Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Jaliya Davis poured in 29 points and S’Mya Nichols added 20 as the Kansas Jayhawks rolled past Fort Hays State, 90-59, in its exhibition opener Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks used a dominant second half and a 42-27 rebounding edge to pull away and start their season on a high note.
Davis was 12-of-18 from the field and hit 5-of-6 free throws as she totaled 29 points, eight rebounds, four steals, three blocks and two assists in just 23 minutes of action. Nichols added 20 points on 8-of-11 shooting while adding five assists and Regan Williams came off the bench to score 12 points and grab five rebounds.
“Like we told the team in the locker room after the game, this is the least prepared that we’ll be because we have no film of what they’re going to run with a new team, and they’re very different from how they played last year,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said following the game. “So, we prepared for some things that they did last year, but some actions early gave us some problems, along with them playing harder than us getting out in transition. Fortunately, we were able to get them locked in a little bit more in terms of transition defense and make some adjustments at halftime that helped us out.”
In the first quarter, Davis got the Jayhawks on the board early with a layup, while Lilly Meister was able to convert for two, giving Kansas a 4-3 lead as the teams traded baskets in the early going. Fort Hays State answered with a 7-0 scoring run to go ahead 12-4 at the 5:56 mark and FHSU’s advantage reached 10 at 16-6. Kansas answered with an 11-0 run, capped by a three-pointer from Williams that put KU back on top 17-16 at the 1:57 mark. Davis scored KU’s last four points and finished with 12 in the quarter, lifting KU to a 21-19 lead at the end of one.
Davis continued to power the offense as she opened the quarter with a jumper, which sparked a Kansas 4-0 scoring run to push the lead to 26-19. Fort Hays State answered with two three-pointers to close the lead to 26-25 with 6:32 to play. The Jayhawks remained unfazed, with Meister, Davis, and Nichols each contributing to a 6-0 scoring run to get Kansas back to a comfortable 32-25 lead. The Jayhawks closed the half on a 12-2 run, using a last-second bucket from Nichols to lead 49-33 at the break.
In the third quarter, Fort Hays State opened the scoring with three points, but Davis responded with a layup and converted the and-one opportunity after a Tiger foul. Davis added another basket, followed by Libby Fandel’s fast-break layup, giving Kansas a 20-point advantage at 58–38 with 7:53 remaining in the quarter. The Jayhawks continued with solid offensive rhythm where both Brittany Harshaw and Williams drained three pointers to climb to a 66-41 advantage with 4:30 to go in the third. Kansas closed the quarter with seven more points and a last second jumper by Nichols, to hold a 75-43 lead heading into the last frame.
Kansas maintained complete control in the fourth quarter, as Davis added two early baskets to bring her total to 29 points and extend the Jayhawks’ lead to 79-48. A defensive steal by the Jayhawks set up Williams for an easy fast-break layup, lifting Kansas to 81 points. The Tigers responded with a three pointer, but Fandel answered with her own, making the score 84-55, with 3:10 to go. The Jayhawks closed out the quarter with six more points to secure a 90-59 victory.
“Well we’re excited about the year, and I know it was an exhibition game, but we want to shatter the attendance record this year, and that starts next Wednesday,” Schneider said. “So we hope that people come out and support us as we begin the year.”
Kansas opens the regular season in one week, hosting Kansas City on Wednesday, Nov. 5, at 6:30 p.m. CT from Allen Fieldhouse.
