The Kansas women’s basketball returned to Allen Fieldhouse for its first of two exhibition games with a 90-43 victory over Division II Northeastern State on Thursday night.
Sophomore forward Jaliya Davis led the way for the Jayhawks, finishing the night with 19 points and seven rebounds, and senior guard Brittany Harshaw adding 18.
Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said he looks at the process in exhibition games like these rather than the outcome.
“Are you continuing to be assignment correct,” Schneider said. “and play the things the way that we said we were going to play them in terms of the scouting report? Are we finishing possessions with good, physical box-outs? We were super vanilla on offense, but did we execute the things we said we were going to run? Trying to sustain is the real challenge.”
Kansas scored 40 points off turnovers, including 34 off the fast break.
The Jayhawks were without multiple transfer guards during the matchup, including projected starter senior guard Mariyah Noel, who injured her knee in practice on Wednesday.
“(There is) not a timeline yet,” Schneider said. “She hyperextended her knee yesterday early in practice, so we are still in the early phases of evaluation. She may miss a little time but we’re hopeful that it is not much.”
The game was a homecoming for the Riverhawks’ senior forward McKenzie Smith, who played for Schneider at Kansas for two seasons from 2023 until 2025. Smith, who led Northeastern State with 13 points, was a freshman on the 2023-24 Jayhawks team that made the NCAA Tournament.
“I’m really proud of Mac,” Schneider said. “I was able to go see her last night when they came in for practice and spent some time with her. We’re from basically the same hometown so it’s great that she’s doing well, I’m really glad that she had a good night individually and I just wish her nothing but the best.”
The Jayhawks controlled the first quarter, outscoring the Riverhawks 29-4 over the first ten minutes, including a 9-0 run during the first three minutes. Davis led the way for Kansas in the first quarter, tallying 11 points on 3-for-3 shooting from the field and 5-for-5 from the free throw line. Nichols added three assists in the period for the Jayhawks.
Northeastern State found more tempo to begin the second quarter, collecting the first field goal of the quarter for either team after shooting 1-for-11 in the first.
Two KU freshmen collected their first points in front of fans at Allen Fieldhouse, with guard Mollie Ernstes shooting two free throws with 7:11 left in the period and forward Brooklyn Renn depositing a layup with 4:11 until halftime. The Jayhawks hit halftime with a 54-15 advantage.
Harshaw started things offensively in the third quarter with a corner 3-pointer. The quarter was the most even for both sides, with both teams scoring 11 in the frame. Harshaw scored nine of eleven Kansas points in the period and added four steals while playing all ten minutes. Heading into the final quarter, the Jayhawks held a 68-26 edge.
The 3-pointer came alive for Kansas in the fourth. Harshaw shot 2-for-3 from beyond the arc, and Ernstes added two of her own on four attempts down the stretch.
Kansas will play its second and final exhibition next Thursday, Oct. 29 against Washburn at 6:30 p.m. The game will serve as Late Night in the Phog for the women’s basketball team.
“I wouldn’t call it Late Night,” Schneider said. “I think it’s so far from what Late Night has always been. I think hopefully at some point – we all understand why it had to change – but hopefully we’ll continue to do what we can to celebrate the beginning of the basketball season, but I don’t necessarily like the title of it, because I think it’s a far cry from what it used to be.”
