Kansas freshmen lead Jayhawks over Washburn
LAWRENCE, Kan. – A balanced offense and stifling defense made for the perfect combination for Kansas in its final exhibition contest, as the Jayhawks downed Washburn, 87-43, on Sunday afternoon inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Freshmen Brooklyn Mitchell and Aniya Thomas lead the Jayhawks with 19 and 14 points, respectively. Both shot over 60 percent from the field in just their second outing in Allen Fieldhouse.
KU jumped out to an early lead with an 11-0 run, which resulted in Kansas owning a 24-7 advantage after the opening quarter. The defense also gave the Jayhawks a spark early, forcing 11 turnovers that Kansas converted into 12 points on the other end.
Kansas continued to apply pressure on both sides of the court and headed into the locker room at the half time break with a 41-17 lead. The Jayhawks forced 16 turnovers with nine steals and in turn got 16 points off of turnovers in the first half alone.
The duo of senior Christalah Lyons and Thomas combined for 25 of the 41 first-half points on combined 9-for-12 shooting from the floor. Mitchell scored 16 of her 19 in points in the second half and led all scorers on the day. She also added three rebounds and three steals. Mitchell, Thomas, Lyons and senior Austin Richardson each recorded a double-figure scoring performance against Washburn.
A combination of excellent defense and even better offense was the key for Kansas in its victory. The Jayhawks were able to score 30 points off of the Ichabods miscues, a total of 24 turnovers. KU also finished the game shooting 42 percent from the field with six players shooting over 40 percent and all 13 Jayhawks that entered the game contributed to KU’s final score.
QUOTES
Senior guard Christalah Lyons
On making shots early on:
“It builds my confidence, especially from the last game from not making shots. I think me making shots helped my team to also become more confident.”
On how a game like this helps them moving forward:
“I think it started out from practice. We had a great week of practice.”
On what they’re looking forward to in their first nonconference matchup:
“A lot of competition. I think we’ll be ready for it.”
Freshman guard Aniya Thomas
On her performance today:
“You just (have to) play your game. Do what you know. Just play hard. Compete.”
On what she has learned from Christalah Lyons and takes from her game:
“She’s very aggressive. She can basically get by anybody on the court. She’s a great leader.”
On how a game like this helps them moving forward:
“We all pushed each other this whole week. We just came out ready to play. Just play hard, play aggressive. We’ve just been positive all week and came out ready to play.”
NOTABLES
- The Kansas defense held Washburn to seven points in the first quarter, which is the fewest points the Jayhawks have allowed in the opening 10 minutes during an exhibition matchup since women’s basketball began playing four quarters in the 2015-16 season.
- Kansas’ 87-43 win over Washburn marks the Jayhawks’ 28th-straight exhibition victory.
- KU’s victory against Washburn is the eighth-straight exhibition win for the Jayhawks over the Ichabods.
- Four Jayhawks have scored double figures in three out of the last four exhibition outings dating back to last season. Brooklyn Mitchell led Kansas with 19 points, Aniya Thomas added 14 points, while Christalah Lyons and Austin Richardson scored 13 and 11 points, respectively.
- Freshman guard Brooklyn Mitchell led the Jayhawks in scoring in both exhibition matchups to open the 2018-19 season. Mitchell scored 19 points, shooting 60 percent (6-of-10) from the field and 66.7 percent (2-of-3) from long range.
- Sophomore Bailey Helgren fell just shy of grabbing double-digit rebounds, leading Kansas with nine boards.
UP NEXT
Kansas begins nonconference play against local foe UMKC on Wednesday, Nov. 7 at 7 p.m., inside Allen Fieldhouse. KU’s matchup with the ‘Roos will air on ESPN+ and the Jayhawk Radio Network.
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