Hawking Points: Senior Guard Trio Preserve Jayhawks 70-62 Win Over Cougars
For the second straight game in the two-game series between the Kansas Jayhawks and the BYU Cougars, a long stoppage for strange circumstances left both teams puzzled and trying to stay loose in a critical moment of the game. With just over a minute and a half left in the game and the scoreboard displaying a 67-60 margin, the officials stopped the game for a review.
After a 10 minute delay, the officials determined that both teams were credited with two points on the scoreboard after a BYU layup, resulting in a 5-point margin instead of the assumed 7-point margin.
Kansas coach Brandon Schneider was visibly upset at the situation, but his team responded well, getting an offensive rebound and scoring on 5 free throws in the final minute to seal a victory on the road.
The win moves the streak for the Jayhawks to five, making them 15-10 overall and 8-6 in conference play. BYU's three-game streak is snapped, dropping them to 15-12 overall and 5-9 in conference play.
Key Plays
It wasn't pretty in the first quarter, but the Jayhawks started with a bucket from Taiyanna Jackson that ended up being her only points of the game. From there, the first quarter foreshadowed what would happen the rest of the game, as Wyvette Mayberry and Zakiyah Franklin battled Lauren Gustin, matching each other shot for shot to keep the margin at two at the end of the first quarter.
The second quarter saw Holly Kersgieter get into the scoring as Jackson spent all but two minutes on the bench. But foul trouble affected both teams, forcing BYU to multiple players involved. Gustin continued her scoring barrage, finishing with 20 in the first half as the two teams went into halftime tied at 31.
It looked like Kansas might run away with it early in the third quarter, as Franklin hit a three and Mayberry got a layup with a foul to score the first 6 points. But BYU's Amari Whiting got out on a fast break, drawing a foul and making one of the free throws, and Gustin scored the next 7 points in the game to tie the largest lead for BYU on the night at 2 points. A Kansas timeout sparked a 9-4 run from Mayberry and Kersgieter, taking the lead for good with 1:16 left in the third quarter.
The fourth quarter was a slow stretching of the lead for Kansas, as S'mya Nichols was finally able to get in on the scoring action with a three pointer. With the lead at 7, Kersgieter and Franklin were able to keep the BYU contingent at bay the rest of the way, even with another weird stoppage.
Eye-Catching Stat Lines
Zakiyah Franklin led the Jayhawks with 24 points on 9-11 shooting, including a perfect 2-2 from beyond the arc and a 4-6 performance from the free throw line. She left in the fourth quarter with a shoulder injury, but returned just a few minutes later to help seal the victory.
Wyvette Mayberry had 19 points on 7-13 shooting, with 5 free throws. Her aggression throughout the game opened up a ton of opportunities across the court.
Holly Kersgieter chipped in 16 points, including 3 big three-pointers to kill BYU momentum in critical moments of the game. Her 7 rebounds led the Jayhawks on a night that saw both Jackson and Danai Papadopoulou in foul trouble consistently.
Lauren Gustin of BYU was absolutely phenomenal in a losing effort, amassing 33 points and 18 rebounds, including 8 on the offensive end.
Area of Improvement
I'm not exactly sure how fair this criticism is, because I wasn't able to witness what was said, but Taiyanna Jackson seemed visibly upset by both BYU players and fans. It seemed like she lost her composure multiple times in the game, and her reported reaction after the game towards the BYU fans continued that impression.
Other than that, there isn't a lot to worry about from this game. Sure, there are plenty of things that could have been a bit better, but I didn't see anything that was obviously bad.
Takeaways
Kansas needed this one in order to bolster their resume for the NCAA Tournament, and the fact that they were able to get that big win despite abysmal nights from Nichols and Jackson is a great sign for the team moving forward.
The consistent shooting and high level of play from Kersgieter and Franklin especially are encouraging. Kansas has now had monster performances from each of their five starters in the last few games.
Up Next
The Jayhawks stay on the road with another game against a prior opponent. On Wednesday, the Jayhawks take on the #21 Baylor Bears in Waco, trying to achieve a season sweep for the first time in Big 12 play. Tipoff is scheduled for 7pm and the game will be broadcast on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.
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