Kansas Athletics
Kansas defense smothers Washington for 61-36 victory in WNIT Semifinal
For a thirteen minute stretch that spanned the end of the first quarter and almost the entire second quarter, the Kansas Jayhawks (24-11) showed just how dominant their defense could be, setting the tone for a victory that was ever in doubt. Holding the Washington Huskies (19-15) to just eight points, they turned a four-point deficit into a 16-point lead, and from there the game was never close again.
"We knew we were going to have to lock in more than we usually do," Kansas guard Holly Kersgieter noted when asked about the defensive intensity. "Our mindset was defense."
And lock in they did. The Huskies were held to just 22.6% from the field, missing all 10 of their three-point attempts. While the Jayhawks gave up 20 offensive rebounds, they more than made up for it by forcing 21 turnovers and scoring 24 points off of them.
While the number of turnovers wasn't a point of emphasis this week for Kansas, head coach Brandon Schneider did hint that they knew that type of performance was possible. "We didn't talk a lot about a certain number of turnovers, we just knew that we had to be disruptive, especially when we switched."
That disruption started early, letting Kansas put together a 13-4 run to end the first quarter. Then they had a 15-2 run that was bookended by Washington baskets in a second quarter where they only allowed 6 points. A 12-2 run started the third quarter, and then a 12-4 run to start the fourth quarter stretched the lead to 28 points with just under 5 minutes to go.
Every big stop was met with thunderous applause from the crowd of 7,229. And those cheers were even louder when that defense turned into some offense on the other end.
"I think Coach [Bill] Self has created an environment where our fans appreciate defense," Coach Schneider commented after the game.
Zakiyah Franklin led the Jayhawks with 14 points, and was one of four players who finished with double digit points. Taiyanna Jackson scored 12 points and pulled down 11 rebounds to record her 22nd double-double of the season. She also had three more blocks to increase her Kansas single-season record to 106 with one game to go.
Holly Kersgieter and Wyvette Mayberry each added 11 points, and they were a force on defense all night. Kersgieter had 3 steals and 5 defensive rebounds, while Mayberry had 4 steals and 3 defensive rebounds.
Even the bench got in on the action, with Zsofia Telegdy hitting a big three to start the first offensive run for the Jayhawks almost six full minutes into the game. A three from Sanna Strom kept the momentum going, and the defensive pressure they provided helped to keep Kansas on the attack all night.
With the win, the Jayhawks advance to the Women's NIT Championship game for the first time since 2009, when they hosted the final game. Kansas will again host the championship when the Columbia Lions come to Lawrence on April 1st. The game is scheduled for a 4:30pm Central tip, and it will be broadcast on CBS Sports Network.
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