Hawking Points: Nichols, Kersgieter fuel huge comeback as Jayhawks down Cowgirls 70-64

Kansas came storming back in the fourth quarter to upend Oklahoma State.

After a dominant upset victory over Baylor on Wednesday, fans might assume that the Kansas Jayhawks were riding high going into their game against the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. But it didn't take long for the reality of the Big 12 conference to hit them once again. It took a huge run in the fourth quarter, freshman S'mya Nichols and senior Holly Kersgieter fueled  a double-digit comeback to secure their second conference victory, 70-64.

Key Plays

Kansas won the tip and then immediately fed Nichols for a wide-open three. That was the beginning of a first quarter of runs, as Kansas started 4-0, then Oklahoma State went 4-0, then Kansas went 5-0, Oklahoma State went 6-0, and the quarter finished with two free throws from Nichols and then a three from Stailee Heard. Neither team was able to build any momentum, as Taiyanna Jackson went to the bench with two fouls after playing just 4 minutes.

Oklahoma State seemed to seize control as Jackson sat through the entire second quarter. Once again, every run by the Jayhawks was matched by an equal or better one from the Cowgirls. Kansas kept it within striking distance by forcing a few turnovers, but their cold shooting had them down by 8 with 2:24 left in the half. Wyvette Mayberry had a 5-0 run all by herself, and Zsofia Telegdy hit a late three as the Jayhawks seemed lucky to only be down four.

Taiyanna Jackson come back in the second half and was all over the court. She missed two shots but also had 2 rebounds very early in the quarter. But Kansas had three of their five turnovers in the third period. Combine that with the 5-1 offensive rebounding margin enjoyed by the Cowgirls, and the lead ballooned all the way to 11 before Kansas clawed a few back to end the quarter. 

But the fourth quarter saw everything change. Zakiyah Franklin got to the line quickly, then she answered an Oklahoma State jumper with a layup. That sparked a huge 10-0 run, as Nichols and Kersgieter each made a three. After a timeout from the Cowgirls, the Jayhawks traded baskets before breaking through with another quick 7-0 run. It wasn't just the offense though, as the defense forced four turnovers in the period and multiple tough shot attempts, all without fouling. 

Eye-Catching Stat Lines

S'mya Nichols led all scorers with 17 points on 5-10 shooting, including 2-4 from three. She added five points at the free throw line.

Taiyanna Jackson did everything except score in this one, as she ended the night with 6 points, 9 rebounds, 3 blocks and 2 steals.

Holly Kersgieter was effective at pretty much everything. She had 16 points on 6-10 shooting, went 3-5 from beyond the arc and 1-2 from the free throw line. She also had four rebounds and four assists.

Zakiyah Franklin had some issues getting started, but she ended with 13 points, 5 rebounds, 4 assists and 3 steals. Her defense was key to the fourth quarter comeback.

Kansas was outrebounded by double digits, didn't score off of any of their 7 offensive rebounds, and got outscored by 14 points in the paint. But they overcame that by forcing 12 turnovers while only committing 5 and hitting 15 of 21 attempts from the free throw line.

Area of Improvement

The big issue in this one was how Kansas handled themselves when Taiyanna Jackson had to leave with foul trouble. They struggled to move the ball. They weren't able to get inside to score or challenge for rebounds. They played out on the perimeter looking for long shots, which takes away such a huge part of their offense. While it's understandable that there is a dropoff of some sort, it can't be that pronounced if Kansas hopes to make noise in the Big 12.

Takeaways

It's encouraging that the Jayhawks are not seeing the same issue from one night to the next. Free throws weren't an issue tonight. And with how well the game against Baylor was from start to finish, it was good to see the Jayhawks find success after struggling in the game. That comeback was amazing, and hopefully they can build on it moving forward.

Up Next

The Jayhawks hit the road again for an extremely difficult two-game swing. It starts with another top-10 team in the Texas Longhorns, who suffered a loss at the hands of the Kansas State Wildcats today. Tipoff is scheduled for 7pm Central on Tuesday, January 16th. The game will be broadcast on the Longhorn Network.