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KANSAN.COM
SPORTS
11
Kansas ends losing streak with win over Texas Tech
► JARED ANDERSON
@JAnderson_383
Kansas coach Brandon Schneider calls a play against Texas on Jan. 4. On Jan. 28, Kansas beat Texas Tech 66-60.
Jan. 28, 2017 is a day that Kansas coach Brandon Schneider will remember forever.
After losing 27-straight regular season conference games, Kansas accomplished a feat it hadn't done since March 2, 2015: they won.
Fueled by a collective team effort, Kansas defeated Texas Tech 66-60, ending its lengthy conference win drought.
Everything seemed to go right for Kansas, as the Jayhawks scored on their first two possessions and didn't look back.
Kansas' new look and strides toward improvement were on full display.
The Jayhawks marched onto the hardwood sporting their all-red jerseys in support of "Go Red For Women," a day that strives to raise awareness of heart disease in women.
Redshirt-junior guard Jessica Washington led the way for Kansas behind her 24-point, four-rebound and two-assist showing. Sophomore guard Kylee Kopa-
tich - a key piece whose shooting has struggled this season also stepped up in a time of deep importance posting 14 points and four rebounds.
While Washington and Kopatich propelled the team to triumph, creating more scoring opportunities was a sizable contributor to the win as well, just as Schneider predicted after the loss to Oklahma State.
Missy Minear/KANSAN
I thought our execution, in terms of our defensive plan, was really good."
Brandon Schneider
Kansas Coach
"I thought our execution, in terms of our defensive plan, was really good, for the most part, all night," Schneider said.
The Jayhawks valued their possessions on the afternoon, giving up the ball just seven times, while scoring eight points off of the Red Raiders' 14 turnovers.
facturing some of Kansas' offensive possessions, as she notched 10 points and eight rebounds.
"I thought [Manning-Allen] played really well," Schneider said, "She got six offensive rebounds and I remember not too long ago at TCU, she didn't get any,
Senior forward Caelynn Manning-Allen played a noteworthy role in manu-
and I let her know that. It's nice to see her activity level and watch her keep some balls alive too."
Texas Tech, a team that has led the Big 12 in threepoint field goal percentage and defending the three this season, found itself struggling at the perimeter. The
Red Raiders shot 3-of-17 from beyond the arc, generating an 18 percent threepoint field goal percentage, compared to the Jayhawks' 28 percent.
"I thought we really moved the ball well against the zone," Schneider said. "We played through the
zone, instead of just around it, and created some good looks."
Kansas will look to build off its momentum this Wednesday at Oklahoma. Tip-off is at 10:30 a.m.
FROM KENTUCKY
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Missy Minear/KANSAN
r Kentucky in Rump Arena
Junior guard Devonte' Graham smiles in the final seconds of Kansas' 79-73 victory over Kentucky in Rupp Arena on Jan. 28.
guards De'Aaron Fox and Malik Monk could be contained, but it was a number of threes from Kentucky forward Derek Willis that kept Kentucky within striking distance. Willis finished with 18 points and 5-of-6 from three-point range.
Fox and Monk finished with 10 and 18 points, respectively. At ESPN's College GameDay's showing in Rupp Arena the morning of the game, pundits debated whether Monk could score over 25.
Kansas' confidence seemed to wax and wane with every possession of the second half. At one point, Jackson threw up a hesitant three-point attempt that missed. Kansas renewed its lease on the win on another, when Mason caught an alert pass from junior guard Svi Mykhailiuk and
hit a wide open three.
The Jayhawks' threepoint shooting came alive in the second half. The Kansas backcourt found a way to move the ball freely and it paid off with a 58.8 percent shooting mark in the second half.
Kansas only shot 26
percent from three on the night, but its overall mark was hampered by poor shooting in the first half. Kansas didn't make a single three in the first half before catching fire in the second.
"I find that, at time, when I'm practicing
shooting with the guys and they're all making threes that it gets kind of contagious," Jackson said. "So I feel like that opened it up for us a little bit — it was contagious."
Kentucky led by as many as 12 points midway through the first half. Self
reverted to a zone defense and limited the damage. Kansas fired back to within five by halftime.
I thought this could get ugly really fast, I thought it was already ugly. I don't think they shot the ball unbelievably well by any stretch early."
Bill Self
Kansas coach
Self managed his team's lack of depth, exacerbated
"Oh, I thought this could get ugly really fast," Self said. "I thought it was already ugly. I don't think they shot the ball unbelievably well by any stretch early, but we didn't shoot it at all and we played tight and they had all the momentum."
by the suspension of sophomore forward Carlton Bragg Jr., in the first half by throwing freshman forward Mitch Lightfoot and junior forward Dwight Coleby into the game for early minutes. Coleby stayed in the game to relieve Lucas for a total of 10 minutes.
"I think our guys are really excited—not that we played really great," Self said. "I think we were really excited because we didn't play great and fought through and ended up winning the game."
Due to a loss earlier in the week to No.18 West Virginia, Kansas is likely to fall in the rankings. However,the win over Kentucky will be a boost.
Things won't get any easier for the Jayhawks as they move forward into a difficult home tilt against No. 5 Baylor at Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb.1.
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