McClure's game-winner caps 2-1 win over No. 20 Memphis

LAWRENCE, Kan.– Senior forward Katie McClure struck with sixty-five seconds remaining in regulation to hand the No. 18 Kansas Jayhawks a thrilling, 2-1, come-from-behind victory over the No. 20 Memphis Tigers.

The win pushed the Jayhawks to 3-0-0 in 2019 while this was the Tigers’ first loss of the season, falling to 2-1-0. 

In the eighth minute of the first half, Memphis’ Stasia Mallin was chosen for the fundamental corner-kick in the offensive territory and a forceful kick sent the ball floating over Jayhawk goalkeeper Sarah Peters’ head. Memphis was unable to find the back of the net again despite several opportunities and the Jayhawks failed to convert the four shots they took, sending the Tigers into the second half with the momentum from a 1-0 score.

Shortly after the buzzer sounded to begin the second half, Kansas’ Ceri Holland was awarded a penalty kick in the fifty-second minute of play. Holland answered with a powerful boot to the upper right corner, balancing the score at 1-1 with 38 minutes left to play.

Several missed conversions, corner-kicks and physical fouls followed with no apparent leader insight. However, in the eighty-eighth minute of regulation, Kansas gained possession of the ball after a foul was committed by the Tigers. Seconds later, Jayhawks’ McClure answered with a contested shot that soared passed the Tiger’s goalkeeper. 

Her fifth goal of the season, McClure embraced her teammates in celebration and the squad fought for the final sixty-five seconds to secure their 3-0-0 record thus far. The win marked the seventh time in program history and the second-straight year that Kansas began the season 3-0. McClure’s goal also added to the team’s 12 goals in the past three matches. 

The win was Kansas’ first victory against a top-25 team since last season against No. 25 Butler and made the Jayhawks 33-7-3 in the month of August since 2008.

UP NEXT
Kansas will meet the Owls of Florida Atlantic on Sunday, Sept. 1 in Lawrence. The match, set for 1 p.m., will be televised via Big 12 Now on ESPN+ with Josh Klingler and Huw Williams calling the action.