Kansas women’s basketball just completed a regular-season sweep of in-state rival Kansas State on Saturday, with a 75-68 win on the road against the Wildcats.
The Jayhawks (17-11, 7-9 in Big 12) followed up on a victory earlier this season at home with a win in a hostile environment. During the game, KU led by as many as 14 points and never trailed by more than three. And Kansas junior S’Mya Nichols led the way with a 17-point, four-assist and three-rebound performance in this Big 12 Conference contest.
“I think we did a much better job of taking care of the ball in the second half,” KU coach Brandon Schneider said in a release. “I thought we really rebounded well all night and we were able to get the free throw battle under control in the second half as well.”
There are local implications of this win, considering Kansas hadn’t won on the road against Kansas State since 2019. This victory also means KU’s swept KSU for the first time since the 2012-13 season. But for a Jayhawks squad that has struggled to find consistency at times this season, the win also matters a lot toward the team’s chances at still being able to make this year’s NCAA tournament.
Kansas also saw freshman Jaliya Davis stand out with a 16-point and nine-rebound performance. Sophomore Regan Williams came off the bench and added 16 points and six rebounds. Senior Lilly Meister contributed 14 points and seven rebounds.
KU, currently on a two-game winning streak, now looks ahead to two more regular-season games before the Big 12 tournament. There’s a game this upcoming Wednesday at home against No. 20 Texas Tech and a game next weekend on the road against Oklahoma State. Kansas has lost to both teams already this season but right now has some more momentum.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association’s sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas women’s basketball sweeps Big 12 rival Kansas State with win