Kansas comes back vs. Michigan in OT to advance in women’s NCAA Tournament
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Kansas erased a double-digit fourth-quarter deficit to Michigan to win in 81-72 in overtime of the First Round of the women’s NCAA Tournament.
A back-and-forth first quarter saw Michigan take an 11-10 lead into the second quarter.
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Kansas jumped out to a 22-16 lead thanks to hitting four of their eight three-pointer attempts but Michigan had a pair of their own threes along with some points in the paint to take a 32-29 lead into the half.
KU’s Taiyanna Jackson and freshman leading scorer S’Mya Nichols picked up two fouls each in the second quarter as they combined for four first-half points.
The Wolverines continued their momentum by increasing their lead to 39-33 to open the second half, but seniors Wyvette Mayberry and Zakiyah Franklin helped cut that lead to 41-39 halfway through the quarter with layups and free throws.
Michigan then went on a 5-0 run to take a 46-39 lead with 2:44 left in the third quarter.
They kept that momentum going to take a 53-44 lead into the fourth quarter. They increased their lead to 10 with six minutes to go at 60-50.
The Jayhawks battled back to bring the game within three after a Mayberry three with less than four minutes to go, but Michigan’s Elissa Brett responded with her own three to put the lead back at six.
Two more buckets brought the score to 67-64 with 1:53 to go.
KU’s defense forced a stop with 17 seconds left. After a timeout, a Franklin three took a bounce off the iron and the backboard before falling in to tie the game at 67 with 12.1 seconds left.
Former Missouri guard Lauren Hansen got a screen from Cameron Williams for an open three but it bounced off of the back iron to send the game to overtime.
Kansas carried their momentum into OT, making the first two buckets from Jackson and senior Holly Kersgieter.
After getting a five-point lead, a Hansen three pushed Michigan closer at 75-72. A clutch Nichols layup and free throw sealed the win for the Jayhawks.
Franklin led the Jayhawks with 22 points, five rebounds and four assists while Mayberry brought in 15 points and five assists, and Jackson wrangled 14 points, eight rebounds and three assists.
Nichols added 15 points, four rebounds and four assists while getting nine of her points from the free-throw line.
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The game changed for Michigan when their leading soccer and main paint presence Cameron Williams (18 points, four rebounds), fouled out in overtime with 3:29 to go, with Kansas up 71-67.
The Jayhawks face the winner of 1-seed USC and 16-seed Texas A&M-Corpus Christi in the Second Round of the Portland 3 Regional on Monday.
