Kansas’ comeback halted by TCU, 76-66

FORT WORTH, Texas – Clutch free throw shooting by the Horned Frogs ended Kansas women’s basketball’s attempt at a comeback as the Jayhawks fell, 76-66, on Saturday afternoon inside Schollmaier Arena.

After narrowing TCU’s (13-5, 4-3 Big 12) lead to six in the final 10 minutes, the Jayhawks (11-8, 2-6 Big 12) couldn’t complete the comeback attempt and loss the second meeting of the season against TCU.

The Jayhawks were led by junior guards Kylee Kopatich and Christalah Lyons, who each netted 17 points for another double-digit scoring efforts from the duo. Junior guard Brianna Osorio added 14 points and three rebounds for the Jayhawks, while junior forward Austin Richardson netted 11 points.

Junior forward Amy Okonkwo led all scorers with 24 points for TCU, while junior center Jordan Moore netted 19 and sophomore guard Amber Ramirez added 14 points, including nine points from behind the arc.

TCU knocked in the first bucket of the afternoon, but following Moore’s jumper, the Jayhawks went on a 10-2 run capped with Kopatich’s first 3-pointer of the day to take a 10-4 lead. Okonkwo narrowed the margin single handedly, ending TCU’s scoring drought with seven-straight points to put the Horned Frogs on top by three.

Kansas and TCU traded off the lead for the final three minutes of the quarter, ending the first 10 minutes of the game with an Osorio jumper to even the score at 18 heading into the second quarter.

Kopatich netted her second long-range basket of the day to begin the second quarter, but six unanswered points from the Horned Frogs put TCU on top, 24-21, three minutes into the second period. Lyons split up two runs by TCU with a layup, however, two Ramirez 3-pointers helped the Horned Frogs to an 11-point lead with just under five minutes to play in the half.

The Jayhawks chipped into TCU’s 34-23 lead with a 7-0 run that ended with a 3-pointer from KU’s Richardson. Kansas headed into the locker room trailing, 40-35, after Kopatich sank her third 3-pointer of the game to put KU within five.

Sophomore guard Kianna Ray notched her first points of the game with a 3-pointer to begin the third quarter. Lyons and Osorio answered with a free throw and layup to keep TCU’s lead at five, but the Horned Frogs quickly extended their lead to 12 with seven unanswered points completed with an Okonkwo 3-point basket.

The Jayhawks outscored TCU 6-2 to cut the lead to single digits, but the Horned Frogs finished the quarter on a 7-3 run to hold onto a 58-47 lead going into the final 10 minutes of the game.

After trailing by as many as 13 at one point in the fourth quarter, the Jayhawks fought back to within six with an 8-1 run featuring 3-point baskets from both Richardson and Osorio. Kansas couldn’t diminish TCU’s lead any further and fell 76-66 after the Horned Frogs went 9-of-9 from the free throw line to end the game.

UP NEXT
The Jayhawks continue their two-game road trip in Norman at Oklahoma on Wednesday, Jan. 24 at 6 p.m., inside the Lloyd Noble Center.

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