Kansas women's basketball gains split in Sunflower Showdown with key win over Kansas State
The Sunflower Showdown is now a dead heat.
Kansas women's basketball, fighting for its NCAA Tournament life, took the lead on a Holly Kersgieter basket with 2 minutes, 42 seconds left and held on for a 58-55 victory over No. 9-ranked Kansas State on Sunday at Allen Fieldhouse. K-State won the first matchup in Manhattan, 69-58 in January.
With the victory, KU improved to 12-1 at home, but more importantly to 16-11 overall and 9-7 in the Big 12. K-State fell to 23-5 with a 12-4 league record.
K-State trailed by six, 58-52, with 24 seconds left, but had a chance at the end after a Taryn Sides 3-pointer and turnover. But Sides' long three at the buzzer rimmed out and the Jayhawks celebrated.
S'Mya Nichols led KU with 22 points, while Taiyanna Jackson had 11 and Kersgieter 10. Ayoka Lee led K-State with 14 points and 11 rebounds, while Sides contributed 11 points off the bench.
Here are three takeaways from a back-and-forth battle to the wire.
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Kansas win has postseason implications
The victory could not have come at a better time for Kansas, which came into the game on the NCAA Tournament bubble. Knocking off a top-10 team should go a long way for the Jayhawks.
K-State, on the other hand, was comfortably in, but came into the game as a projected No. 4 seed according to most bracketology reports. The 16 top-four seeds all qualify as hosts for the first two rounds, and the Wildcats don't have much margin for error.
Heavyweight battle inside
Centers Lee for K-State and Jackson for Kansas went head-to-head all game, trading punches under the basket.
All-American Lee, who has been battling a pair of ankle injuries, had the double-double to go with four assists, three blocked shots and two steals, but made just 7 of 21 shots with Jackson making it difficult for her to convert.
In addition to her 11 points, Jackson grabbed seven rebounds and blocked eight shots, often with Lee as the victim.
Homegrown talent shines
A pair of in-state freshmen had a major impact in this edition of the Sunflower Showdown.
Nichols, a Shawnee Mission West product, was KU's leading scorer coming in with 14.3 points per game, but exceeded that by knocking down 8 of 16 shots, including a 3-pointer. But K-State's Sides gave the Wildcats a huge lift by making 4 of 7 shots, including 3 of 5 from 3-point range in 18 minutes.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas women's basketball edges Kansas State in Sunflower Showdown
