🏀 Jayhawks Take Down No. 20 Texas Tech on Senior Night

LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks celebrated Senior Night with a 68-59 victory over No. 20 Texas Tech on Wednesday evening at Allen Fieldhouse.

Four players scored in double figures for the Jayhawks, who were led by S’Mya Nichols with 19 points, five rebounds and three assists. Nichols hit a career-high 15 free throws, which is tied for fifth most in school history for a single game. Jaliya Davis recorded her second career double-double with 12 points and 10 rebounds, while Elle Evans had 11 points and Regan Williams added 10 with four rebounds. 

With the victory, Kansas improves to 18-11 on the year and 8-9 in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks earned their first win over a ranked opponent since March 2, 2024, snapping an 11-game losing streak. 

Kansas closes out the regular season with a nationally televised contest against Oklahoma State on Saturday, Feb. 28. Tipoff from Gallagher-Iba Arena in Stillwater is set for 5 p.m. CT on FS1.

“What stands out to me is just the resiliency and the poise and composure we had,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said after the game. “It was an extremely physical game and a hard one to officiate. I'm sure both teams felt that they had calls that didn't go their way. But I thought we demonstrated more poise and composure, and to outscore them 20-7 in the fourth quarter is just grit and toughness.”

Texas Tech opened the scoring and built a 6-2 lead to start the game before Nichols drew a charge to spark the Kansas offense. Davis scored to cut the lead to 6-4, and Williams tied it at 6-6 with 5:24 left in the first. Evans followed with a jumper and a three on back-to-back possessions, tying the game at 11-11. Kansas grabbed the lead for the first time on a pair of free throws from Nichols, before the Lady Raiders responded with a jumper. Nichols converted for a layup to stay ahead 15-13, with 2:07 left. Texas Tech closed out the quarter with an 8-2 scoring run to take a 21-17 lead into the second frame. 

Kansas opened the second quarter with a bucket from Williams, but the Lady Raiders answered with a three to lead 24-19. A Brittany Harshaw layup cut it to 24-21, and after a brief scoring drought, Nichols drove for a basket to pull KU within one, 24-23, with 5:14 left in the half. The Lady Raiders then went on a 6-0 scoring run to push ahead 30-23. KU stopped the run with an Evans three-point jumper and a Sania Copeland layup to trail 30-28 with 1:59 left. Copeland knocked down a free throw to close the half, sending Kansas into the break trailing 32–29. 

Both teams traded baskets to open the second half before a brief 4-0 run by the Lady Raiders. Kansas responded with a 6-0 run, sparked by a pair of free throws from Conesa to go along with a bucket and two free throws from Davis, trimming the deficit to 37-36 with 5:48 left in the third quarter. The quarter remained tight, featuring three ties in less than a minute. Texas Tech built a 44-40 lead, but KU chipped away with consecutive free throws from Nichols to pull back within two. After a Texas Tech layup, the Jayhawks answered with two more free throws to keep the deficit at two.  The teams traded baskets late, with Texas Tech scoring last to send Kansas into the fourth quarter trailing 52–48 in a tightly contested game.

A layup from Lilly Meister kicked off the fourth quarter, but Texas Tech answered to go up by four. The Jayhawks finally got within two when Davis scored inside and Evans hit a three pointer to make it 56-55 midway through the last quarter. KU then took the lead on four straight free throws from Nichols, giving Kansas a 59-56 advantage with 2:44 remaining. After Nichols gave KU the lead, Texas Tech answered to trim it 61-59. Nichols responded with four more clutch free throws, and following a Texas Tech turnover, Conesa buried a corner three with 1:07 left to extend Kansas’s lead to 66-59. The Lady Raiders missed two late three-point attempts, and the Jayhawks secured it at the free-throw line to close out a 68-59 win. 

NOTES

1. Kansas improves to 18-11 (8-9 Big 12) with their third straight victory, marking the Jayhawks’ longest win streak in Big 12 play this season with one regular season game remaining. 
2. Kansas earned its first win over a ranked opponent this season, improving to 1-4 against ranked foes. 
3. The Jayhawks snapped an 11-game losing streak against ranked foes, picking up the first win over a ranked opponent since defeating No. 20 Oklahoma 83-74 on March 2, 2024.
4. The victory gives Kansas a regular season split against Texas Tech after previously dropping a 70-65 contest at TTU on Feb. 10. The Jayhawks are now 18-28 all-time against Texas Tech and 11-11 against the Lady Raiders in Lawrence. 
5. The win is KU’s fourth straight win over Texas Tech at Allen Fieldhouse and helped Kansas finish the regular season with a 12-4 record at home. 
6. Kansas’ 24 made free throws is the second most this season, trailing only the 26 the Jayhawks made against Colorado on Feb. 1.
7. The Jayhawks shot 88.9% from the free throw line, which is their highest percentage this season when attempting 10 or more free throws.
8. Kansas had four players score in double figures for the fourth straight game and eighth time this season. Kansas is 6-2 in such games this season.
9. Jaliya Davis extended her streak of games scoring in double figures to 19 straight as she scored 12 points and finished with 10 rebounds, recording her second career double-double.
10. S’Mya Nichols scored 19 points on two-for-seven shooting while hitting 15-for-17 free throws in the game. The 15 made free throws is tied for fifth most in a game in program history. 

Single-Game Free Throws Made (school history)

1. 17 Angela Aycock vs. Southern Miss (12/29/94)

17 Vickie Adkins vs. Texas A&M (12/15/84)

3. 16 Vickie Adkins vs. Oklahoma (1/31/84)

16 Angie Snider vs. Missouri (1/29/83)

5. 15 S'Mya Nichols vs. Texas Tech (2/25/26)

15 Carolyn Davis vs. Wisconsin (11/21/10)

1. Nichols moved into sole possession of 12th place on KU’s all-time scoring list in the game, passing Charisse Sampson (1993-96). She has now scored 1,587 career points at Kansas. 
2. KU’s single season and career leader in free throws made, Nichols has now made 204 free throws this season, which ranks second in school history for a single season. She set the record with 218 made free throws last season. It is her eighth game this season with 10+ FT made. 
3. Regan Williams scored in double figures for the second straight game and 10th time this season, scoring 10 points on four-for-eight shooting and added four rebounds.
4. Elle Evans moved into sixth place in program history for single season threes made with 66, and moved into a tie for ninth in Kansas history in career three-point field goals made with 135.