Hawking Points: Nichols' 22 and Kansas stifling defense downs Kansas State, 58-55
In what senior guard Holly Kersgieter called "the best memory I have in Allen Fieldhouse", the Kansas Jayhawks took the lead late and held on for an important win over the #10 Kansas State Wildcats on Sunday.
The Jayhawks were able to hold star center Ayoka Lee to just 14 points on 21 shots as Kansas freshman S'mya Nichols came close to setting a new career-high just one game after tying it. Ultimately, the defensive efforts were enough to allow Kansas to get their fourth consecutive win over Kansas State in Allen Fieldhouse by a score of 58-55.
Key Plays
The Jayhawks started out hot in the first quarter, building leads of 10-4 and 17-6 thanks to hot shooting and suffocating defense. Nichols got 9 of her points in the first period, and the Jayhawks were able to hold Ayoka Lee to just 4 points on 6 shots. The defense played by Taiyanna Jackson was absolutely huge in frustrating her, including two blocks. The Jayhawks eventually gave up a bit of a run at the end of the quarter though, clinging to a 4-point lead.
The second quarter saw a big turnaround, as Jackson picked up her second foul just a minute into the quarter. But it wasn't Lee who brought the Wildcats back, as she was once again held to just 4 points on 2-6 shooting. This time is was backup Danai Papadopoulou who played great in the post, pulling down 5 rebounds, including 2 on the offensive end. Instead, it was Taryn Sides who was 3-4 with two three pointers that helped Kansas State with the comeback. Kansas had only 1 of their first 10 shots in the quarter and gave up a 6-point deficit. Then, Skyler Gill came in and scored two straight baskets, breaking the run and allowing Kansas to go into the break down just 2.
The third quarter saw Kansas State try to take control once again, as the Jayhawks missed a few shots early. Ayoka Lee scored 4 points in the first 3:23 of the quarter. But then Nichols took over for Kansas, hitting three shots on three straight possessions before a Zakiyah Franklin three (her only points of the night) tied it up.
Even the fourth quarter started a bit rough, with two straight Kansas turnovers and an Ayoka Lee basket. But Nichols, Jackson and Kersgieter combined for a 6-0 run to get the lead for good. Kersgieter went 3-4 from the line at the end of the game to provide the final margin.
Eye-Catching Stat Lines
S'mya Nichols led all scorers with 22 points, with many of her baskets coming on mid-range jumpers. Asked after the game, she noted that "[Lee] was in the middle, so I had nowhere else to go. That's all I had." And while the majority of her box score contributions came by scoring points, her presence on the floor opened up a lot of possiblities for others.
Taiyanna Jackson had 11 points on 11 shots, but it was her defense that really made a difference. She had 8 blocks total, with many of those coming on Lee and 7 rebounds.
Kansas State Head Coach Jeff Mittie acknowledged her impact in the postgame, saying that "she's a difference maker defensively. Offensively too, but she's a threat at both ends."
Holly Kersgieter had 10 points in the game, but her 7 defensive rebounds, 3 assists and 2 timely steals helped to seal the game for Kansas.
The Jayhawks lost the battle for points in the paint, but they were able to make up for that with plays at the free through line, points off of turnovers, and the inside blocks of Jackson.
Area of Improvement
The decision making in late game situations leaves a little bit to be desired, but given the rivalry nature of the game, it can be forgiven. However, Coach Brandon Schneider mentioned that the late turnover on the sideline where Zakiyah Franklin was tied up on the sideline was something that was on him. "I should have called timeout."
Fouling became an issue in this one, as Kansas needed to shuffle the lineup quite a bit to account for 9 combined fouls on the post players by the second quarter. It didn't end up being a huge issue, but it made the first half dicey.
Takeaways
I don't know how this team will do in the NCAA Tournament, but after this win today, they absolutely should get a chance to see. Most bracketologists had the Jayhawks on the bubble coming into the game, and this should be enough to push them over barring a huge collapse to end the season. But the first game in the Big 12 is going to be crucial.
Up Next
With the win, Kansas improves to 16-11 on the season and 9-7 in Big 12 play.
Kansas heads back on the road for the final time this season, as they go to Orlando for a mid-week game against the Knights. Tipoff is scheduled for Wednesday evening at 5pm and the game will be broadcast on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.
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