goal of winning the NCAA Tournament. But if the Jayhawks make it to the Hoosier Dome in Indianapolis — the sight of this year’s Final Four — KU may look back at those injuries as a key ingredient to its run. For it was Pollard’s injury that awakened the real ability of Raef LaFrentz. In LaFrentz’s first game against Nebraska this year the junior forward sewed 20 points — 11 in the overtime period to lead Kansas to £ 82-77 win. “Raef has always had the skills,’ Pollard said, “When I was out there ] probably distracted him. He has de veloped a confidence in the last few games now that he has played with out me. He’s had to step up, and the numbers just came up because 1 wasn't taking away his numbers.” In the first 19 games with Pollard and LaFrentz both in the KU lineup LaFrentz, a native of Monona, Iowa averaged 17.2 points per game. Since Pollard’s injury LaFrentz averages 22.1 points and nine rebounds pei game. Sunday in the Jayhawks’ 85-65 victory at the Bob Devaney Sports Center, LaFrentz scored 16 points and grabbed six boards by halflime as KU built a 13-point lead. LaFrentz fin ished the game with 23 points and 1C rebounds, picking up his 17th double double of the season and fourth in the last five games ' Vaughn said the Jayhawks wanted to get the ball fo the 6-foot-ll, 235 pound LaFrentz in the first half. Or the game’s very first play LaFrenta scored on an alley-oop jam to stan KU’s momentum. “That was a definite concentrated effort on our part,” Vaughn said. “We definitely wanted to get the ball in side. We watched the tape from the last game and saw we did better in side. We’re a fairly intelligent ball club, so we said why not try and gel the ball to a 60-percent shooter in side.” KU Coach Roy Williams said the Jayhawks goal going into the NL game was to control the rebounds. Ir « We definitely wanted to get the ball inside Jacque Vaughn _Kansas guard the first game, the Huskers out-re bounded Kansas 46-33. On Sunday, Kansas dominated the boards 52-24, including 20 offensive rebounds. “We spent most of the time this week in practice emphasizing re bounding and emphasizing boxing out because we kind of got away from that,” LaFrentz said. Pollard, who played seven minutes and didn’t score in Kansas’s 70-68 win at Oklahoma on Monday night, led the Jayhawks grabbing 12 rebounds. He also sewed 14 points. NU Coach Danny Nee said the cwnbination of Pollard and LaFrentz down low makes the Jayhawks a team that has a chance to go far in the NCAA Tournament. “Both Pollard and LaFrentz in the middle, they are really a great force,” Nee said. “He’s (Pollard) a space heater. He does really make a positive difference. Raef LaFrentz improved tremendously with Pollard out. “I really hope they do well in the tournament. They have that type of team. They have a really dam good chance.” NU’s DeForge makes first-team All-Big 12 KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Kansas guard Tamecka Dixon was named the Big 12 Conference women’s basket ball player of the year, and Nebraska’s Anna DeForge made the first-ever All-Big 12 team that was announced on Sunday. Also, _Jayhawk Coach Define Marian Washing ** ton was honored as the conference’s coach of the year Dixon was player ofthe year in the Big Eight last year when KU won the league’s final crown. DeForge, who started every game for NU this season, averaged 17 points and six rebounds per game for the 18 8 Comhuskers. DeForge said she was surprised by the honor after only receiving all-Big Eight honorable mention her fresh man and sophomore seasons. “With four extra teams in the con ference I didn’t think about it,” DeForge said. “It means a lot. It’s a big honor and it’s a reflection of the season we have had. We’ve had a great season and the team is getting a lot of respect.” AP Women's All-Big 12 A Team Pos Name School Yr. F Anna DeForge Nebraska Jr. F Andria Jones Kansas St Sr. She said this year’s honor was earned because of the stability she has shown for the Huskers throughout the season. “I’ve been much more consistent in my play this season,” DeForge said. “I also understand the mental part of the game more and I know what has to be done.” The 5-11 junior from Niagara, Wis., is joined on the first team by Dixon, Alicia Thompson of Texas Tech, Kansas State’s Andria Jones and Jayme Olson of Iowa State. NU’s LaToya Doage was a third team selection Senior reporter Mike Khick con tributed to this report. Tg \foss tosses no-hitter inNUwin From Staff Reports Jenny Voss tossed a no-hitter on Sunday to lead the Nebraska soft ball team to an 8-0 win over No. 25 Nicholls State. It was the first no-hitter by a Comhusker pitcher since Stacie Stafford tossed a gem against Texas Tech April 26, 1996. In the nightcap of the silver medal finals at the NFCA Lead Off Classic at Columbus, Ga., the right-handed freshman from Ankeny, Iowa, was the loser in NU’s 4-0 loss to fifth-ranked Michigan. Voss, who pitched five of Nebraska’s six tournament games, suffered her fifth loss of the season in losing to the Wolverines. The Huskers were 3-3 in the tournament, which featured teams that made the NCAA Regionals last season. All of NU’s (4-8) wins have come against Top 25 teams. Nebraska has two weeks off be fore competing in the Cowgirl Spring Classic on March 14-15 in Stillwater, Okla. Got 10 minutes? File your taxes. This year, millions will file their tax returns by phone — using TeleFile, a free service from the IRS. The call is easy and refunds are fast. Check your mail for a TeleFile booklet. Interna) Revenue Service | 11^^ http://www.ifs.ustreas.gov It's free, (ft fast. It works. 'Ibumament fields set .*• "V; From Staff Reports The final weekend of Big 12 Conference play has set up the pair ings for this week’s men’s and women’s Big 12 basketball tourna ments. The first-ever men’s tourna ment starts on Thursday at Kemper Arena, and the women’s inaugural tournament begins Tuesday at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas 'City, Mo. Both the Comhusker men’s and women’s teams are seeded seventh in the tournaments and will have to follow similar paths to advance to the later rounds. The NU men (16-13 overall and 7r9 in the Big 12 Conference) face Missouri (13-16 and 5-11), the No. 10 seed, at 6 p.m. on Thursday at Kemper. With a win, NU Will ad vance to the second round to take on second-seeded Texas on Friday, March 7. Nebraska has split both games with the Longhorns this sea son. The Husker women (18-8 and 8-8) will also meet No. 10 Mis souri (10-19 and 3-13) on Tuesday at 6 p.m. A victory leads to a Wednesday night contest with Texas. The Longhorns beat NU 71 - 70 on Feb. 8. On the men’s side, top-ranked < and top-seeded Kansas, Texas, Colorado, and Iowa State receive first-round byes. The champion ship game — which will be tele vised by CBS — is at noon Sun day. Other men’s games Thursday: Texas Tech vs. Kansas State, Okla homa vs. Texas A&M and Baylor vs. Oklahoma State. The Jayhawk women are seeded No. 1, followed by Texas, Texas Tech and Colorado. Those four teams earned first-round byes. Other women’s games pit Okla homa State vs. Baylor, Oklahoma vs. Kansas State and Texas A&M against Iowa State. * AMERICAN LUNG ASSOCIATION® 7101 Newport Avenue, Suite 303 of NobrOSko Omaha, NE 68152 1-800-LUNG-USA r Is Life Overwhelming You?^ We Can Help! • Family Issues? • Feeling Down? • Trouble Sleeping? • Work Stress? Or. Matthew BRNessetti, PhD, FPPR Director PsychoioQiet/NeuropsychoiOQist J (^P^Mental Health Centers, P.C. 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