🏀 Jayhawks to Close Out 2021 Against Northwestern State
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Women’s Basketball team will play its final non-conference matchup on Tuesday, Dec. 28, at Allen Fieldhouse as the Jayhawks host Northwestern State. Tipoff is set for tip off at 7 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on Big 12 NOW ESPN+.
The Jayhawks are currently 9-1 on the year and riding a five-game winning streak following a 68-55 victory at Wichita State on Dec. 21. Kansas is 7-0 at home this season and outscoring its opponents by an average of 23.7 points in games played at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks have scored at least 74 points in each home game this season, for an average of 81.4 points per contest. KU is looking for its 10th win of the season against NSU, which would give the Jayhawks 10 or more non-conference victories for the third time in the past four seasons.
The Jayhawks set a new season-high with nine blocked shots in the win at Wichita State, getting four from Taiyanna Jackson, three from Ioanna Chatzileonti and two from Holly Kersgieter. A KU team has not had 10 or more blocked shots in a game since Feb. 25, 2015 against Kansas State. Junior guard Holly Kersgieter had a team-high 16 points in the Jayhawks win over WSU, upping her team-leading scoring average to 12.7 points per game for the year. With her first basket against the Shockers, Kersgieter surpassed the 800-career point milestone.
From Natchitoches, Louisiana, and the Southland Conference, Northwestern State is 6-4 on the year after winning three-of-four games it has played so far this December. The Lady Demons are 3-3 on the road this season, but 0-2 in the state of Kansas after previously suffering road defeats at Kansas State (70-46, Nov. 27) and Wichita State (70-61, Nov. 29). NSU averages 67.8 points per game on 37.1% shooting from the field. The Lady Demons are led by Monette Bolden, who averages 13.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game, while Candice Parramore also averages double figures with 11.2 points per game.
Kansas and Northwestern State have played just twice in a series that dates back to the 1983-84 season. The two programs split a home and home series, with Kansas winning 74-73 on Nov. 19, 1983 in Lawrence before NSU claimed a 79-63 victory on Dec. 4, 1985 in Natchitoches, Louisiana.
Up Next
Kansas opens Big 12 Conference play on Sunday, Jan. 2, in Fort Worth, Texas against TCU. That game will tip off at 1 p.m. CT at Schollmaier Arena.
