The Kansas women’s basketball team showed off its depth Wednesday night in a season-opening rout of SIU-Edwardsville at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks got 59 points from their bench, including a game-high 25 points form senior guard Aniya Thomas and 17 more from super-senior Julie Brosseau in a 98-62 victory.
Only one KU starter scored in double figures: junior guard Zakiyah Franklin, who contributed 11.
KU shot 55% from the floor, went 12-for-26 (46.2%) from 3-point range and outscored the Cougars, 44-20, in the paint. The only blemish on the night for KU was its 27 turnovers (17 in the first half).
The Jayhawks sprinted out to a 46-17 halftime lead, outscoring SIUE, 19-0, in fastbreak points in the process.
KU (1-0) overwhelmed the Cougars in the first half, holding the visitors to 12% shooting and coming away with 10 steals on SIUE’s 18 turnovers.
Six different Jayhawks scored in the first quarter, when KU established a comfy 23-6 lead.
Brosseau cashed in 3-pointers throughout the first half, and buried all three of her attempts in the second quarter. Brosseau scored 12 points in the first half, and finished a perfect 5-for-5 from 3-point range on the night.
Thomas posted 11 points in the opening 20 minutes, as KU’s advantage grew to 29 before halftime.
KU is back in action Sunday, with another nonconference home game, this time versus Tennessee State (2 p.m., ESPN+)