Kansas Hosts Baylor Saturday for Big 12 Opener

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks open Big 12 Conference play at home on Saturday, Dec. 21, hosting the Baylor Bears.

Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 4 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on ESPN+ with Dave Stewart (play-by-play) and Wayne Simien (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Jayhawk Radio Network from Learfield, with Steven Davis and David Lawrence calling the action.

The Jayhawks closed out non-conference play with a 68-65 victory over Penn State on Dec. 15. The win improved Kansas to 10-1 heading into conference play. KU previously defeated Kansas City (79-49) and Wichita State (70-60) after going 3-0 at the Paradise Jam on Nov. 28-30, with victories over Pittsburgh (59-53), Northern Iowa (76-73) and Auburn (61-60) to claim the tournament title.

Kansas has won 15-consecutive games at Allen Fieldhouse, which ranks No. 8 among active streaks in the country. Since the start of last season, KU has a home record of 20-1 and the Jayhawks have won 28 of their last 29 home games dating back to late in the 2022-23 season.

S'Mya Nichols led the Jayhawks with 26 points, six rebounds and five assists in the win over Penn State. Nichols has led Kansas in scoring nine times in 11 games this season, while scoring 20+ points seven times. Nichols, a Preseason All-Big 12 selection, continues to compete at a high level early in her sophomore season. She ranks No. 3 in the Big 12 and No. 13 nationally in scoring, averaging 21.1 points per game. Nichols has scored at least 16 points in all 11 games this season.

Elle Evans scored 13 points in 38 minutes of action against Penn State, reaching double figures for the eighth time in the past nine games despite not hitting a three-pointer for only the second time this season. Evans is KU's No. 2 leading scorer, averaging 13.4 points per game, and shooting 37.3 percent (25-67) from long range this season.

Sania Copeland scored nine points on 3-for-5 shooting from three-point range against Penn State, including the go-ahead three in the game's final minute. Copeland is averaging 7.4 points per game and shooting 48.5 percent (16-33) from three this season.

Baylor enters Big 12 Conference play with a record of 10-2 and riding a six-game winning streak after defeating Utah Tech 97-34 on Wednesday. The Bears are the top rebounding team in the Big 12, led by Darianna Littlepage-Buggs, who averages a double-double of 15.4 points and 10.4 rebounds per game.

Since the formation of the Big 12 Conference, Kansas is 8-20 in league openers, including a 4-11 record when the conference opener is played at Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks are 0-2 when playing the league opener against Baylor, the most recent being an 85-80 setback on Jan. 6, 2001, in Lawrence.

Kansas and Baylor split the season series last season, with the Jayhawks defeating the Bears 87-66 in Lawrence before Baylor won 69-61 in Waco. KU's win on Jan. 10, 2024, over then-No. 4 Baylor was the program's first win over a top 10 opponent in 15 years and snapped an 18-game losing streak to the Bears.

Promotion
Saturday's game is the Jayhawks' Hoops & Holidays game, so wear your favorite Kansas holiday swag. Fans are invited to stop by the Old "K" court logo in the Booth Athletics Hall of Fame to get a picture with Mr. and Mrs. Claus!

Up Next
Following 10 days off, Kansas returns to action on Wednesday, Jan. 1, with a visit to Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa to face Iowa State in a game tipping off at 2 p.m. CT on ESPN+.

Kansas Hosts Baylor Saturday for Big 12 Opener

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sania Copeland

Elle Evans

S'Mya Nichols

University of Kansas Athletics

Kansas Hosts Baylor Saturday for Big 12 Opener

Next Event

Players Mentioned

Sania Copeland

Elle Evans

S'Mya Nichols

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