AMES, Iowa. – Kansas women’s basketball couldn’t slow the offensive pace of Iowa State, as the Cyclones stormed past the Jayhawks, 87-54, on Sunday afternoon inside Hilton Coliseum.

A first-quarter rally pushed the Cyclones (10-5, 1-3 Big 12) ahead of the Jayhawks (6-9, 0-4 Big 12) early on, forcing Kansas to chase ISU for most of the game. KU attempted to chip away at ISU’s lead, but Kansas was plagued with foul trouble and offensive miscues in the first 20 minutes of the game.

While the Jayhawks endured scoring droughts throughout the game, Iowa State continued to extend its advantage with help from long range. Iowa State finished the contest shooting 10-of-21 (.476) from the 3-point line, including a 3-for-4 mark from junior guard Emily Durr.

Redshirt sophomore guard McKenzie Calvert finished the ballgame with a team-high 12 points, her ninth double-digit scoring performance of the season. Sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich netted 10 points in the first game of the year against the Cyclones, her second game in a row to score double figures. Defensively, senior forward Sydney Umeri grabbed a season-best nine boards.

A total of five cyclones netted double figures on Sunday afternoon. Sophomore guard Bridget Carleton paced Iowa State’s offense with 21 points on a 6-of-9 effort from the field. Redshirt senior forward Heather Bowe added 16 points, while senior guard Seanna Johnson and Durr contributed 15 and 14 points, respectively. Along with her 16 points, Bowe grabbed 10 rebounds for a double-double.

Despite KU’s defense forcing three early ISU turnovers, the Cyclones opened the game with a 4-0 advantage before the Jayhawks were able to put points on the scoreboard. Kansas responded with four unanswered points from Calvert and redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington to tie the game, 4-4. Iowa State regained control of the game by closing out the first quarter with a 14-0 run. After holding Kansas to its lowest scoring opening period of the season, the Cyclones took an 18-4 lead into the latter part of the first half.

Umeri ended the Cyclones run with a make under the basket after beating an ISU defender. Umeri recorded four-straight points for the Jayhawks before the Cyclones went on another quick 5-0 run to extend their advantage, 25-8. ISU finished the first half by outscoring Kansas 18-11 and took a 43-19 lead into the halftime break.

After the first 20 minutes of play, Calvert led Kansas’ offense with seven points, while Umeri scored four and grabbed a team-best five boards. After a cold-shooting first quarter, KU shot above average in the second period, converting 35.3 percent of its attempts from the field.

A steal and block by KU’s defense ignited six unanswered points for the Jayhawks in the early minutes of the second half. The 6-0 run helped KU chip away at ISU’s lead, but Kansas still trailed the Cyclones, 48-25, with just under seven minutes to play in the third quarter. In the final minutes of the third, KU sank all four of its attempt from the free throw line. Although KU took advantage of its opportunities from the charity stripe, the Cyclones entered the final period with a 69-39 lead over the Jayhawks.

Calvert made her second 3-pointer in the fourth quarter to reach double figures for the ninth time this season and first in Big 12 Conference action. Despite Calvert and Kopatich both scoring double digits, the Cyclones lead was too much for the Jayhawks to mount a fourth-quarter comeback. Iowa State won the first the meeting of the 2017 series, 87-54.

UP NEXT
Kansas stays on the road for the first installment of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at Kansas State on Wednesday, Jan. 11. The game tips off at 7 p.m

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Frank Mason III scored 26 points, Devonte Graham added a season-high 20 and No. 3 Kansas used a big second-half run to put away Texas Tech, 85-68 on Saturday night.

Josh Jackson had 17 points and Mason provided the spark for a 12-0 run that turned a five-point game into a rout, allowing the Jayhawks to remain perfect in 17 tries against Texas Tech at home.

The Jayhawks (14-1, 3-0 Big 12) also pushed their home winning streak to a nation-leading 51 games.

Aaron Ross and Zach Smith had 17 points each as the Red Raiders (12-3, 1-2) lost their 15th straight to the Jayhawks overall. Keenan Evans scored 15.

Texas Tech gave Kansas a tussle until a frustrating final minute of the first half.

It was 30-27 and the Red Raiders had the ball when Jackson picked off a pass and took it coast-to-coast for a dunk. Then, Mason intercepted a pass and went the other way, only to get fouled on the way to the rim. A pushing match ensued and Anthony Livingston was called for a technical foul.

By the time Mason made three of four foul shots, and Landen Lucas scored at the buzzer, a five-point trip down the floor had given the Jayhawks a 37-27 advantage at the break.

Texas Tech, one of the best perimeter shooting teams in the league, tried to fight its way back by hitting just about everything from beyond the arc in the second half.

Kansas countered with a parade of free throws.

It was two foul shots by Mason with the Jayhawks leading 60-55 and eight minutes to go that started the game-deciding 12-0 run. Mason added another basket and a 3-pointer, and Lucas flushed an alley-oop dunk, as the Jayhawks coasted from there to program win No. 2,200.

WHAT A RUSH

Three-time All-Big 12 guard Brandon Rush will have his jersey retired by the Jayhawks at halftime of their game against TCU on Feb. 22. Rush led the program to three league titles and the 2008 national championship before embarking on an NBA career that included the 2015 crown with Golden State.

TRANSFER DECIDES

Arizona State guard Sam Cunliffe announced Saturday he’ll transfer to Kansas. The former four-star prospect averaged 9.5 points while starting 10 games for the Sun Devils this season. He expects to arrive in Lawrence next week and can be eligible for the second semester next season.

BIG PICTURE

The lack of an inside presence for Texas Tech proved to be the difference. When the Red Raiders went cold from outside the arc in the second half, the Jayhawks were able to keep pounding away in the paint.

Kansas coach Bill Self said earlier in the week this was the “poorest” defensive team he’s ever had in Lawrence. Well, the Jayhawks kept the Red Raiders in check at the end.

UP NEXT

Texas Tech hosts Kansas State on Tuesday night.

Kansas visits Oklahoma on Tuesday night.

— Associated Press —

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Brooke McCarty scored 15 points and Ariel Atkins and Joyner Holmes combined for 14 in the pivotal third quarter to lead No. 15 Texas over Kansas 66-54 on Wednesday night.

Kansas (6-8, 0-3 Big 12) got within three on Kylee Kopatich’s jumper with 5:53 left in the third quarter but didn’t get another field goal the rest of the period with Texas going on a 15-2 run. The Longhorns led by as many as 20 in the final quarter in winning despite 31 turnovers.

McCarty made three 3-pointers, Holmes finished with 13 points and nine rebounds and Atkins had 12 points for the Longhorns (9-4, 3-0), who have won seven straight. Their four losses came to teams currently ranked in the top 10.

Jessica Washington had 23 points and 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks, her first double-double this season.

Texas scored the game’s first eight points and stayed in front, leading 35-30 at halftime.

— Associated Press —

IRVING, Texas – Kansas senior center Landen Lucas has been named the Phillips 66 Big 12 Player of the Week in a vote by a media panel which covers the league, the conference announced Tuesday.

In Kansas’ lone game last week, an 86-80 win at TCU on Dec. 30, Lucas recorded his first double-double of the season, fifth of his career, with a season-high 15 points and a career-high 17 rebounds. The Portland, Oregon, native connected on 7-of-9 shots from the field against the Horned Frogs. Lucas’ 17 rebounds were the most for a Jayhawk since Andrew Wiggins pulled down 19 boards at Iowa State on Jan. 13, 2014.

Lucas becomes the third Jayhawk to be named Big 12 Player of the Week this season. Senior guard Frank Mason III has earned the accolade twice (Nov. 17 and Dec. 12) and freshman guard Josh Jackson once (Dec. 27). This is the second-straight season KU has had three different players selected as the Big 12 Player of the Week.

— KU Athletics —

WACO, Texas (AP) — When teams fall behind, they often try to shoot themselves back into games and lose focus on executing offensively. Kansas did that Sunday, and it played right into No. 3 Baylor’s hands.

The Lady Bears stifled the Jayhawks’ inside game, then turned long rebounds off Kansas misses into easy baskets on the other end. That helped Baylor overcome a sluggish start, and Nina Davis and Alexis Jones scored 16 points apiece to lead the Lady Bears to a 90-43 victory.

“They can play so many different styles because of their personnel groupings,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said. “I thought we showed some fight in the first quarter, but eventually their ability to rebound and get out in transition wears on you.”

The Lady Bears (13-1, 2-0 Big 12) shot 60 percent from the floor while limiting Kansas to a 22.4 percent clip. Baylor also controlled the boards, 58-30.

The Jayhawks (6-7, 0-2) stayed in the game early, thanks in large part to Jessica Washington, who scored 11 of her 18 points in the first quarter. The Lady Bears turned the ball over six times in the opening quarter but still led 28-19 midway through the second quarter.

“I thought we got off to a slow start,” Baylor coach Kim Mulkey said. “It was physical and aggressive, and we weren’t the aggressor coming out. So in the third quarter that same group got an opportunity to be on the floor again to start the second half and it was much better.”

It was all Baylor after that, as it outscored Kansas 41-7 over the next 11 minutes to blow the game wide open. As the Lady Bears’ aggressiveness picked up, so did the Jayhawks’ fouls. Baylor shot 40 free throws, but Mulkey wasn’t happy it missed 14 of them.’

“I don’t want to address them much. I think now, though, I need to address it because we have kids missing free throws that shouldn’t be,” Mulkey said. “Some of it is fatigue, but we’re going to start holding each other accountable for free throws more than we have.”

Beatrice Mompremier had 15 points and 10 rebounds for Baylor, and Kalani Brown added 11 points.

“We have so much depth it’s almost impossible to know who to stop,” Davis said. “You can start (Mompremier) Kalani, Khadijiah Cave, Lauren Cox, you can pretty much start any one of us. But just having that person you know is going to come off the bench and go to the offensive rebounds hard, it’s good to have.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas: Other than Washington’s early offense, Kansas didn’t have much success on that end. Baylor’s size forced the Jayhawks into jump shots, and they weren’t falling. They were 6 for 30 from 3-point range, and many of those long rebounds turned into breakaway opportunities for Baylor. Leading scorer McKenzie Calvert, once a Baylor commit, was hounded by 6-foot-2 Alexis Prince on the perimeter and went 1 for 10 for two points.

Baylor: The Lady Bears took full advantage of their two home games to start conference play, dominating Kansas State and Kansas by an average of 38 1/2 points. Baylor nearly blocked more shots (15) than it allowed points in the paint (16) against the Jayhawks, and did so without fouling. Kansas received only four free throw attempts, all in the first quarter.

UP NEXT

Kansas: Hosts No. 16 Texas on Wednesday.

Baylor: At No. 12 West Virginia on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Nancy Walton had career highs of 14 points, nine rebounds and seven blocks and No. 24 Oklahoma won its 12th-straight Big 12 Conference opener 84-54 over Kansas Thursday night.

The 6-foot-9 freshman, who has a block in every game for the Sooners (10-4), made 6 of 9 shots but was 2 of 6 from the foul line in her first start. Maddie Manning led Oklahoma with 17 points and Peyton Little and Chelsea Dungee had 15 apiece. Gabbi Ortiz matched her career high with eight assists to go with seven points.

Oklahoma shot 52 percent, going 7 of 15 behind the arc — but only 11 of 25 from the line — and blocked 11 shots.

Kansas (6-6) cut an 11-point halftime deficit to five early in the third quarter before Dungee scored seven-straight points and the Sooners closed on a 24-5 run.

Jessica Washington led the Jayhawks with 22 points and McKenzie Calvert had 13.

LAS VEGAS (AP) — Josh Jackson scored 21 points, Svi Mykhailiuk had 20 and Frank Mason III added 13, as No. 3 Kansas beat UNLV 71-53 on Thursday night, extending its winning streak to 11 games.

Kansas got 12 rebounds and four points from Landen Lucas.

The Jayhawks (11-1) haven’t lost since a season-opening 103-99 overtime setback to Indiana, in Honolulu.

UNLV (7-6) was led by Tyrell Green’s 12 points, with Jalen Poyser and Uche Ofoegbu adding 10 points each. It was the Runnin’ Rebels’ third loss to a Top 25 team in their last five games.

UNLV tried making things interesting by opening the second half on a 15-7 run, cutting into Kansas’ lead, making it 49-35 at the 14:30 mark. In that span, the Jayhawks shot just 30 percent, while the Rebels hit 6 of 7 (85.7 percent).

Moments later, Jackson shifted momentum back in Kansas’ direction when he drove baseline for a vicious slam dunk to push the Jayhawks ahead 56-40, while igniting a 6-0 run. Kansas extended its lead to 64-44, while the Rebels missed eight of nine shot attempts.

But UNLV wasn’t done, as an 8-0 run by the Rebels cut the lead to 12 with a little less than 4 minutes remaining.

Mykhailiuk’s slashing layup down the right side of the key ended Kansas’ scoring drought, which he followed up with a 3-pointer a minute later to essentially seal the victory.

Kansas finished the game shooting 44 percent (28 of 63), while UNLV shot 35 percent (19 of 55).

BIG PICTURE

Kansas: The Jayhawks improved to 11-3 in games preceding Christmas under Self’s watch. Since a 14-point loss to Nevada in 2003, in his first season at Kansas, Self has put his players on notice there is no room for mediocrity heading into Christmas break.

UNLV: UNLV’s other Top 25 losses included a 20-point setback to Oregon and a 49-point thrashing at the hands of Duke. And despite starting the season with just three returning scholarship players, the Rebels concluded their non-conference slate above .500.

UP NEXT

Kansas will take eight days off before opening Big 12 play at Texas Christian on Dec. 30.

UNLV opens its Mountain West Conference schedule next Wednesday at Colorado State.

— Associated Press —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas freshman center Udoka Azubuike will miss the remainder of the 2016-17 season due to a left wrist injury, KU head coach Bill Self said Wednesday.

“Udoka tore ligaments to his left wrist in practice Tuesday that will require surgery and he will miss the remainder of the season,” Self said. “Surgery should take place in the next few weeks and doctors are confident he will make a full recovery and be full speed sometime this summer.”

Azubuike has started the last six games for the Jayhawks and averaged 5.0 points and 4.4 rebounds in 2016-17. The 7-foot, 280-pound, Delta, Nigeria, native leads Kansas with 18 blocked shots through 11 games and his 1.6 blocks per game are seventh in the Big 12.

“We all feel bad for Udoka. He has worked so hard and has put himself in a position to have a tremendous impact on this year’s squad,” Self said. “This is a blow to our team but I know that we will rally around this and Udoka will work hard to insure a full recovery.”

No. 3/3 Kansas (10-1) will travel to UNLV (7-5) in its first true road game of the season on Thursday, Dec. 22, at 8 p.m.

— KU Athletics —

LAWRENCE, Kan. – In its fourth overtime game of the season, Kansas women’s basketball prevailed over UC Riverside, 90-84, on Wednesday evening inside Allen Fieldhouse.

The backcourt duo of redshirt sophomore McKenzie Calvert and redshirt junior Jessica Washington each registered career high totals to lead Kansas (6-5) to its third overtime victory of the 2016-17 campaign. The twosome combined for 57 of KU’s 90 points and became the first pair of Jayhawks to each score 20 or more points in game since March 2, 2015 against Iowa State.

Calvert’s career night paced KU’s offense against UC Riverside (5-5). The Schertz, Texas native led all scorers with 30 points, marking the first time a Jayhawk netted 30 since Chelsea Gardner reached the same feat against Alabama in 2014. Washington turned in a career-best night with 27 points, including a perfect 12-for-12 mark from the free throw line. Sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich rounded out KU’s double-digit scorers with 17 points, two shy of her career-high mark.

Senior guard Simone DeCoud led UC Riverside with 29 points, as four Highlanders recorded double-digit scoring efforts against the Jayhawks. Junior guard Lauren Holt netted 20 points behind a 7-for-18 mark from the floor. Senior forward Rejane Verin and sophomore forward Marlou De Kregret also scored double-digits with 16 and 11 points, respectively.

Senior guard Timeka O’Neal got Kansas’ offense started in the opening period with the first of 10 KU 3-pointers on the night. O’Neal’s trey was the first of three-straight possessions that resulted in a KU 3-pointer and sparked an 11-2 run to begin the ballgame. The Jayhawks extended their lead to as many as 10, but a 9-2 run by the Highlanders in the final minutes of the period cut KU’s lead to three. With 15 seconds left on the clock, Calvert sank Kansas’ fourth triple of the quarter. Calvert’s 3-pointer gave Kansas a 21-15 advantage heading into the second period.

UC Riverside outscored the Kansas, 18-13, in the second quarter. Despite the low scoring period, Calvert became the first Jayhawk to reach double figures, her seventh of the season, and ended the first half with 13 points to lead all scorers. KU headed into the intermission with a 34-33 lead over the Highlanders. Kansas has owned an advantage at the half in six contests this season and is 5-1 when leading at the break.

The Highlanders scored first in the second half to take their first lead of the game. UC Riverside started the third quarter with a 6-0 run before Washington halted UCR’s momentum with a pair of free throws. With just under five minutes to play, the Highlanders continued to hold on to the lead, 43-40, after shooting 52 percent from the field through two and a half quarters.

Two more free throws from Washington trimmed UCR’s lead to one with four minutes to play in the third. Calvert swiped a steal and threw ahead to Kopatich for a layup and more importantly regain the lead, 44-43, for the Jayhawks. On the next possession, Kopatich came down the court and sank her third 3-pointer of the night, as the sophomore netted five unanswered points. Despite all its comeback efforts, Kansas headed into the final period trailing UC Riverside, 50-49.

Senior forward Jada Brown scored the first points of the final period of regulation, giving Kansas the advantage once again. With eight minutes to play, KU owned a 54-53 lead over the Highlanders. The two squads traded baskets and the lead for the next three minutes before Washington sparked four unanswered KU points, as the Jayhawks led, 65-61.

With a minute and half to play, UC Riverside took back the lead, 67-66, after Holt sank a 3-pointer. Junior guard Michelle Curry made one of two free throw attempts, increasing UCR’s lead to two with 43 seconds left on the clock. Down by two, Calvert sank her third 3-pointer of the night to regain the lead for Kansas with 36 seconds remaining. After forcing a turnover, Kansas got the ball back and the Highlanders were forced to foul. Washington headed to the free throw line and connected on both attempts, extending KU’s advantage, 71-68.

Down the stretch, Kansas made five of its six free throw tries and held onto a 3-point lead in the final seconds of regulation. However, DeCoud made a last second 3-pointer to tie the game as the clock hit zero, sending the game into overtime.

During overtime, Washington caught fire by scoring 10 points to ensure that Kansas would walk away with its third overtime victory of the season. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native sank her third 3-pointer of extended play to give KU an 84-80 advantage with 37 seconds remaining. Each time it seemed as though the Jayhawks were pulling away, UC Riverside found an answer and kept the game within a possession. Once again as the clock wound closer to zero, the Highlanders began to foul, sending the Jayhawks to the free throw line. Kansas made six of its six attempts from the charity stripe to close out the game, as the Jayhawks held on to win, 90-84.

UP NEXT
The Jayhawks open Big 12 Conference action with Oklahoma on Thursday, Dec. 29. Tipoff against the Sooners is slated for 7 p.m.

— KU Athletics —