🏀 KU Downs Wichita State, Moves to 9-1
WICHITA, Kan. – Four Jayhawk players scored in double figures and Kansas recorded a season-high nine blocked shots on Thursday night, Dec. 21, as KU defeated Wichita State 68-55 at Charles Koch Arena.
The victory is the fifth consecutive for the Jayhawks, who improve to 9-1 on the year with one non-conference game remaining.
The Jayhawks used a 9-0 run after Wichita State scored the first point of the game to take an early advantage. The Shockers came back with six straight points, but KU would hold an 11-7 lead at the end of the quarter. KU scored the first five points of the second quarter, building a lead of 16-7, but an 8-0 run by WSU made it a one-point game. The Shockers would take the lead until late in the half, when Holly Kersgieter hit a three-pointer from the corner to put KU up 25-23 at the break.
KU got off to a quick start out of the locker room, building a 10-point lead, 39-29, before holding off a Shocker run to lead 48-40 after three. Julie Brosseau capped off the 23-17 third quarter with a three-pointer on the final possession, pushing the lead to eight. That’s where the advantage would remain until KU used a 7-0 run to build a 59-44 advantage. From that point forward, the Jayhawks had an advantage of at least 10 points the remainder of the game.
Kersgieter led the Jayhawks with 16 points, hitting 4-of-7 three-pointers, in a game which she crossed the 800-career point plateau. Zakiyah Franklin also achieved a scoring milestone, reaching 700 career points after scoring 13 points, while matching a season high with seven assists for the second straight game. Chandler Prater and Aniya Thomas each added 10 points and Taiyanna Jackson scored eight points on 4-of-4 shooting while pulling down a game-high nine rebounds.
The Jayhawks shot 48.1 percent (28-of-54) from the field while holding Wichita State to 30.6 percent (22-of-72). KU recorded a season-high nine blocked shots, getting four from Jackson, three from Chatzileonti and two from Kersgieter.
“I think it’s a good road win in front of a great crowd tonight in Wichita. It was awesome to see so many Jayhawk supporters here tonight,” Kansas Coach Brandon Schneider said after the game. “We played at their pace in the first half, but we rebounded a little bit better and executed well enough in the second half to get the win. I look forward to these guys getting a little break and then getting back at it next week.”
Up Next
Kansas returns to action on Tuesday, Dec. 28, as the Jayhawks close out non-conference play by hosting Northwestern State. That matchup is set for a 7 p.m. tipoff at Allen Fieldhouse.
