Big Third Quarter Lifts Jayhawks to Road Win at Northwestern

Wednesday, December 3

Evanston, Ill.

7 p.m. CT

University of Kansas

7-2,0-0Big 12

Northwestern

6-2,0-0Big Ten

Kansas

Northwestern

Big Third Quarter Lifts Jayhawks to Road Win at Northwestern

12/3/2025 9:10:00 PM | Women's Basketball

Box Score Box Score (pdf)Season Stats

EVANSTON, Ill. – The Kansas Jayhawks overcame a 10-point first half deficit to defeat Northwestern 74-62 Wednesday night at Welsh-Ryan Arena.

Kansas trailed by as many as 10 points twice in the first half, including a 16-6 deficit at the end of the first quarter, but used a 26-13 advantage in the third quarter to take control of the game.

Three Jayhawks scored in double figures in the win. Regan Williams scored a career-high 22 points and pulled down nine rebounds, hitting 11-of-20 field goal attempts in 37 minutes of action. Elle Evans knocked down three second-half three-pointers and finished with 15 points and S'Mya Nichols added 14 points with seven assists.

The win is KU's first road win over a Big 10 opponent since a 93-86 overtime win at Wisconsin on Nov. 21, 2010, snapping a streak of six-straight defeats. Kansas also snapped its two-game slide and improved to 7-2 on the year, while Northwestern dropped to 6-2.

"I think offensively, we got in a much better rhythm tonight," Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said. "The ball moved better, 21 assists is something that we're proud of, and getting 13 assists out of our two primary ball handlers in S'Mya and Laia (Conesa) is good. We had to make some adjustments to the ball screen coverage, and I thought the players for the most part really responded."

Early baskets from Nichols and Nadira Eltayeb had the game tied at 4-4 near the midway point of the first quarter, but Kansas was held scoreless for nearly four minutes while Northwestern went on a 10-0 run to open up a 14-4 lead. Williams broke the streak with a layup at the 1:44 mark, but that was KU's last basket of the quarter and the Jayhawks trailed 16-6 at the end of one.

Williams had a monster second quarter, scoring 14 points to keep the Jayhawks close. She scored KU's first three buckets, getting the deficit to 18-12 before Lilly Meister and Keeley Parks combined for a 5-0 spurt to make it a three-point game at 20-17. Parks then knocked down a three-pointer to bring the game to a 22-all tie at the 3:29 mark, but Northwestern answered with the next five points to lead 31-26. Williams closed out the half with Kansas' final four points as the Jayhawks got to within four, 34-30, at the break.

Kansas scored the first eight points of the second half, starting off with a pair of free throws from Nichols before Williams scored four straight, giving KU its first lead since early in the game at 36-34. After Northwestern regained a one-point edge, Elle Evans hit back-to-back three-pointers to put the Jayhawks back on top 48-43 with 3:59 to play in the third. The Wildcats scored the next four points to get back within one before Kansas ended the quarter on an 8-0 run to take its largest lead, 56-47, into the fourth.

The Jayhawks led by at least seven points throughout the fourth quarter, with a three-pointer from Evans at the 4:33 mark putting the lead in double figures for good. Kansas outscored Northwestern 18-15 in the fourth quarter to put the game away.

Kansas returns to action on Sunday, Dec. 7, traveling to Springfield, Missouri, to face Missouri State. That game will tip off at 2 p.m. CT and be broadcast on ESPN+.