Liam Carson | @liamcarson74
Kansas Women’s Basketball returned to action at home Wednesday night after a road loss at Texas A&M Sunday. The Jayhawks got back in the win column by defeating Houston Christian 79-57.
Kansas came into this game without super-senior center Taiyanna Jackson, a vital piece for them. Kansas struggled on the defensive end to start the night without Jackson’s interior presence in the post.
With Kansas struggling on defense, the HCU Huskies were able to pull ahead with a quick 13-8 lead just five minutes into the game, fueled by a couple of three-pointers. The Jayhawks countered the deficit with good shooting and took their first lead after senior guard Wyvette Mayberry knocked down a three-pointer to make the score 16-15.
Mayberry’s shot from beyond the arc sparked a hot shooting run for Kansas. The Jayhawk’s last three field goals of the first quarter were all three-pointers. With three-pointers falling, Kansas took a close 22-21 lead into the second quarter.
The Jayhawks would continue their quality shooting from beyond the arc by opening the second quarter with a long-range three-point shot from super-senior guard Holly Kersgieter. The scoring would stay relatively even until halfway through the second quarter when Kansas built a lead.
With the Jayhawks finally settling in on defense and making tough shots, they ended the half on an 8-2 run, leading 44-33 heading into the locker room.
The Huskies opened up the third quarter by chipping into the Jayhawks’ lead with two quick buckets to get the Kansas lead down to only seven. The Huskie run was halted by a three-pointer from freshman guard S’Mya Nichols, pushing the lead back to ten.
Stout defense from Kansas and Nichols’ hot shooting hand propelled the Jayhawks to a 14-0 scoring run. With a settled-in defense and efficient offense, Kansas prevented HCU from scoring for nearly seven minutes in the third quarter.
The Jayhawks continued to build on their elite scoring run through the end of the third quarter, ending on a result-defining 20-8 run through the third quarter. Kansas led HCU 64-41 heading into the fourth quarter.
Kansas rode its momentum into the fourth quarter, looking to put away HCU. Both teams traded shots throughout the first five minutes of the final quarter, but the 23-point lead was too much for the Huskies to overcome.
The Jayhawks countered any comeback effort HCU had for them, not allowing them to get within 20 points the entire fourth quarter. Kansas soared to a 79-57 win over HCU. With Wednesday night’s victory, the Jayhawks improved to an even 4-4 record on the season.
Nichols is off to a phenomenal start to her collegiate career and led the way for the Jayhawks against HCU with 20 points, four rebounds and four assists. It was also a very efficient night for Nichols as she shot 8-14 from the field and did not commit any turnovers.
Kansas Women’s Basketball will return to action on Sunday when they travel to face in-state foe Wichita State. The game is scheduled for 1 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN+.