Jayhawks to Host UCF Tuesday Night

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks will be back at home for a second-straight game on Tuesday, Feb. 18, when KU welcomes UCF to Allen Fieldhouse for the first time.

Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPN+ with Josh Klingler (play-by-play) and Brenda VanLengen (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.

Kansas (14-11, 4-10 Big 12) had its highest-scoring game in conference play on Saturday against Iowa State, but the Cyclones prevailed 93-80. The Jayhawks got a career game from Brittany Harshaw, who tied the single game school record by making eight three-pointers as she scored a career-high 26 points.

S'Mya Nichols also had a historic day as reached the 1,000-point milestone for her career and eclipsed the single-season school record for free throws made. Nichols finished with 20 points and a career-high 12 assists against ISU, recording her first career double-double.

Nichols reached the 1,000-point milestone for her career against Iowa State, becoming the 33rd player in program history to do so. Nichols scored her 1,000 points in 58 games, becoming the second-fastest player to reach the career milestone behind only legendary Jayhawk Lynette Woodard.

Nichols was 4-for-5 from the free throw line and recorded her first career double-double with a career-high 12 assists vs. ISU. She now owns the single season school record for free throws made with 196, surpassing the previous record of 195 set by Angela Aycock during the 1994-95 season. Nichols also became the first Kansas player since 2014 to record a double-double with points and assists.

Harshaw returned to the starting lineup for the first time since November against Iowa State and responded with a career game. She scored a career-high 26 points and pulled down a team-high six rebounds while hitting eight three-pointers. Harshaw is now averaging 5.7 points per game and she's third on the team with 24 made three-pointers this season.

Elle Evans hit three three-pointers against Iowa State after erupting for a season-high 30 points at Cincinnati on Feb. 8. KU's No. 2 leading scorer at 14.0 points per game for the year, Evans is 60-of-147 (40.8 percent) from three-point range this season. With her next made three-pointer, Evans will move into the top 10 in school history for most made threes in a single season.

UCF comes to Lawrence with a record of 9-15 (2-12 Big 12) following a 97-67 defeat at No. 14 Kansas State on Saturday. Prior to that, UCF picked up its two conference wins in the past four games, defeating Houston on Feb. 1 and Arizona State on Feb. 12. UCF is led by Kaitlin Peterson, the No. 2 leading scorer in the Big 12 at 21.3 points per game.

UCF will be making its first-ever trip to Allen Fieldhouse on Tuesday, in what will be the third all-time meeting between the programs. The series is tied at 1-1, with UCF claiming a 71-59 victory in 2001 at the San Juan Shootout, while Kansas defeated UCF 65-53 last season in Orlando.

Up Next
Kansas heads west to Manhattan on Saturday, Feb. 22, for the second installment of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown this season. Tipoff from Bramlage Coliseum is set for 4 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.

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Players Mentioned

Elle Evans

Brittany Harshaw

S'Mya Nichols

University of Kansas Athletics