A large crowd fueled an even bigger win for Kansas women's basketball team Tuesday night as the undefeated Jayhawks knocked off No. 23 Texas, 70-61, in front of 5,634 at Allen Fieldhouse.

"It helped us win a game today," said KU coach Bonnie Henrickson of KU's season-high crowd, which was the ninth largest in Fieldhouse history for a women's game -- and the biggest contigent since 11,858 showed up to watch the KU-K-State game on Feb. 17, 2002.

"Great energy helps our kids. I know it helps Kansas, playing in Allen Fieldhouse behind a great crowd," continued Henrickson of Kansas' first victory over a ranked opponent since a 69-61 win over sixth-ranked Iowa State on Feb. 17, 2001.

The Jayhawks gave KU faithful plenty to be proud of Tuesday night in keeping their record perfect as they improved to 12-0.

"I kind of felt that people weren't really leaning towards us because of our opponents, but we came in, stepped up and played big and beat Texas," KU senior guard Kaylee Brown said. "I think that we are going to catch a lot of people's attention."

A couple of big three-pointers in the first half fueled a early Kansas run, none was probably bigger than senior Crystal Kemp's first trey of the season which put KU ahead 18-12, less than 10 minutes into the contest.

"I know I have the green light to shoot it," said Kemp, who after earlier in the day being named the Big 12's co-Player of the Week again led the Jayhawks with 21 points and 10 rebounds.

But the green light was also a go for KU's other two seniors.

Brown (15 points) and Erica Hallman (14) rounded out KU's senior class' production of 50 points. Each hit three three-pointers as Kansas shot 40-percent (8-of-20) from long-range.

Meanwhile UT, which was led by Tiffany Jackson's 18 points, hit just one bomb, despite shooting 42.9-percent from the field.

The Longhorns outscored Kansas 32-24, and UT's bench outdid KU's 22-3. But the Jayhawks benefitted from 19 Texas turnovers -- seven of which came off of offensive foul calls.

But even longtime UT coach Jody Conradt admitted she was impressed with the Jayhawks improved play this season.

"First and foremost Bonnie has done a really great job," she said. "They are playing really well and their record indicates that. It is a fact that they are so disciplined and playing so well that they are going to be hard to beat here (at Allen Fieldhouse). I am thinking they are going to be a factor in the Big 12."

KU point guard Ivana Catic had problems with turnovers herself, commiting eight of the Jayhawks' 19 miscues. But the freshman did hand out five assists, while scoring nine points.

KU's other starter, Taylor McIntosh, tallied eight points and grabbed five rebounds.

For the first time all season, Kansas will hit the road for a pair of away games when KUtakes on Nebraska this Saturday at 7 p.m. and Colorado, Jan. 10, at 8 p.m. Henrickson, who jokingly said her team does indeed have blue uniforms, said her squad is excited to take the momentum it has built on the road.

"I think our kids are excited to go on the road together," Henrickson said. "They have got to be able to dig down and do what we have done well all year and be better at some things. We need to play with confidence, play hard, play smart, and play together, and we'll live with what happens after that."

Second Half Action

Kansas started the second half with the same energy that it used to go on a run at the end of the first stanza.

Crystal Kemp, who leads all scorers with 17 points, opened the second period with a pair of free throws.

Senior Erica Hallman followed with a jumper in the lane to give Kansas a 43-31 lead less than a minute and a half into the second half.

The Longhorns, however, answered with a 6-0 run -- including four points from forward Tiffany Jackson, who leads UT with 14 points.

But a banked in shot off a drive by Ivana Catic gave KU a 45-37 lead with 15:43 left.

Thanks to a couple of offensive fouls and a few more big jumpers from Hallman -- who hit one three-poiner and had another go in and out -- KU took a 50-40 lead with 13 1/2 minutes to go.

KU's Kaylee Brown added to that margin with her third three of the contest.

Texas finally hit its first three-pointer when freshman Erika Arriaran knocked one down from the left side. The Longhorns are 1-of-6 from long range, while KU is 8-of-15.

Back-to-back three-point plays by Kemp and Taylor McIntosh gave Kansas its largest lead of the game at 61-47 with 9:01 left.

Kansas hasn't scored for four minutes and Texas has close its deficit to 61-54.

Finally Hallman helped the Jayhawks get back on the scoreboard when she drove the lane with the shot clock winding down and fed a wide open Marija Zinic for a lay-in.

Zinic's basket marked the first points from Kansas' bench tonight.

Texas' Erneisha Bailey answered the other way with a jumper. A KU turnover gave UT the ball with 3:44 remaining and trailing by seven.

Kansas caught a break when Nina Norman was called for a charge on a drive that ended with her scoring a basket.

KU added a pair of free throws from Kaylee Brown for the 65-56 lead and got a UT turnover on its ensuing possession.

Jackson added a free throw with 1:39 to play to cut Texas' deficit to 65-57.

KU's Zinic fouled out on the play.

With a little over a minute remaining both squads traded turnovers, but on KU's next possession Hallman hit a free throw to put the Jayhawks ahead 66-57.

Sharita Smith added a free throw for KU a few moments later, but UT's Jackson stormed in for a lay-in to keep the Longhorns alive.

Brown quickly quieted that notion with two more charities after a hard foul to put Kansas ahead again by double digits, 69-59.

Halftime

The undefeated Jayhawks (11-0) used hot shooting to take a 39-31 halftime lead over perennial conference power Texas.

Senior Crystal Kemp scored 15 first half points, while fellow upperclassmen Erica Hallman and Kaylee Brown each hit two three-pointers.

The Jayhawks shot 55.6-percent in the first 20 minutes on field goals and were nearly as hot from downtown -- knocking down 6-of-11 triples.

KU outrebounded UT 18-14, but did have 11 turnovers compared to nine for the Longhorns.

Texas was led by Tiffany Jackson's 12 points.

First Half Action

Both Kansas and Texas were sloppy in the early minutes Tuesday nigth.

The two squads were deadlocked at 4-all after the first media timeout.

KU's Crystal Kemp, who earlier in the day was named the Big 12 Conferenece's co-Player of the Week, scored the Jayhawks first two buckets off nice entry feed.

Texas countered with a pair of jumpers from Nina Norman and Erneisha Bailey.

KU forward Taylor McIntosh doubled the Jayhawks lead to 8-4 with a quick pair of lay-ins.

The Longhorns again came back to knot the game.

But a drive by Kaylee Brown, a three by Brown, a lay-in by Kemp and Kemp's first three-pointer of the season allowed Kansas to jump out to a 18-12 lead with 11:37 to go in the first half.

The senior forward leads all scorers with nine points.

McIntosh, who has five points, sunk a free throw to put KU ahead 21-14, but the Longhorns cut their deficit to 21-18, before Ivana Catic banked a three-pointer from the left side with 8:55 to go to put KU ahead 24-18.

Texas cut the score to 26-24 on a tough shot by Tiffany Jackson who was fading away.

But the Jayhawks answered with five straight points.

Kemp, who has 15 first half points, hit a pair of free throws. Senior guard Erica Hallman followed with a long three-pointer from the left wing to put KU up 31-24 with 3:42 to go in the first half.

Texas answered with its own five-point run and close the Jayhawks' lead to 31-29.

But Kansas ended the half with an 8-2 run, capped off by another three-pointer by Hallman to take a 39-31 lead into halftime.