Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – The Kansas Jayhawks claimed a 107-39 victory Wednesday night over Haskell Indian Nations University on 785 Night at Allen Fieldhouse. The win came in the first matchup between the crosstown foes since 1974.
Four players scored in double figures for the Jayhawks and nine different players scored at least eight points in the win. Brittany Harshaw matched her career high with 26 points, including scoring 24 in the first half as KU rushed out to a 60-19 lead at the break. Lilly Meister and Elle Evans had 14 points apiece, with Meister also pulling down a team-high nine rebounds. S’Mya Nichols added 11 points.
Sania Copeland had nine points, hitting 7-of-8 free throws, while Laia Conesa, Libby Fandel, Nadira Eltayeb and Keeley Parks each scored eight points. Fandel pulled down a career-high eight rebounds while Conesa dished out a career-high eight assists and grabbed a season-best seven rebounds.
“I think tonight the fans were rooting for good basketball and to see two teams get up and down, break a sweat and try to make each other better,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said after the game. “I think we obviously had some stretches where we played well, and it’s nice to see individuals have some moments where they can get a little boost in confidence.”
“The big takeaway for me for this game is just how much the community supported it, and it was great to see the crowd,” Schneider continued. “Hopefully there are some really memorable moments for the women that played for Haskell. I think about how those kids got buckets in Allen Fieldhouse, and that’s pretty special. I’m glad that the two schools could work together, and I think it was really beneficial for both schools and both programs.”
With the win, Kansas finishes the non-conference portion of the schedule with a 10-2 record and riding a four-game winning streak. The Jayhawks return to action on Sunday, Dec. 21, with a trip to Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa, to face No. 10 Iowa State. The game, which will be the Big 12 opener for both programs, will tip off at 12 p.m. CT and be televised nationally on ESPN2.
NOTES
- Kansas topped the century mark for the 40th time in program history, the first since Kansas defeated Oral Roberts 100-59 on Dec. 6, 2020. The 107 points is tied for the 16th-most scored in a game by the Jayhawks, matching the mark set against Northern Oklahoma on Dec. 3, 1980.
- Kansas held Haskell to 39 points after limiting Denver to 38 on Dec. 14. This marks the first time that Kansas has held consecutive opponents to fewer than 40 points for the first time since 1974, when the Jayhawks did it in three-straight games against Haskell (Jan. 29; 62-26), Kansas State (Jan. 31; 42-39) and Wichita State (Feb. 2; 63-34).
- KU’s 68-point margin of victory is tied for the sixth-largest in program history. It matches the mark previously set on Nov. 25, 1977 in a 97-29 victory over Missouri-St. Louis.
- Kansas led 60-19 at halftime. The 60 points in the first half is tied for ninth in school history and it’s the most since scoring 60 in the first half vs. Oral Roberts on Dec. 6, 2020.
- With the win, Kansas concludes the non-conference portion of the season with a 7-0 home record. The Jayhawks have now won 40 consecutive non-conference home games at Allen Fieldhouse.
- Kansas set a new season-high with 15 steals, topping the previous mark of 11, set twice, most recently against Denver on Dec. 14.
- Harshaw tied her career-high with 26 points on 9-for-14 shooting from the field and 5-for-8 from three point range.
- Meister reached double figures in scoring for the third-straight game and fifth time this season, setting a new season-high with 14 points. She was 6-for-8 shooting from the field and finished one rebound shy of a double-double with nine boards.
