RIO RANCHO, N.M. - No amount of preparation for Danielle McCray could help the UNM women's basketball team slow down the Kansas star.
The Jayhawks prevailed 78-69, ending the Lobos' NIT run in the quarterfinals and ending Angela Hartill and Amanda Adamson's careers at UNM.
McCray topped 30 points for the fifth time, ripping the Lobos for 32. This comes after a 35-point performance helped the Jayhawks top Arkansas 75-59 on Thursday. DePaul's Deirdre Naughton was the last player to score 30-plus points against the Lobos, in November of 2008.
McCray is in a different class, UNM head coach Don Flanagan said.
"We tried everybody on the team, except for Val (Kast), on her," he said. "We didn't stop her. We didn't even slow her up very much. We haven't had anybody get 32 on us in a long time."
Heck, it wouldn't have mattered if the Lobos had been spotted a lead, which they were, by the way - early in the first half. Liquid nitrogen couldn't have cooled McCray.
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The Big 12 first-teamer came in averaging 27.7 points and 8.5 rebounds per game in Kansas' six games in March.
It was almost too easy for her on Monday.
It didn't matter how many times Flanagan scolded his teams during timeouts. It didn't matter how many times the Lobos drew within two points (four times during the second half). It didn't matter who guarded McCray. It didn't matter that UNM was playing at its home away from home in the Santa Ana Star Center.
At one point in the second half, McCray went on an 8-0 run to give the Jayhawks a 58-50 advantage. And every time the Lobos sniffed blood, McCray staunched Kansas' bleeding. After the Lobos cut it to two, 62-60, McCray downed a 3-pointer and was fouled. She converted the free throw, giving the Jayhawks a 66-60 cushion with 7:18 left in the game.
"She hit a lot of clutch shots," Amy Beggin said. "Seemed like every time we got their lead back to two, she'd hit something," Beggin said.
McCray constantly was hounded by double-teams, which she handled easily.
"It's a good thing we play in the Big 12 because I see that all the time," McCray said. "We knew going into the game we were going to face that defense. In the beginning, I was kind of rushing - turning the ball over. I think I kind of got it together."
In turn, she drew numerous fouls and was 8-of-11 from the free-throw line. UNM never had an answer.
During one point in the second half, the foul discrepancy favored Kansas 20-10. The Jayhawks finished the game drawing 26 fouls to the Lobos' 19.
McCray also benefited from her teammates' play. Three other Kansas players scored in double figures, with Aishah Sutherland scoring 15, Ivana Catic pumping in 14 and Nicollette Smith pouring in 11. Beggin and Hartill each led the Lobos with 15 points. Amanda Best scored 11 while Georonika Jackson added 10 for UNM.
McCray said getting scoring help from her teammates added to her big night.
"It's just having the ability to go off the dribble, shooting the 3 and having my teammates to set screens for me. When you have great players around you that feed you the ball, it's a good thing," she said.
Likewise, Flanagan said the play of Kansas' role-players didn't allow the Lobos to hone in and focus on McCray.
"That's one of the reasons, but I didn't see anybody out there that couldn't score," he said. "Their point guard was their least productive player, and she can score. She's just doing her job. McCray split doubles and scored on us. She was as good as advertised, and she just got 35 against Arkansas. I guess we should be happy we held her to 32. I mean, she's up for All-American. I guess I praised her enough."
