Kansas uses big plays by Jackson, Thomas to survive at Texas Tech, 71-68
In a game that was as up and down as they come, the Kansas Jayhawks used Aniya Thomas' 14 points in 18 minutes to survive a late charge by the Texas Tech Lady Raiders to win their seventh straight Big 12 conference game.
Both teams had a rough start shooting, and the first quarter ended with Texas Tech holding a 15-9 lead. Texas Tech started to figure it out in the 2nd quarter, while the Jayhawks still struggled. The game went into half with the Lady Raiders holding a 38-25 lead on the back of Vivian Gray's 18 points at half.
But the Jayhawks came out firing in the 2nd half, using excellent defense by Taiyanna Jackson to shut down Vivian Gray and fuel a huge Kansas run. A 24-9 3rd quarter for the Jayhawks turned that 13-point halftime deficit into a 2-point lead going into the final period.
Kansas continued their hot streak into the 4th, but the inevitable comeback came. Vivian Gray started to find holes in teh Kansas defense, but some clutch offense by Aniya Thomas and big defense by Taiyanna Jackson put Holly Kersgieter in a position to ice the game for the Jayhawks at the free throw line.
Top Performers:
Taiyanna Jackson: She led all Jayhawks with 17 points, and added 8 rebounds and 4 blocks. Her defense helped to shut down Vivian Gray for the entire 3rd quarter, which allowed the Jayhawks to mount their comeback.
Ioanna Chatzileonti: She scored 16 points on 10 shots, and added 5 rebounds. She stepped up big on a night when KU's main outside scorers were largely ineffective.
Aniya Thomas: She scored 10 of her 14 points in the final 2 minutes of the 3rd quarter and first 2 minutes of the 4th quarter. During this time, Kansas went from a 2-point deficit to a 9-point lead.
Key Plays:
With 7:56 to go in the 3rd quarter, Zakiyah Franklin made the first 3-pointer for the Jayhawks. They were 0-9 before that shot, and ended just 4-17 on the night.
Kansas did not allow Texas Tech to collect a 2nd half offensive rebound until there was 4:55 left in the game. The Jayhawks went on 31-11 run during that stretch.
In a tie game with 1:20 left in the game and Texas Tech having the ball, Aniya Thomas tipped a pass up and go the steal and layup to put Kansas up 64-62.
Up Next:
The Jayhawks come home to take on the Big 12 leading #6 Iowa State Cyclones, who are one game ahead of Kansas in the standings. It is the first game of 4 games against other Big 12 title contenders to close out the season. The game tips at 7pm on Feb 23rd and will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+
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