Kansas Runs Past Texas Southern, 105-78
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LAWRENCE, Kan. — The Jayhawks’ three-game losing streak came to a halt in record-breaking fashion as junior forward Chelsea Gardner and junior guard Asia Boyd notched career-highs points as the Jayhawks ran past Texas Southern, 105-78, inside historic Allen Fieldhouse Thursday night.
Boyd (25) and Gardner’s (30) efforts together tallied 55 points, more than half of the teams points. It marked the most points for KU since they scored 126 against Maine in Dec. 1, 2010.
Kansas (5-4) was bursting with career-highs against Texas Southern (3-5). Four Jayhawks reached career highs: junior forward CeCe Harper – assists (11), freshman guard Dakota Gonzalez – points (18), Gardner – points (30) and Boyd – points (25). Junior guard Natalie Knight hit a season-high 14 points.
Junior guard Jazzmin Parker led the charge for the Tigers, chalking up 34 points, one point shy of her season high. Parker is second in the nation in points per game with 27.8 and has scored 30 or more points in four games this season. The Tigers pulled in the most points against KU this season.
The Jayhawks struck first with a layup from Gardner as both teams exchanged baskets to start the first frame. Boyd sank a three-pointer, which proved the spark KU needed as less than a minute later, Knight followed by draining her first of four three-pointers of the night. Boyd and Knight’s sets of treys ignited an 11-0 run for the Jayhawks – the largest of the half.
Kansas finished the first 20 minutes with 49 points, marking the highest total of points for KU in a first half this season since they chalked up 36 against Creighton (Nov. 17). While the Jayhawks shined offensively, they also proved to be stingy on defense, only allowing the Tigers 29 points in the first half and the largest lead at half this season since KU led SIU-Edwardsville (11/13) 16 points at the half.
Kansas’ offense continued to impress in the second frame, matching each of TSU’s point with one of its own despite the Tigers sinking the half’s first point. KU’s largest lead of the night came in the second half, as the Jayhawks lead by 22 points with 16:23 remaining. Both Boyd and Gardner hit their career-highs in the second half, as Boyd continued to drain three-pointers and Gardner proved to be force in the paint.
Late in the second frame, a three-pointer from Gonzalez helped the freshman top her career-high points, as she totaled 18 points for the evening. With 3:44 remaining in the contest, a jumper from Gonzalez sealed the deal as the Jayhawks eclipsed the 100-point mark, making the score, 101-74. Gonzalez sank two more jumpers to conclude the game as the Jayhawks topped the Tigers, 105-78.
UP NEXT
The Jayhawks will welcome the Purdue Boilermakers on Sunday, Dec. 15, at 2 p.m. inside historic Allen Fieldhouse.
Notes
KANSAS STARTERS (SEASON/CAREER): Fr. Keyla Morgan (1-1), Sr. CeCe Harper (4-25), Jr. Asia Boyd (6-6), Jr. Chelsea Gardner (9-38) and Jr. Natalie Knight (9-62)
KANSAS’ WIN…
• Improves KU’s all-time non-conference record to 329-149 and 92-23 in non-conference play under head coach Bonnie Henrickson.
• Improves Kansas’ all-time record against Texas Southern to 2-0. In the team’s previous match up, KU defeated the Tigers, 83-45, during the 2002-03 season.
• Improves Henrickson’s record to 163-136 at KU and 321-198 overall.
• Improves Kansas’ all-time record to 762-534.
• Improves the Jayhawks all-time record in Allen Fieldhouse to 394-151 and 118-50 at home under Henrickson.
• Makes KU 180-78 all-time and 46-17 under Henrickson during the month of December.
• Gives KU its second win of the season on a Thursday. The Jayhawks are 2-0 this season and 15-11 when playing on Thursday under Henrickson.
TEAM NOTES
• With 17:30 and the Jayhawks down, 9-7, KU put together an 11-0 run and held the Tigers scoreless until the 14:08 mark in the first half, to take an 18-11 lead.
• The Jayhawk defense forced a shot clock violation with 7:01 left in the first half.
• Leading by 10, 35-25, with five minutes remaining in the first half, Kansas put together a 6-0 run to extend its lead to 16, 41-25, with 3:27 left in the first half.
• The Jayhawks recorded 49 points in the first half, shattering their previous first half best of 36, which they recorded twice.
• KU led by 20, 49-29, at halftime. This was the largest halftime lead of the season for the Jayhawks, besting their previous high of 16 against SIU-Edwardsville (11/14).
• With 6:38 left in the game and the Jayhawks up by 19, 89-68, KU poured in 10-straight points to widen the gap to 29, 99-68, with 3:57 left in the game.
• Kansas led by as many as 31 with 3:57 left in the game, this is the largest Jayhawk lead of the season. The previous largest Kansas lead was 25 against Oral Roberts (11/10).
• The Jayhawks 105 points were the most in a single game this season and the most the team has scored in a game since they knocked in a program record 126 against Maine on Dec. 1, 2010. The 105 points also tied for the 22nd highest point total in program history.
• Kansas also set season-best marks in field goals made (38), field goals attempted (70), three-point field goals made (12), three-point field goals attempted (27), three-point field goal percentage (44.4), assists (25) and blocks (seven).
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
• Keyla Morgan made the first start of her Kansas career. The freshman guard recorded four points, grabbed three rebounds, dished out an assist and recorded a steal in 21 minutes of action.
• Chelsea Gardner scored the first points of the game for Kansas on a three-point play the old-fashioned way. The junior forward knocked in another three-point play with 10:52 left in the game to aid her in recording a new career-high 30 points, besting her previous high of 26 against Grambling State on Nov. 28, 2012. The DeSoto, Texas native, became the first Jayhawk to reach the 30-point mark since Angel Goodrich scored 31 against Texas on Feb. 20, 2013.
• Asia Boyd knocked down her first three shots from beyond the arc and finished the game with a career-high 25 points, eclipsing her previous mark of 19 against Creighton (11/17). The junior guard also recorded three steals, tying her career-best mark that she set against Oral Roberts (11/10).
• Dakota Gonzalez recorded a season-high 18 points (7-of-10 shooting), surpassing her previous game-high of six, which she set against SIU-Edwardsville (11/13).
• CeCe Harper recorded a career-high 11 assists, besting her previous high of seven against Arkansas (12/4) and recorded three blocks to best her previous career-high of two, which she reached three times. The senior guard also added six points, four rebounds and three steals for the Jayhawks.
• Natalie Knight scored a season-best 14 points and tied a season-best with two blocks, making that the third time this season she has recorded two blocked shots. The junior guard also dished out three assists and grabbed two rebounds.
