By Jimmy Adeniran
Kansas fought back late but couldn’t overcome a turnover-plagued performance, falling to Colorado, 69–66, in overtime in a gritty, defense-heavy matchup.
The Jayhawks entered the game 3–7 in conference play and coming off a narrow 79–77 loss to TCU, while Colorado came in with momentum after a 56–47 road win over Kansas State to improve to 5–4 in the league. Early on, neither side looked comfortable.
Sloppy Start Sets the Tone
Through the first five minutes, the score was tied just 2–2 as both teams struggled with ball security and shot making. Kansas committed a turnover on an inbound play that led directly to a Colorado bucket, foreshadowing a long night of miscues. By the end of the first quarter, Colorado held a slim 7–4 lead in a period defined by missed shots and giveaways. Erianna Gooden led all scorers at that point with just three points.
Jayhawks Take Control Before Half
The offense picked up slightly in the second quarter. S’Mya Nichols got going early, and Elle Evans knocked down Kansas’ first three-pointer of the game, giving the Jayhawks a 12–11 lead. Even as scoring improved, the mistakes didn’t stop — both teams had already committed 10 turnovers with two minutes left in the half.
Despite 14 first-half turnovers, Kansas carried a 21–19 lead into the break. Nichols led all scorers with seven points at halftime.
Third Quarter Battle
Colorado responded after halftime, attacking inside and getting to its mid-range game. At the 4:59 media timeout in the third, the Buffaloes held a 31–29 lead and had already racked up five team fouls. Zyanna Walker took over offensively, scoring efficiently from the mid-range and emerging as the game’s top scorer.
Kansas regained control late in the quarter, entering the fourth with a 43–39 advantage. Turnovers remained nearly even Colorado with 17, Kansas with 16, but neither team could fully capitalize.
Wild Fourth Quarter Swing
The Jayhawks quickly got into foul trouble, committing three fouls in the first two minutes of the fourth. Still, Colorado struggled to convert opportunities, and Kansas led 48–42 at the 4:58 media timeout.
Momentum flipped when Desiree Wooten buried a clutch three-pointer to cut the deficit to three with four minutes left. Colorado continued its surge, taking a 52–50 lead with 2:23 remaining as part of a 14–2 run. Kansas had nine team fouls and 23 turnovers at that point.
Davis hit two free throws with 40 seconds left to make it 54–52, then came up with a huge steal. Nichols attacked the rim on the next possession but couldn’t finish while looking for a foul call. Colorado missed both free throws on the other end, giving Kansas life.
Nichols delivered under pressure, sinking two free throws with nine seconds left to tie the game. A putback attempt by Masogayo at the buzzer was not in time, sending the game to overtime.
Overtime Execution
Nichols opened overtime with a bucket, but Colorado answered. Betson hit a key three to give the Buffaloes a 59–56 lead, and Walker followed with another jumper to push the lead to 64–58 at the 1:37 media timeout.
Betson later fouled out on a moving screen, but Colorado maintained control. Masogayo knocked down two free throws to make it 66–61 with 18 seconds left. Walker added one more at the line.
Evans drained a late three to cut the deficit to one, but Wooten calmly hit two free throws to make it a three-point game. Conesa’s final three-point attempt at the buzzer missed, sealing the 69–66 Colorado win.
By the Numbers
Nichols led Kansas with 22 points, while Walker topped all scorers with 24 for Colorado.
Kansas’ biggest issue was ball security. The Jayhawks finished with 25 turnovers.
“[Kansas] made some ill-advised plays and didn’t read the defense like they should,” Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said when asked about the miscues.
Kansas will look to bounce back Wednesday in its next matchup against BYU.
This article was edited by sports writing editor Eric Lucio. Contact him at ericlucio12@ku.edu for feedback or errors.