Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Four Kansas players scored in double figures as the Jayhawks secured a 66-51 victory over Sam Houston State on Monday evening at Allen Fieldhouse.
With the win, Kansas improves to 2-0 to open the season for the seventh time under head coach Brandon Schneider. The loss is the first of the season for Sam Houston, who falls to 2-1.
“I thought Sania Copeland and Brittany Harshaw were both consistent and really good the entire game. They showed a lot of toughness and grit,” Schneider said. “I thought Nadira Eltayeb was really good. She got stitches in the second quarter and came back and played and really contributed, rebounding the ball and protecting the paint. And then I thought Laia Conesa showed a lot of mental toughness. I really appreciate her mental fortitude and not shrinking when we really needed her to with S’Mya Nichols being in foul trouble.”
For the second straight game, Nichols led Kansas in scoring with 16 points despite battling foul trouble and fouling out in less than 20 minutes of action. Harshaw followed with 14 while Copeland and Conesa added 13 apiece.
The Bearkats struck first, but Nichols quickly tied it up for Kansas, and Copeland’s three-pointer put them ahead 5-2. Harshaw added another three, giving Kansas an 8-6 lead at the media break. Elle Evans hit a three to make it 11-6 but Sam Houston answered with a three-pointer to try to stay within range. Kansas finished the quarter on an 8-2 to lead 19-11 after 10 minutes of play.
To start the second quarter, Kansas maintained control despite SHSU’s press. The Jayhawks extended their lead to 22-14 with a timely three-pointer from Copeland. The Bearkats briefly closed the gap to five, but the teams played to a stalemate in the quarter as Kansas maintained a 30-22 advantage at halftime.
Kansas opened the third quarter strong with Harshaw leading the charge. The sophomore from Andover scored nine points in the first five minutes, pushing Kansas to a 42-28 lead with 4:52 remaining in the quarter. The Jayhawks continued to maintain the defensive intensity with key blocks from Williams and Evans, while Copeland capitalized on a fast-break opportunity with a layup that put Kansas up 50-35 with just over two minutes remaining. The Jayhawks held an 11-point lead heading into the final quarter, 54-43.
Conesa took the leading role in the fourth quarter after Nichols fouled out. The sophomore from Barcelona, Spain scored six of her career-high 13 points in the final 2:07 to close out the game. Her final basket put the Jayhawks up 66-51 for the final margin of 15 points.
Up Next
Kansas continues its four-game home stand to open the season on Thursday, Nov. 14, hosting Omaha for a game that will tip off at 6:30 p.m. CT and be streamed on ESPN+
Postgame Notes
Team
– Kansas improves to 2-0 for the first time since the 2022-23 season and seventh time in 10 seasons under Brandon Schneider.
– Kansas is now 2-0 all-time against Sam Houston State.
– Kansas secured its 10th consecutive win at Allen Fieldhouse and improved its home record to 15-1 since the start of the 2023-24 season.
– Kansas outrebounded Sam Houston by 13 (46-33) and held the Bearkats to just 27.9% from the field and 18.2% three-point shooting.
Individual
– S’Mya Nichols finished with 16 points on 4-5 shooting and added four assists. Nichols was 8-14 from the free throw line. This marks the 31st time in 35 career games that she has scored in double figures.
– Nadira Eltayeb set new single-game career highs in rebounds (8) and steals (2), and tied her career high in blocks (2).
– Brittany Harshaw tied her career highs with 14 points and nine rebounds. Nine of Harshaw’s points came within the first five minutes of the third quarter, where she went 4-5 from the field and sank a three-point attempt during the stretch.
– Laia Conesa’s career-high of 13 points marks the first time she’s finished with double-digit scoring in her collegiate career.
