Via Kansas Athletics
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas was led by 20 points from freshman Jaliya Davis and 19 points from junior S’Mya Nichols, but the Jayhawks were outlasted by Utah, 62-59, inside Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday evening.
Kansas falls to 11-5 (1-3 Big 12) this season, while Utah improves to 12-4 (3-1 Big 12). Kansas will continue Big 12 Conference play on Sunday, Jan. 11 at 2 p.m. CT when the Jayhawks travel to No. 16 Baylor.
Davis led the Jayhawks with 20 points on 6-of-11 shooting and went 8-of-10 from the free throw line, while Nichols added 19 points on 8-of-17 from the field along with a team-high five assists and four steals. Utah was led by three players in double-figures including a team-high 17 points from guard Lani White. Utah outrebounded Kansas, 42-30, while Utah narrowly outshot the Jayhawks at 41.4% (24-of-58), while Kansas shot 41.1% (23-of-56).
Early in the first quarter, Kansas went to Nichols, who knocked down a step-back 3-pointer and a layup to account for five of Kansas’ first nine points. Utah scored its first six points near the basket as Kansas led 9-6 five minutes into the game. In the first quarter, Nichols scored 10 of Kansas’ 18 points as the Jayhawks led, 18-10 following an end-of-quarter buzzer-beat from Brittany Harshaw.
Both teams traded one basket in the first four minutes of the second quarter, until Utah cut into Kansas’ lead with a 3-pointer from LA Sneed and a 3-point play from Lani White to make the score 20-18 in favor of the Jayhawks. Kansas would hold onto a two-point advantage at the half behind 12 points from Nichols and 10 points from Davis as Kansas led, 28-26.
In the second half, Kansas benefitted from a pair of Davis lay-ins to start the half, before Elle Evans knocked down a 3-pointer to give Kansas a 35-31 lead. The Utes then rattled off seven-straight points to take a 38-35 lead midway through the third quarter. Utah would increase its lead to as many as six as Kansas trailed 50-44 going into the final quarter of play.
Utah pulled ahead by as many as nine points in the opening minutes of the fourth quarter behind a pair of 3-pointers from Grace Foster and Maty Wilke to make the score 56-47 with 7:47 remaining in the game. The Utes would reach their first double-digit lead of the game on a 3-pointer from White to take a 59-48 lead with 6 minutes remaining.
Trailing by 12 with 4:30 remaining, Kansas scored nine-straight points to draw within 3-points. Evans hit a 3-pointer with 38 seconds remaining to make the score 62-59, but were unable to convert in the final minute as Utah escaped with the 62-59 victory.
NOTES
- Kansas junior S’Mya Nichols scored 19 points on 8-of-17 from the field, marking Nichols’ 70th career game in double figures, including her 15th this season. Nichols has scored in double-figures in each of the last eight games.
- Nichols recorded four steals on Wednesday and now has nine over the last three games, which is the most over a three-game span this season.Â
- Nichols led the team with five assists on Wednesday, marking her 11th game this season with five or more.
- Freshman Jaliya Davis scored a team-high 20 points on 6-of-11 from the field and 4 rebounds on Wednesday, marking her sixth career game with 10 or more points. She has scored in double-figures in each of her six career games.
- Junior guard Brittany Harshaw recorded a season-high two steals on Wednesday.
