Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks picked up their 13th consecutive home victory on Thursday night, defeating Wichita State 70-60 to improve to 5-0 at home this season.
S’Mya Nichols scored a team-high 19 points and was one of four Jayhawks who reached double figures in scoring, despite having her five-game streak of 20-point games snapped. Regan Williams recorded her first career double-double with 13 points and 11 rebounds, while Elle Evans had 15 points and Laia Conesa chipped in 10.
The win is KU’s fourth-straight and improves the Jayhawks to 8-1 on the year, while Wichita State falls to 3-6.
“I thought we took care of the ball well tonight, finishing with only 10 turnovers against that heavy pressure,” Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said following the game. “Regan Williams just keeps improving by leaps and bounds, I’m just taken back by her performance and I thought Sania Copeland did a really good job of playing downhill. She found people for shots, maybe some that they didn’t make, but they were great looks for us.”
It took nearly two minutes before either team put points on the scoreboard, but Kansas struck first with a Williams layup off a Nichols assist. The Shockers answered with a basket of their own on the following possession but Conesa responded as she completed a traditional three-point play, making it 5-2. Kansas finished out the first frame scoring with back-to-back baskets by Evans and another Williams layup, before Nichols contributed the last seven points for the Jayhawks, who led 18-14 at the end of the first.
Wichita State opened the second quarter with a 9-0 run that featured three-straight three-pointers as the Shockers took a 23-18 lead. The Jayhawks evened it at 30-30 on a corner three from Conesa, and again at the halftime buzzer as Conesa grabbed her own rebound and scored to make it 33-all at the break.
Kansas started off the second half with a 4-0 run as Williams knocked down one of two free throws and Evans chipped in a shot from beyond the arc. A back door layup by Carla Osma helped KU to a two-point advantage at the media break, 39-37. Evans connected again for a pair of threes but the Shockers outscored Kansas 9-3 in the final four minutes to flip the lead at 49-46 going into the final frame.
Kansas prompted the final lead change of the game with a 8-2 run that featured back-to-back Williams buckets at 54-51. Copeland cashed in her first field goal of the evening with a long-range shot to go up 57-52 at the final media timeout. The Jayhawks defense held Wichita State to just three field goals in the fourth quarter, including a stretch of nearly five and half minutes without any.
Kansas entered bonus territory early with just under seven minutes to play, resulting in many of the late points coming from the charity stripe. In the final three minutes of the game, Nichols, Williams and Copeland combined to go 9-10 from the line while holding the Shockers scoreless in the last two minutes to close out the 70-60 victory.
Up Next
Kansas will close out non-conference play with its next two games at home, beginning next Wednesday, Dec. 11, as the Jayhawks host Kansas City. Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 6 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Postgame Notes
Team
– With its fifth consecutive win over Wichita State, Kansas moves to 8-1 for the fourth time in the Brandon Schneider era and improves its lead in the overall series to 35-7.
– Kansas recorded a season high in points off turnovers with 28.
– Kansas turned the ball over just 10 times, tying the third fewest single game turnovers of the season.
Individual
– Freshman forward Regan Williams recorded her first career double-double as she finished with 13 points and 11 rebounds, with both totals representing new career highs. Williams’ double-double is the first by a Jayhawk this season and first overall since Taiyanna Jackson had 10 points and 18 rebounds at USC on March 25, 2024.
– Sophomore guard S’Mya Nichols recorded her 38th career game scoring in double figures, finishing with 19 points on 6-for-12 shooting from the field and 7-for-8 from the free throw line. Nichols has scored in double figures in all nine games this season and remains the Big 12’s leading scorer, averaging 21.1 points per contest.
– Junior guard Elle Evans recorded her 60th career game scoring in double figures and sixth of the season as she finished with 15 points. She made three three-pointers, all in the third quarter, marking the fourth time she’s made three or more threes in a game this season.
– Sophomore guard Laia Conesa recorded her fourth career game scoring 10+ points, with all coming this season. She finished with 10 points on 4-for-7 shooting.
