Kansas comes up short against TCU

LAWRENCE, Kan. – In the final meeting of the regular season against TCU, it was an evenly matched contest between Kansas and the Horned Frogs, but a second quarter run allowed TCU  to take the lead and a 76-66 victory on Wednesday night inside Allen Fieldhouse.
 
Senior Christalah Lyons notched her 13th double-digit scoring effort after netting 18 points. Seniors Austin Richardson and Kylee Kopatich also gave KU double-figure performances with 16 and 14 points, respectively. The senior trio combined for 48 of KU’s 66 points.
 
Both squads went shot for shot in the opening minutes until turnovers allowed TCU to go on a 6-0 run. Kopatich ignited the Jayhawks heading into the second quarter, when the senior stole the ball at half court and finished the layup as time expired. 
 
After failing to hit a field goal in the first 4:50 of the second quarter, TCU went on to score 16 points before heading into the locker room leading the Jayhawks, 37-29, at the half.
 
Despite Kansas out scoring the Horned Frogs and sinking four shots from behind the arc in the final 10 minutes, KU’s late offensive surge wasn’t enough to surpass TCU. 
 
TCU’s Jordan Moore led all scorers with 28 points, shooing 11-of-15 from the floor.

QUOTES
Kansas Head Coach // Brandon Schneider
Opening Statement:
“I thought Austin Richardson, Christalah Lyons and Kylee Kopatich gave us about as much as we could expect from them tonight. Unfortunately, they didn’t get enough help from some of the other perimeter players. We just didn’t play well in the five spot. We didn’t rebound the ball well, we didn’t defend the rim well or protect the paint well, from that position.”
 
On the pace of the game:
“We had some success at their place with the press, so we knew we needed to implement it more. It parts of what they do. They mix up their defenses and I thought in the first half, we only had one turnover against the press. Our issue was once we broke the press, we did a poor job of getting offense behind it and making good decisions.”

NOTABLES

  • Kansas’ starting five combined for 56 of the Jayhawks’ 66 points.
  • The Jayhawks held TCU to just eight points in the final quarter, marking the 10th time this season Kansas has held an opponent to single digits in a quarter.
  • Freshman Aniya Thomas’ career-best four steals accounted for half of KU’s steal total as the Jayhawks ended the night with eight.
  • With 16 points against the Horned Frogs, senior Austin Richardson has posted 17 double-digit scoring efforts this season, which is tied with senior Kylee Kopatich for the most this season.
  • Senior Christalah Lyons’ 18 points mark her 13th double-digit scoring performance of the season and the 40th of her career.
  • Lyons had no turnovers against the TCU, which is the fourth time this season she has posted an error-free game.
  • With three triples on the night, Kopatich is now just 17 3-pointers away from becoming Kansas’ all-time 3-point field goal leader.

UP NEXT
The Jayhawks are set to honor their seniors at Saturday’s Senior Day game against West Virginia. Kansas and the Mountaineers will tipoff on Saturday, March 2 at 7 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. The game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Television Network/ESPN+ and the Jayhawk Radio Network.

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