Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – S’Mya Nichols recorded her first career double-double and became the 33rd player in Kansas women’s basketball history to reach 1,000 career points in the Jayhawks 93-80 defeat against Iowa State on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
Nichols finished the game with 20 points and a career-high 12 assists, while adding four rebounds in 36 minutes of action.
In scoring 1,000 career points in her 58th career game, Nichols is now the second-fastest player in program history to reach the milestone, trailing only Kansas legend Lynette Woodard who made it in just 39 games.
“Anytime somebody says Lynette Woodard and then your name, you know that’s pretty rarefied air,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said postgame. “We all know how talented she is and what she means to our team and to our program. I just wish it was something that we were talking about and celebrating and acknowledging in a win because that’s what S’Mya wants, to win above all else.”
Brittany Harshaw also had a career night as she matched the single game school record with eight made three-pointers on her way to scoring a career-high 26 points.
Kansas now falls to 14-11 and 4-10 in the Big 12, while Iowa State improves to 18-9 on the season and 9-5 in conference.
Kansas opened the game trading baskets with the Cyclones for the first six minutes to narrowly lead 15-14 at the first media break from Harshaw’s contribution of two threes and Nadira Etlayeb’s four points. A Nichols jumper was the last Jayhawk points of the quarter as Iowa State closed out on a 12-2 run with KU trailing, 26-17, at the end of one.
Harshaw hit another pair of threes and Regan Williams found her first four points of the day during a 10-3 Kansas run to dwindle ISU’s margin to 36-31 with 5:09 left in the second quarter. Two baskets from Nichols and a three by Elle Evans rounded out the first half with the Jayhawks behind 46-38.
Despite 19 team points in the third quarter from five Nichols points, another Harshaw and back-to-back Evans threes, the Jayhawks were unable to make up any ground and entered the final frame down 73-57.
Harshaw contributed 11 more points in the last quarter to help the Jayhawks outscore Iowa State by three, but it was not enough to overcome the previously dug deficit as Kansas fell 93-80.
Up Next
Kansas is back at home on Tuesday, Feb. 18, to host UCF. Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be streamed on ESPN+.
Postgame Notes
Team Notes
– Kansas knocked down 13 three-pointers on Saturday, which marks the most threes made in conference play this season. The mark is also tied for second-most made in a game this season.
– Nichols and Harshaw each scored 20+ points a piece to combine for 46 of Kansas’ 80 total points. The last time two Kansas players scored 20+ points was S’Mya Nichols (26) and Elle Evans earlier this season against Iowa on Nov. 20, 2024.
– Kansas scored 80 points, its second most of the season trailing only the 81 points against North Alabama on Nov. 17, 2024.
– Kansas shot 31-of-62 from the field for 50.0%, the third time this season it has shot at least 50.0% or better.
Individual Notes
–S’Mya Nichols became the 33rd player in program history to score 1,000 career points as a Jayhawk and reached the milestone in her 58th career game, making her the second-fastest player in program history to score 1,000 points (Lynette Woodard, 39 games).
– Nichols finished with 20 points and 12 assists for her first career double double, the first time since CeCe Harper’s 14 points and 10 assists versus Iowa State on March 1, 2014, that a Kansas player has recorded a double-double with points and assists. It’s the 15th game of the season and 24th in her career Nichols has scored at least 20 points.
– In addition, Nichols has now made the most free throws in a single season by a Kansas player as she went 4-of-5 from the line for a total of 196 on the season. The previous best was Angela Aycock’s 195 set in 1995.
– Brittany Harshaw recorded two career-highs as she finished with 26 points and went 8-of-12 from beyond the arc. She now ties Charisse Sampson vs. Iowa State on Jan. 14, 1996, and Mia Vuksic at Kansas State on Feb. 13, 2021, in single game made three pointers. It’s the first time Harshaw has scored 20+ points and is the sixth time this season and the tenth time in her career she’s had multiple three-pointers. She also led with six rebounds.
– Elle Evans went 3-of-6 from beyond the arc, marking the 16th time this season and 49th of her career she’s made multiple three-pointers. Evans has made a three In 12 out of 14 Big 12 games this season as she finished with nine points and one assist for 150 career assists.
– In her first career start as a Jayhawk Nadira Eltayeb tied her season high of eight points, previously set against Omaha on Nov. 14, 2024.
