KU women’s basketball suffers blowout loss in Big 12 opener against No. 25 West Virginia

By Avery Hamel, Special to the Journal-World Dec 30, 2023

Kansas' Holly Kersgieter goes up for a layup against West Virginia Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse

The Jayhawks faced a tall task on Saturday, hosting undefeated West Virginia to open Big 12 Conference play in their first game following a week-long holiday break. After holding steady for the first quarter and a half, Kansas fell apart, lacking offensive consistency and facing continued pressure from the Mountaineers’ full-court press, and lost 85-60 at Allen Fieldhouse.

The team surrendered 21 turnovers, while greatly struggling from the free throw line, shooting only 47%.

Holly Kersgieter led the Jayhawks comfortably in scoring with 19 points, 17 of which came in the second half, while Taiyanna Jackson recorded another double-double with points and rebounds. S’Mya Nichols and Zakiyah Franklin struggled among the starting five, scoring only five and four points, respectively, as both picked up three fouls and several turnovers.

The matchup had been even throughout the first quarter, as West Virginia’s guards showed their efficiency and Jackson dominated in the post against a smaller team. Both teams specialized in turnovers that turned into nothing on the other end, leading to a low-scoring period with plenty of multi-minute scoring droughts. The Mountaineers gained a bit of control at the end of the quarter, ending with four straight points to lead 14-12.

Kansas started the quarter with a good deflection by Kersgieter, leading to an impressive fast-break layup on the other end by Nichols which tied the game at 14. But the Mountaineers then scored six straight off some sloppy Jayhawk mistakes, before Kansas answered with four more to trail by two. West Virginia continued to be aggressive on both ends of the floor, forcing three more turnovers before a Kansas timeout, as Ja’naiya Quinerly and Jordan Harrison took over on the offensive side. The Jayhawks stalled offensively, as West Virginia went on a 10-2 run to end the half, forcing turnovers while staying consistent on offense.

At halftime, Kansas faced a 38-25 deficit against No. 25 West Virginia. The Mountaineers forced 14 turnovers and got six steals as they drained seven three-pointers compared to none on Kansas’ end. Jackson led the Jayhawks in scoring with eight points and three blocks at the break, while Kersgieter, Nichols, and last year’s leading scorer Franklin combined for only five points.

Nichols and Franklin began the second half, though, with back-to-back 3-pointers to erase Kansas’ 0-for-3 mark from beyond the arc. The Jayhawks continued to show a lot more aggression, forcing tie-ups on defense and drawing fouls on the other end, but their free-throw woes were the real story of the second and third quarters, as they had shot 4-for-12 from the line up to that point. Kersgieter became the first Jayhawk to sink both of her free throws, getting the game back within 14.

Kansas began to fight, making it a 10-point game, but it still struggled to find offensive consistency, allowing a 6-0 West Virginia run to make it 58-42. The Jayhawks once again conceded a Mountaineer run to close out the quarter, as Kansas went scoreless in the final three minutes to stare down a 62-44 deficit, its largest of the game thus far.

The press and offensive consistency from West Virginia remained key in the fourth quarter, as the Mountaineers didn’t let up even with a growing lead. Just over halfway through the quarter, the Jayhawks allowed a 9-0 run to increase their deficit to 78-54. From then they traded off a few buckets, as the pace slowed, allowing the Mountaineers a dominant win to open conference play.

With an outmatched 85-60 loss, the Jayhawks began conference play on a poor note, while West Virginia remained without a loss this season.

Kansas (7-5) will go on the road to face 7-4 Iowa State in Hilton Coliseum on Wednesday on a quest to even out its conference record, where it hopes to see improved discipline and a return to form by two of its leading scorers this season. The game will take place at 6:30 p.m. and can be streamed on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.

Kansas’ Taiyanna Jackson (1) and West Virginia’s Jayla Hemingway (00) reach for possession of the ball Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas’ Holly Kersgieter (13) looks to make a play around the defense of West Virginia’s Jordan Harrison (10) Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas’ Skyler Gill (32) shows emotion after a foul early in the third quarter Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas’ Skyler Gill (32) shoots a jumper over West Virginia’s Lauren Fields (23) Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider tries to provide motivation to Zakiyah Franklin (15) Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas assistant coach Marqu’es Webb celebrates a bucket Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas’ Zakiyah Franklin (15) catches a long pass over West Virginia’s Kylee Blacksten (14) Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas’ Wyvette Mayberry (0) looks to score over the defense of West Virginia’s Lauren Fields (23) Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas’ Wyvette Mayberry (0) shoots a 3-pointer over West Virginia’s JJ Quinerly (11) Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas’ S’Mya Nichols (12) sets up a play around the strong defense of West Virginia’s JJ Quinerly (11) Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas’ Wyvette Mayberry (0) leads a fast break Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

A fan shows support holding a Kansas Jayhawk sign Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas’ Wyvette Mayberry (0) leads a fast break past the defense of West Virginia’s Jordan Harrison (10) Saturday, Dec. 30, 2023, at Allen Fieldhouse.