Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks head to Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan on Wednesday, Feb. 22, for the second installment of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown against Kansas State. The Jayhawks won the first meeting between the two teams, defeating Kansas State 85-72 on Jan. 29 at Allen Fieldhouse.
Tipoff is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be televised on Big 12 NOW, with Brian Smoller, Missy Heidrick and Jazsmin Halliburton on the call. Fans can also listen to the game on the Jayhawk Radio Network from Learfield, with Steven Davis and David Lawrence calling the action.
Kansas is 16-9 (6-8 Big 12) on the year following an 86-80 defeat to No. 15 Oklahoma on Sunday in Lawrence. In the game, KU got a combined 73 points from the senior trio of Zakiyah Franklin, Taiyanna Jackson and Holly Kersgieter, with Franklin going for a career-high 30 points while Jackson recorded her 17th double-double of the season with 19 points and 13 rebounds.
Franklin became the first Jayhawk since 2018 to score 30+ points when she went for a career-high 30 against Oklahoma. Franklin has scored in double figures in 10 straight games, with seven games this season of 20+ points. She’s second on the team with 15.6 points per game for the year and up to No. 17 on KU’s career scoring list with 1,361 points as a Jayhawk.
A postseason award candidate, Jackson secured her league-leading 17th double-double on Sunday with 19 points and 13 rebounds against Oklahoma. She is eighth on KU’s single-season list for double-doubles and averaging one with 15.9 points and 12.2 rebounds per game for the year. A two-time Big 12 Player of the Week this season, Jackson is one of six players from a Power Five conference averaging a double-double this season and among the most improved players nationally. Jackson is one of the Top 10 candidates for the 2023 Lisa Leslie Award, which is presented to the top center in NCAA Division I women’s basketball and one of 15 players named to the 2023 Naismith Women’s Defensive Player of the Year Watch List.
Kansas has won two-straight games against Kansas State, including an 85-72 victory in Lawrence on Jan. 29. In that game, four Jayhawks scored in double figures, led by Wyvette Mayberry with a career-high 26 points. Jackson (21 points, 12 rebounds) and Kersgieter (16 points, 12 rebounds) both had double-doubles, while Franklin added 10 points.
K-State is the most-played rival for the Jayhawks, with 128 all-time meetings between the programs dating back to 1969. Kansas State leads the all-time series 78-50, including a mark of 37-16 in games played in Manhattan. On Wednesday, Kansas seeks its first win at Bramlage Coliseum since Jan. 13, 2019, and its first season sweep of the Wildcats since 2013.
Kansas’ win over Texas Tech on Feb. 11 was the 499th career victory for KU head coach Brandon Schneider. With his next win, Schneider will become the 33rd active coach in NCAA Division I Women’s Basketball to reach the 500-win milestone.
Up Next
Kansas returns home to close out the month of February against Oklahoma State on Sunday, Feb. 26. Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 2:00 p.m. CT on Big 12 NOW.
