Kansas Heads to Wichita for WBIT Semifinal Matchup with BYU

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks will make the 160-mile trek south to Wichita, Kansas, for the semifinals of the Women's Basketball Invitation Tournament (WBIT), which will be played on Monday, March 30, against BYU.

Tipoff from Charles Koch Arena is set for 4 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on ESPNU, with Krista Blunk (play-by-play) and Tabitha Turner (analyst) on the call. Fans can also listen on the Jayhawk Radio Network from Learfield, with Steven Davis calling the action.

Kansas, a No. 2 seed in the WBIT, advanced to the semifinals with wins over Troy (79-70), Rice (62-55) and San Diego State (85-78). Junior guard S'Mya Nichols is leading the Jayhawks with 20.0 points per game in the WBIT, including 31 in win over Troy on March 19. Freshman forward Jaliya Davis is just behind with 19.7 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in the event, most recently going for 25 points and six rebounds vs. SDSU on March 26.

BYU advanced to the WBIT Semifinals as the top seed in its bracket, defeating Alabama A&M, Missouri and Stanford along the road to Wichita. The Cougars are 25-11 on the year and finished tied for ninth in the Big 12 with a 9-9 record. BYU heads to Wichita as winners in eight of their last nine games.

Kansas, playing in the WBIT for the first time while making the program's 27th all-time postseason appearance, has won nine straight non-NCAA Tournament postseason games. The Jayhawks won six games in a row at home to win the 2023 WNIT prior to this season's tournament run.

The Jayhawks now head to play in Wichita, the largest city in Kansas, for the first time since 2023. KU is 17-8 all-time in Wichita, including a 4-1 record in neutral site games from 1979-82 and a 13-7 road record at Wichita State. Kansas has won two straight games at Charles Koch Arena, most recently a 76-56 win on Dec. 10, 2023.

Davis, the Big 12 Freshman of the Year, notched her 15th game this season with 20+ points as she went for 25 vs. San Diego State. Davis has now scored 496 points this season, which ranks third all-time by a Kansas freshman, and she's averaging 19.8 points per game and 6.6 rebounds per game for the year.

Nichols scored 18 points with five assists against SDSU, including hitting both three pointers she attempted. A 44.8 percent shooter from three this season, Nichols is 8-for-9 from downtown during the WBIT. KU's single season and all-time leader in free throws made, Nichols leads the nation in free throw shooting this season, hitting 233-of-275 (84.7 percent) from the line.

Sophomore forward Regan Williams is KU's third-leading scorer in the WBIT after putting up 15 points and five rebounds in each of the last two games. She's averaging 11.3 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in the tournament, up from her season averages of 8.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game.

Monday's semifinal will be a rematch of an 81-60 Jayhawk victory from Feb. 4, in Lawrence. That game was tied 32-all at halftime before KU outscored the Cougars 49-28 in the second half. Davis led the Jayhawks with a double-double of 28 points and 12 rebounds in the win, with Nichols (17) and senior forward Lilly Meister (10) also scoring in double figures.

Kansas and BYU will meet for the sixth time in series history, with each contest coming in the past three seasons since BYU joined the Big 12 Conference. Kansas holds a 5-0 advantage in the series, including a 1-0 record in postseason play with a 77-53 victory in the second round of the 2024 Big 12 Tournament.

BYU is led by guards Delaney Gibb, an All-Big 12 First Team selection, and Olivia Hamlin, who earned a spot on the league's All-Freshman Team. Gibb is the No. 4 leading scorer in the Big 12 at 18.3 points per game for the year, with Hamlin just behind at 12.5 ppg. The Cougars rank sixth in the Big 12 in scoring, averaging 70.8 points per game while ranking seventh in scoring defense (63.9) and eighth in scoring margin (+6.9). BYU is the No. 2 rebounding team in the league with 40.6 boards per game on average. Head coach Lee Cummard is in his first season leading the BYU women's basketball program, but he's been with the program since 2019 as an assistant or associate head coach.

Up Next
With a win on Monday, Kansas would advance to the WBIT Finals on Wednesday, April 1, at 6 p.m. CT on ESPN2. The Jayhawks would face the winner of the semifinal between Columbia and Wisconsin.

University of Kansas Athletics

Kansas Heads to Wichita for WBIT Semifinal Matchup with BYU

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Jaliya Davis

Lilly Meister

S'Mya Nichols

Regan Williams

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