Strong Fourth Quarter from Thomas not enough to push Jayhawks past Sooners.
If there was any doubt about how important the quarterfinal matchup between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Oklahoma Sooners was, all you had to do was look at the first minute.
The pace was frantic from the start, with 6 possessions in the first minute setting the tone for the rest of the game.
Unfortunately, Oklahoma was able to adjust better than Kansas, and they pulled away late to seal an 80-68 win to advance to the semifinals of the Big 12 Championship.
Game Overview
The first quarter saw the Jayhawks use an early 11-0 run to take a 13-3 lead just 2:36 into the game. But led by Kelbie Washington's 7 points in the quarter, Oklahoma was able to turn up the pressure and trim that lead to only a single point before the nd of the period.
The break at the quarter did nothing to calm emotions, as the game got increasingly physical. The Jayhawks were visibly frustrated at the lack of whistles, and the Sooners took advantage, stretching the lead to 13 at the half.
Ioanna Chatzileonti had 9 points at the half on 4-9 shooting (with one made FT) and Zakiyah Franklin had 8 points on 3-4 shooting, but none of the other regular contributors were able to get involved. Mia Vuksic subbed in late in the half and hit 2 threes (on five attempts). While scoring was an issue, there was one stat that really stood out for the Jayhawks that really showed the problems:
The same frantic pace defined the start of the second half, as the Jayhawks turned up the intensity to try and make a run before the Sooners could turn it up to match.
Unfortunately, the strategy didn't work, as Oklahoma quickly adjusted and kept pace with the Jayhawks. Despite 6 from Kersgeiter and 5 from Franklin, they were only able to shave two points off the lead in the quarter.
The 4th quarter was all about Aniya Thomas for the Jayhawks. She scored 13 points in the quarter, almost single-handedly bringing Kansas back into the game.
Unfortunately, Kansas didn't make another field goal in the last 5:38 of the game, missing their last 11 shots. The Sooners weathered some late drama and pulled away from there.
Key Plays
Early in the second quarter, Oklahoma made a string of 3 baskets to take the lead and start the run that let them pull away and really put pressure on the Jayhawks. A layup by Taylor Robertson tied the game at 22, then a 3-point basket by Nevaeh Tot and a jumper by Kaley Perkins really got things going.
The Aniya Thomas 3-pointer to pull it within 6 got the crowd into the game and made it seem like the momentum was about to change.
With 3:28 left in the game, Oklahoma Head Coach Jennie Baranczyk nearly got a technical due to the following sequence:
The ball was deflected into the backcourt. Initially ruled an over-and-back on Kansas, the near official overruled the call, saying that Oklahoma had tipped the ball. Just 40 seconds of game time later, a similar looking play resulted in an over-and-back call on Oklahoma that wasn't overturned, and the crowd got even more angry. Ultimately, this fired up the Sooners even more.
Top Performers
Taiyanna Jackson
Zakiyah Franklin
Aniya Thomas
Up Next
The Jayhawks await to hear their fate for the rest of the postseason. They are considered to be safely in the NCAA Tournament field, and should learn their matchup and destination during the NCAA Selection Sunday show, which will be broadcast on ESPN starting at 7pm Central on Sunday, March 13.
