KU women’s basketball overcomes 14-point deficit to beat Oklahoma State

By J-W Staff Report     Feb 2, 2022

Kansas center Taiyanna Jackson looks to get to the basket against Texas Rio Grande Valley, on Dec. 1, 2021, inside Allen Fieldhouse.

Taiyanna Jackson had 18 points and 11 rebounds for her second double-double of the season and Holly Kersgieter scored 19 points as the Kansas women’s basketball team rallied from a 14-point deficit to defeat Oklahoma State 65-56 at Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday night.

Ioanna Chatzileonti returned after missing two games with an illness and scored 13 points for the Jayhawks (14-5, 5-4 Big 12), who outscored the Cowgirls 40-23 in the second half and went on a 20-0 run that lasted 10:26 spanning the third and fourth quarters.

The teams were playing for the second consecutive game, a quirk in the schedule necessitated by COVID-19 issues around the Big 12 early last month. Kansas won 68-54 on Saturday in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

With the victory, the Jayhawks won both games in the season series for the first time since 1995-96.

Kansas shot only 37.3 percent, including 29.2 percent in the first half, when it went 0-for-7 from 3-point range. But it went 24-for-31 from the free throw line on the night, with Jackson, Kersgieter and Zakiyah Franklin all making six foul shots.

Abbie Winchester made a jumper with 1:45 remaining in the second quarter to push Oklahoma State’s lead to 33-19, but Kansas closed the first half on a 6-0 run and entered halftime down 33-25.

The Jayhawks held the Cowgirls to 3-for-18 (11.8 percent) shooting in the third quarter behind a 2-3 zone defense and outscored them 15-5 in the period.

They started the fourth quarter on a 12-0 run that ended once Kassidy De Lapp made her second of two free throws with 5:53 to play.

Kansas committed 18 turnovers, which Oklahoma State turned into 14 points. But KU had a 49-36 advantage in rebounding and outscored its opponent 32-24 in the paint.

Lauren Fields led Oklahoma State (6-13, 1-9 Big 12) with 19 points on 8-for-21 shooting.

The Jayhawks will face TCU at home on Sunday at 2 p.m. They won 78-72 on the road when the teams met on Jan. 10.

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