Hawking Points: Nichols, Kersgieter power Jayhawks on Senior Night
On an emotional Senior Night, the Kansas Jayhawks leaned season-high totals from the duo of freshman S'mya Nichols and senior Holly Kersgieter to power past the Oklahoma Sooners in Allen Fieldhouse. Nichols set a career high with a huge effort in the first half, and Kersgieter and the seniors continued the run in the second half to down the Big 12 regular season champ Oklahoma Sooners by a score of 83-74.
Key Plays
With a starting lineup normally full of seniors, it wasn't a surprise to see Kersgieter kick off the scoring for the Jayhawks. After Oklahoma put together a 6-0 in just under 90 seconds, it was the freshman Nichols that stepped up to power a Jayhawk run, scoring 10 points in a 17-4 run to end the first quarter.
The second quarter could not have been any different, as it took almost 90 seconds for Taiyanna Jackson to get the first points of the quarter. But Oklahoma ripped off an impressive 21-2 run to flip a double digit deficit into an 8-point lead. But that lead didn't last, as Nichols once again took the game over. She scored 9 of the last 11 points for the Jayhawks in the second quarter to pull Kansas within two at the break.
Oklahoma focused on Nichols in the second half, daring any of the Kansas seniors to step up. And they did, with Kersgieter and Zakiyah Franklin combining to score the first 10 points of the half. Combined with the lock-down defense , this turned a deficit into a three point lead, and when Nichols and Wyvette Mayberry got involved, the lead stretched back out to 8 points. The fourth quarter saw Kansas slowly push the lead out, as Oklahoma couldn't ever seem to sustain a run.
Eye-Catching Stat Lines
S'mya Nichols set a new career high with 29 points on 7-11 shooting and a 13-16 mark from the free throw line. She also had two rebounds, two assists, and drew so many fouls that I lost count.
Holly Kersgieter nearly matched the freshman with 26 points on 11-16 shooting. She added 2 rebounds, 1 assist and 3 steals.
Zakiyah Franklin finished the game with 11 points on 13 shots, adding 3 assists.
Taiyanna Jackson had a "quiet" 12 points on 11 shots, but she pulled down 15 rebounds.
Area of Improvement
That second quarter stretch was concerning, especially since it seemed that the Jayhawks sped themselves up for a good portion of it. Oklahoma thrives at that pace, and Kansas seemed to check out a bit and let them dictate the pace.
Takeaways
This win was huge for Kansas, as they needed the momentum boost on the way into the Big 12 Tournament. They now have 2 ranked wins in the last 3 games, and while Kansas City isn't technically homefield advantage, it is pretty friendly for them.
But just as important has been that multiple players have gotten involved and stood out, and Nichols has shown that she can carry the scoring load until the rest of the team can catch up.
Up Next
With the win, Kansas finishes at 18-11 in the regular season and 11-7 in Big 12 play.
The Jayhawks head to Kansas City for the Big 12 Championship taking place next week at the T-Mobile Center. They will either be the 6th seed and have a bye to the quarterfinals, or they will be the 7th seed and play in the second round. Their seed will depend on the result for the Baylor Bears tomorrow.
Join the discussion! Come talk about this or any of our articles on the Blue Wing Rising Discord Server.
Follow Blue Wings Rising on Twitter.
Listen to the official podcast of Blue Wings Rising: The Rock Chalk Podcast.
