🏀 Jayhawks, No. 18/22 Mountaineers to Play Saturday

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas women’s basketball (7-14, 3-12 Big 12) hosts No. 18/22 West Virginia (17-4, 11-4 Big 12) Saturday at 1 p.m. in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas last played Wednesday, falling to Texas 61-52. Holly Kersgieter was the team leader with 15 points and tied for the team lead in rebounds (6) with Katrine Jessen. Jessen tallied career highs in points (6) and rebounds.

Kersgieter continues to maintain her team lead in points per game, averaging 17.3 points per contest. The sophomore is second on the team with 6.6 rebounds per contest behind only Ioanna Chatzileonti’s team-high 6.8. Chatzileonti also boasts a team-best 1.42 blocks per game. Kersgieter also has been dialed in from the free throw line, hitting 85.7-percent of her attempts.

Zakiyah Franklin has steadily improved her points per game average and adds 9.7 points per contest to go along with her team-high 3.57 assists per game. Aniya Thomas recorded four steals against Texas, and improved her team-leading steals per game average to 1.71. Kersgieter (1.50) joins Thomas in averaging 1.50-or-more steals per game.

OPPONENT PREVIEW: WEST VIRGINIA
West Virginia enters the Saturday clash 17-4 and 11-4 in Big 12 action. WVU is 4-2 on the road this season and last played Wednesday in Ames, Iowa against Iowa State, falling to the Cyclones, 85-68. The Mountaineers are 2-2 in their last four games.

Kyrse Gonrezick averages a team-high 20.8 points per game and is the team leader with 1.90 steals per contest. Kirsten Deans and Esmery Martinez each average 13.5 points per game with Martinez averaging a double-double with 11.5 rebounds per contest.

Kari Niblack leads the WVU defense with 1.81 blocks per game and is the team leader in field goal percentage, making 53.6-percent of her shots.

UP NEXT
Kansas heads to Ames, Iowa for its final road contest of the season against the Cyclones March 3 at 6:30 p.m. The game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.