TUCSON, Ariz. – Jaliya Davis and S’Mya Nichols combined for 43 points to help the Kansas Jayhawks snap a four-game slide with an 80-69 victory over the Arizona Wildcats Tuesday evening at the McKale Center.
Davis led the Jayhawks with 25 points and a career-high eight rebounds, while Nichols added 18 points, knocking down 10 of 12 free throws. Davis recorded her sixth 20-point performance in the last seven games and the seventh of the first 10 games of her career. Despite being limited to 21 minutes, Nichols still finished with 18 points, three rebounds and three assists.
Elle Evans hit 3-of-5 three-pointers in the game and finished with 11 points. Laia Conesa chipped in seven points, four rebounds and four assists, while Regan Williams and Lilly Meister added six points and five rebounds apiece.
Kansas shot 55.1 percent from the field, hitting 26-of-60 attempts from the field, including 8-of-17 three-pointers. The Jayhawks outrebounded Arizona 39-to-23 and tied a season-high with 22 assists.
“I thought this was the best collective performance we’ve had. We got 29 points off the bench and finished with 22 assists on 27 made baskets, which shows how well we shared the ball,” Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said after the game. “Most importantly, our team kept its composure in a really tough environment. It was loud, physical, and emotional, and I thought our players handled it exactly the way we want them to moving forward.”
With the win, Kansas improves to 12-8 (2-6 Big 12) while dropping Arizona to 10-8 (1-6 Big 12). The Jayhawks are back at home on Sunday, Jan. 25, for the first edition this season of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State. Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 12 p.m. CT and the game will be televised nationally on FS1.
Kansas shot a blistering 78.6 percent from the field in the first quarter, hitting 11-of-14 field goal attempts, including three three-pointers, to grab an early 27-21 lead. The quarter featured four ties and three lead changes, and saw KU fall behind by four points in the early going. The Jayhawks used an 11-3 run to build a 25-17 lead after Evans hit her second three of the quarter at the 1:39 mark. Arizona added a pair of free throws on the final possession, but KU’s lead stood at six points after 10 minutes of play.
The hot shooting continued to open the second quarter as Brittany Harshaw knocked down a three-pointer to extend KU’s lead to 30-21. Conesa then took her turn with a three-pointer before the Jayhawks went on a 6-0 run to extend the lead to 14 points at 41-27, the largest lead of the half, with 3:40 to play. Arizona got three free throws and a layup to close out the half, but the Jayhawks maintained a 44-32 advantage heading to the locker room.
Nichols hit an early three and Davis scored back-to-back baskets to help Kansas maintain a 53-41 lead at the 5:38 mark of the third. From there, however, Arizona scored the next 12 points over four minutes and tied the game at 53-53 with 1:51 to play. Meister ended the run with a basket before Davis and Nichols combined to go 4-for-4 from the free throw line as KU lifted its lead back to 59-55 with 10 minutes to play.