LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks improved to 2-0 on the year with a 74-49 over Drake on Friday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse. The game was played in front of a crowd of 4,751 fans, including many local elementary students who contributed to the ‘Kids Game’ atmosphere.
Jaliya Davis recorded a game high 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots for the Jayhawks, while S’Mya Nichols also reached double figures with 10. All 10 players that saw action for KU scored in the game, with Anna Gooden and Brittany Harshaw chipping in each points apiece while Regan Williams and Cydnee Bryant both had seven.
The win is the 45th consecutive non-conference home win for the Jayhawks, who improve to 2-0 on the year while Drake falls to 1-1.
“I thought we played well defensively,” Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said. “That's a hard team to guard. I think they're probably going to average 80 points in their league, so to hold them to 27 percent shooting and 49 points is something that we should be proud of.”
The Jayhawks took control early with a 14-0 run that lasted nearly five minutes to take a 14-2 lead after Gooden converted a three-point play at the 5:32 mark. In addition to Gooden’s five first quarter points, Nichols and Davis each added four as Kansas took a 19-11 advantage into the first quarter break.
Drake began to claw back into the game during the second quarter, closing to within three, 26-23, at the 5:24 mark, but KU responded with the next six points - all from Davis - as the lead was extended back to nine, 32-23. Drake hit a free throw to break the scoring run, but the Jayhawks then scored the final 10 points of the half to take a 42-24 lead into halftime.
Kansas increased its lead to 47-27 at the 7-minute mark of the third quarter following a pair of Nichols free throws and a Harshaw jumper. The quarter then continued to be back and forth, with the Jayhawks holding a 59-40 lead at the end of the third.
In the fourth quarter, Kansas maintained their lead, jumping out to a 6-0 run with a Nichols layup and four straight points from Davis. The Jayhawks then locked down Drake defensively, holding the Bulldogs to nine points in the quarter. Bryant helped Kansas maintain its lead in the fourth quarter with seven points, including a made 3-pointer, three rebounds and a block in four minutes played. KU closed out the fourth quarter on a 7-0 run and cruised to a 74-49 win over Drake.
Kansas plays its third-straight home game to open the season on Tuesday, Nov. 10, as Oral Roberts comes to Allen Fieldhouse. The non-conference matchup will tip off at 6:30 p.m. CT and be broadcast on ESPN+.
Notes
- The Jayhawks improved to 13-6 all-time against Drake and have now won the last 7 matchups.
- With the win, KU has extended its non-conference home game winning streak to 45 games in a row, dating back to Dec. 2020.
- Jaliya Davis led the Jayhawks with 20 points, nine rebounds and three blocked shots. This is her 17th game in which she has recorded 20+ points and the 27th time in her collegiate career she's tallied 10 or more points. Through two games this season, Davis has eight blocked shots after recording 20 during her entire freshman season.
- S’Mya Nichols totaled 10 points, four rebounds, four assists and three steals in the win. She now has 404 career assists, three away from moving into sixth place in program history past Ivana Catic, who had 406 from 2006-09.
- Anna Gooden finished two points shy of a career high with eight points, while also totaling four rebounds, three assists and two steals in 20 minutes of action.
- Regan Williams had seven points, eight rebounds and two steals against Drake. Through two games this season, Williams is KU’s No. 3 scorer at 10.0 points per game, and tied with Davis with 8.5 rebounds per game.