Final run pushes Kansas past Kansas State 63-51
The Kansas Jayhawks played a game of runs with the Kansas State Wildcats on Saturday. Twice, the Jayhawks went up by 9 or more points only to see the Wildcats come charging back to tie or take the lead. A final push in the last 5 minutes of the game put Kansas ahead for good, and they cruised to a dominant 63-51 victory
The big story was 3-point shooting, as Kansas State was content to launch shot after shot from beyond the arc. They only made one of 22 attempts. Kansas only made four 3-point baskets, but only attempted nine.
It was a balanced effort from the Jayhawks, as they had 5 players score at least 8 points. Zakiyah Franklin led Kansas with 16, followed by Holly Kersgieter with 12, Taiyanna Jackson with 10 and Ionna Chatzileonti and Chandler Prater with 8 each.
On the defensive end, Kansas limited the damage from players not named Ayoka Lee. Additionally, Lee only had 18 points, and it took 16 shots (and 5 free throw attempts) to get those points. Kansas State shot 32.8% overall on the day.
It was that cold shooting that allowed Kansas to race out to an early 11-2 lead in the first quarter. But 2 fouls on Taiyanna Jackson in the 1st quarter allowed Kansas State to start clawing back points, and the 1st quarter ended with a 13-7 advantage.
The 2nd quarter was characterized by the absence of Jackson, as she did not appear during that period. Playing through Lee, Kansas State was able to chip away throughout the period, taking the lead on a Lee jumper at the buzzer.
With Jackson back in the game, the Jayhawks took off, with an 18-4 run giving them a 45-36 lead going into the final period.
But the Wildcats weren't done. A 9-0 run over the first four minutes of the final period led to some worry among Kansas supporters. Then Chandler Prater took over. She provided an assist on a Taiyanna Jackson layup, then hit 4 free throws and 2 layups of her own to give Kansas an 8 point lead that put the game away for good.
Top Performers:
Chandler Prater: Prater has shown a knack for coming up in crunch time, and this game was no different. All 8 of her points came in the final run for the Jayhawks.
Taiyanna Jackson: Her impact was arguably felt just as much when she was out of the game than when she was in. She scored 10 points, secured 10 rebounds, and came up with 5 huge blocks. But most important was the fantastic defense she played on Ayoka Lee.
Holly Kersgieter: She sparked the scoring in the initial run for Kansas, getting the 8 points she needed to reach 1,000 points in her career almost immediately. Her 10 rebounds helped limit the damage during Kansas State runs.
Key Plays:
The second foul on Taiyanna Jackson with 2:24 to go in the 1st quarter changed the course of the first half. Kansas was on a roll, and Ayoka Lee seemed unable to get started. With Jackson out, Kansas State was finally able to get rolling.
A Julie Brosseau 3-pointer with 8:11 to go in the 3rd quarter started that huge run that swung momentum back to the Jayhawks.
With the scores tied and having just missed two key free throws that would have stopped the Kansas State run that tied the game, Jackson was able to secure the rebound on a Emilee Ebert shot that would have given Kansas State the lead, then got down the floor to receive a fantastic pass from Chandler Prater to retake the lead, sparking the large run to end the game.
Up Next:
The Jayhawks stay home for the return game of their West Virginia series. They are looking to avoid splitting the season series after their 65-47 victory in Morgantown, WV last week. This game was postponed from its original January 5th date due to COVID issues in the Kansas program. The game tips at 7pm on Tuesday Feb 15th and will air on Big 12 Now on ESPN+
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