Jayhawks face Oklahoma State Saturday

LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas women’s basketball travels south to face No. 23 Oklahoma State on Saturday, Feb. 3 at 7:30 p.m., inside Gallagher-Iba Arena. Saturday’s game will be the first matchup between the Jayhawks and Cowgirls during the 2018 Big 12 slate. 

Following the Jayhawks
Jayhawk fans can listen to all the action on the Jayhawk Radio Network. Additionally, fans can follow all of the action on twitter by following @KUwbball or live stats at okstate.com. 

Fast Breaks

• The Jayhawks are 13-14 when facing the Cowgirls inside Gallagher-Iba Arena and own a 32-35 overall record against Oklahoma State.
• Kansas and OSU tipped off three different times in 2016-17. The Jayhawks went 1-2 last season against the Cowgirls with their two losses each being decided by four points. KU’s 67-49 win over Oklahoma State came inside Allen Fieldhouse.
• The Jayhawks’ matchup with Oklahoma State is the sixth against a nationally-ranked opponent and the second in a row against a team that appears in the top-25 polls.
• Kansas is 35th in the nation for field goal percentage defense, holding its opponents to shooting 36.7 percent from the field. 
• Junior guard Brianna Osorio has been KU’s most consistent offensive presence throughout Big 12 play, netting eight double-digit scoring efforts in the Jayhawks’ 11 league games thus far. Osorio scored a career-high 28 points against Texas Tech (1/17) for her first 20-point game as a Jayhawk.
• Junior guard Christalah Lyons continues to lead the Jayhawks offensively, scoring 14.5 points per game. The Dallas, Texas native has registered double-digit scoring efforts in 19 of KU’s 22 games this season.
• When Brandon Schneider-coached teams are leading with less than five minutes to play, his overall record is 366-15, and 21-3 at Kansas.

About the Jayhawks
Kansas looks to bounce back and end its seven-game losing skid on Saturday night in the first meeting of the season against Oklahoma State. Saturday’s tilt with the Cowgirls is the second-straight contest against a nationally-ranked opponent and third in Kansas’ last five games.

The Kansas offense has been paced by impressive performances from junior guards Christalah Lyons, Kylee Kopatich and Brianna Osorio throughout Big 12 play. Lyons is leading the Jayhawks with 14.5 points per game through the first 11 league games, including a 20-point performance at then-No. 7 Texas (1/13). Lyons’ offensive efforts rank her 13th in the conference for scoring. In eight of KU’s 11 Big 12 games so far, Osorio has netted double-digit scoring efforts, including a career-high 28 points against Texas Tech (1/17). Osorio is averaging 13.9 points per game in league play. Collectively, the Jayhawks are averaging 63.5 points behind a 39.1 shooting percentage from the field. From beyond the arc, Kansas is connecting on 30.1 percent of its attempts and has a pair of Jayhawks shooting above 35 percent from the 3-point line.

The Jayhawks are continuing their best defensive efforts this season, holding their opponents to shooting just 36.7 percent from the field for the season. KU’s field goal percentage defense is one of the best in the nation, ranking 35th among NCAA Division I programs. In its 22 games so far, Kansas is second in the Big 12 for field goal percentage defense, trailing only Baylor. The Jayhawks have held their opponents to 64.1 points per game, which is fifth-lowest in the league. Kansas is third in the Big 12 in 3-point field goal percentage defense, keeping its opponents to connecting on just 29.1 percent of their long-range attempts in the 2017-18 campaign. 

Scouting the Cowgirls
No. 23 Oklahoma State began nonconference play with five-straight wins before dropping two games to nationally-ranked Tennessee and Mississippi State. Oklahoma State sits fourth in the Big 12 Conference standings with a 6-4 mark in league play and a 15-6 record overall.

Oklahoma State is averaging 82.5 points per game this season. The Cowgirls are beating opponents by an average of 15.6 points per game, while allowing the opposition to shoot 41.5 percent from the field. OSU has connected on 35.2 percent of its attempts from long range, which is fourth-best in the Big 12.

A trio of Cowgirls are leading Oklahoma State’s offense as graduate transfer Loryn Goodwin averages a team-best 20.8 points per game through 21 games, which leads the conference scoring standings. Goodwin also leads the Cowgirls in assists and steals, dishing out 5.5 assists and snagging 3.8 steals per game. Senior center Kaylee Jensen is averaging a double-double with 17.4 and 10.3 rebounds. Jensen is fifth in scoring and first in rebounding among the Big 12 standings. Freshman guard Braxtin Miller concludes OSU’s double-digit scorers with 11.5 points per game and a team-leading 35 3-pointers thus far.

Defensively, Oklahoma State’s opponents are scoring an average of 66.9 points per game, while the Cowgirls allow their foes to connect on 41.5 percent of their shots, which is ninth in the Big 12. While OSU sits at the bottom of the conference for blocked shots with just 59 through 21 games, the Cowgirls are second for steals in the league with 199 on the season.

This Day in KU Women’s Basketball History
Record on Feb. 3: 9-3
Kansas plays on the third day of February for the 13th time in program history. In 1995, Angela Aycock led the Jayhawks to an 80-62 victory over Nebraska. Aycock netted 31 points and grabbed seven rebounds in the win.

Big 12 Bri
Junior guard Brianna Osorio has started Big 12 play off strong, netting eight double-digit scoring efforts in Kansas’ 11 conference games thus far. The Las Vegas, Nevada native is averaging 14.5 points per game in conference play and is shooting a team-best 44.7 percent from the field against Big 12 foes. Osorio has knocked in 22 3-pointers in league play, connecting on 43.1 percent of her attempts from behind the 3-point line. On two separate occasions since Big 12 play began, Osorio has registered career-scoring nights, first 19 points at Texas Tech (1/3) and then 28 points in the second meeting with the Lady Raiders (1/17). Osorio’s 28 points are the most points scored by a Jayhawk this season.

Long Range Leaders
The Jayhawks recorded a season-high 10 3-pointers in the first meeting of the season against K-State (1/28). Junior guards Brianna Osorio and Kylee Kopatich netted four 3-pointers each, while junior forward Austin Richardson scored two baskets from long range. Kansas’ 10 triples are the most by a KU team since the Jayhawks made 11 against Iowa State during the 2017 Big 12 slate. 

Osorio is connecting on a team-best 43.1 percent of her attempts from the 3-point line, which is the fourth-best 3-point field goal percentage in the league. Kopatich ranks fourth in the league with 23 3-pointers in conference play and 10th in the league for 3-point field goal percentage, connecting on 36.5 percent of her attempts. Richardson has made 34.3 percent of her shots from long-range, placing her 14th in the Big 12.

Up Next
The Jayhawks return to Allen Fieldhouse for their annual ‘Jayhawks for a Cure’ game when KU hosts Oklahoma on Saturday, Feb. 10 at 7 p.m. The game will be broadcast on the Jayhawk Television Network/ ESPN3 and the Jayhawk Radio Network.
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