They might have won their last two games by a combined 88 points, but the Bearcats know the Big 12 is not a Division II conference, and the Kansas Jayhawks are not a Division II team.
Coming off two dominating performances in exhibition play, the Binghamton University women’s basketball team is ready to open up its regular season tomorrow at noon against the University of Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse. Even though the Bearcats dismantled Le Moyne and St. Rose, they realize that Kansas is a much greater challenge.
“Mentally we have to get ready to compete,” said head coach Rich Conover. “Obviously the Big 12 a great conference, arguably the best. We have our work cut out for us.”
The Jayhawks were projected to finish sixth in the highly competitive Big 12 conference, which includes defending champion Baylor, and nationally ranked Texas, Oklahoma, and Texas Tech.
The Bearcats have looked very impressive thus far, as seniors Rachel Laws, Jen Blues and Jen Haubrich have played extremely well. They have received help from outstanding efforts by Laine Kurpniece and Shea Kenny, who have both been seamlessly integrated into the starting lineup. The bench, led by Laura Sario, Rebecca Lindgren and Juta Jahilo, will also be formidable this season.
Kansas finished last season with a record of 12-16 (5-11, Big 12). The team returns its top scorer from last year, senior forward Crystal Kemp who registered 13.8 points and 8.8 rebounds per game.