🏀 Jayhawks Hold off Kansas City for 70-61 Victory

KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Four starters scored in double figures as Kansas led wire-to-wire and defeated Kansas City 70-61 on Saturday afternoon at Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City, Missouri. 

With the win, Kansas improves to 2-1 on the year, while the Roos fall to 1-3 on the season. 

“It’s the third game in a row where the lead guard is our opponent’s leading scorer. We have to evaluate that, whether that’s because we’re switching certain people off of others or not getting better players to her early enough when a player like that gets going. She has not shown that she’s their best player but today she was. “

Head Coach Brandon Schneider

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Kansas scored the first six points of the game and pushed ahead for a 15-2 advantage midway through the first quarter. The Jayhawks went on to shoot 71.4% (10-of-14) in the first quarter and led 23-8 at the end of one behind six points from Taiyanna Jackson and four points a piece from Wyvette Mayberry and S’Mya Nichols. 

The Jayhawks outscored the Roos 19-12 in the second quarter as Holly Kergieter hit two threes in the period. Kansas took its largest lead of the half into the locker room as they led 42-20. Nichols and Kergieter both entered double-figures in the first half with 11 points a piece at the break. Danai Papadopoulou topped her previous career-high with six rebounds in the first half.

The second half started with back-to-back scoring by both teams, but the Roos were able to outscore the Jayhawks 16-11 in the first six minutes of the second half. Up 17 with 2:24 left in the third, Ryan Cobbins splashed a three to increase the lead to 20. Kansas City knocked down a three-pointer as time expired in the third to cut Kansas’ lead down to 17, 58-41.

Kansas City continued to fight back in the fourth as they went on a 10-4 run in the first 3:37 of the fourth period. Kansas City only trailed by seven with 2:03 left in the game, but Jackson made a tough put-back layup to increase Kansas’ lead to nine. Kansas controlled the rest of the way as Kansas City resorted to fouling. 

Kansas was led by a double-double of 12 points and 12 rebounds by Jackson, who recorded her second double-double in three games and 29th of her career. Nichols scored a team-high 18 points, while Kersgieter finished with 15 and Mayberry added 13.

Next Up
Kansas heads to George Town, Cayman Islands next week for the Cayman Islands Classic, where the Jayhawks will meet a pair of highly ranked non-conference opponents. KU will play No. 9 Virginia Tech on Nov. 24, before facing No. 8 UConn on Nov. 25.