Kansas women’s basketball advances to WNIT Great 8 with gritty win over Nebraska
This one wasn’t a triple-overtime thriller, but the Kansas women’s basketball team got huge performances from two starters and turned in a gritty defensive effort to advance to the WNIT’s Great 8.
Kansas, which won 64-55 over Nebraska on Thursday to avenge a three-OT loss earlier in the season, led by five, 60-55, after a Nebraska bucket with 3:02 to play.
The Jayhawks (22-11, 9-9 Big 12) forced a turnover on the next Nebraska possession and then drained the clock with two offensive rebounds. Nebraska didn’t score another point from that moment on, and Kansas extended the final margin on four free throws from veteran Holly Kersgieter.
Kersgieter, a senior guard, turned in 14 points and five rebounds. Zakiyah Franklin added 13 points, six rebounds and three assists.
The two big-time performances:
Chandler Prater erupted for 14 points (7-for-13 shooting), 16 rebounds (a career-high), three assists and two steals. All-Big 12 center Taiyanna Jackson added 16 points (8-for-12 shooting), 12 rebounds (seven offensive) and three blocks.
The Jayhawks led for most of the game — 38 minutes, 21 seconds, in fact — but Nebraska managed to keep things close after trailing by 11 in the second quarter. Isabelle Bourne paced the Cornhuskers with 17 points and Jaz Shelley added 12 more with nine assists.
Nebraska (18-15, 8-10 Big Ten) came all the way back to tie the score at 36-all in the third quarter, but the Jayhawks responded with a three-pointer and steal from Kersgieter, followed by an offensive rebound and layup for Prater, who would go on to score six straight KU points.
Ahead by only one early in the fourth quarter, Franklin scored twice to spark a 6-0 run to give the Jayhawks just enough separation.
For the game, Kansas held Nebraska to 37.7% shooting (23.1% from three) and only allowed nine offensive rebounds on 38 missed Nebraska field goals.
Kansas will face the winner of Friday night’s Arkansas-Texas Tech game in the Great 8.
