Taelor Karr knows she got off to a slow start this season.
But that's in the past, and when the Wildcats fell behind by three points early Wednesday night against North Dakota, she was right there.
The sophomore guard sank a three-pointer to tie the game up at three points, and then followed it up with a layup less than a minute later.
Yes, she proved that the shaky start to her season is well in the past.
"Everything felt good," Karr said after the Wildcats 76-49 victory.
The Paola, Kan. native had the hot-hand Wednesday night, leading all scorers with 16 points on 7-of-8 shooting, going 2-of-3 from behind the three-point line.
It was her fourth night in five games to reach double figures.
"I was getting some good looks," Karr said. "I was wide open on a few and they were just falling for me."
But those shots took some time to fall for Karr as she began the season at a much slower pace.
The sophomore, who finished third on the team in scoring last year with 9.1 points-per-game, struggled to find a rhythm from the floor when the Wildcats began their season last month. She shot just 33 percent in her first three games and failed to hit double-figures in each of them, hitting just three shots from behind the three-point line.
"I was definitely struggling in the beginning of the year," Karr said. "My shot wasn't falling."
But despite her shooting guard's slow start, head coach Deb Patterson didn't show much concern.
"Part of her improvement is just understanding the offense a little better, and when the shots are going to come," Patterson said.
The patience paid off. Karr has shot 40 percent from the field since reaching double figures for the first time this season in a 63-53 win over Western Illinois on Nov. 21.
Just this weekend Karr notched a season-high 17 points while shooting 3-of-6 from beyond the arc on Sunday afternoon in a 68-62 loss at Iowa.
Entering Wednesday's game against North Dakota, she was second on the squad in scoring, averaging 10.3 points-per-game.
"Now I feel like my teammates are getting me good looks," Karr said. "They are passing to me when I am open and helping me to play to my strengths. I feel a lot more comfortable now that they are going in."
For the Wildcats' offense to remain in rhythm, it's clear Karr's shooting will play an essential role for the remainder of the season.
"To me, it's just an evolution of establishing a comfort level with the offense and the assertiveness," Patterson said. "Sometimes it's hard early in the season when you don't get into a groove right away with your shot and you get a little gun shy, and I think she has battled her way through that."
Photo- The Manhattan Mercury
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