Cold-shooting Jayhawks fall to Texas, 75-42

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AUSTIN, Texas –  After coming off of one its better offensive efforts in Big 12 Conference action, Kansas women’s basketball couldn’t get the momentum to swing its way on the road, falling to No. 10 Texas, 75-42, on Saturday afternoon inside the Frank Erwin Center.
 
In the second meeting between the two programs in 2017, Kansas’ offense started the game slow shooting just 17 percent from the field in the first half and chalking up only 18 first-half points. It wasn’t until the fourth quarter that Kansas (8-17, 2-12 Big 12) was able to match Texas nearly shot for shot, but it was too late to mount a comeback.
 
Texas (20-4, 14-0 Big 12) came out of the gate on fire, shooting 41.2 percent from the field and continued to heat up throughout the game. The Longhorns ended the game shooting 46.4 percent from the field and limiting the Jayhawks to a Big 12-low 42 points.
 
KU’s backcourt duo of redshirt junior guard Jessica Washington and sophomore guard Kylee Kopatich combined for 29 of Kansas’ 42 points. Washington led all scorers with 15 points, while Kopatich added 14 points. Washington has led all scorers in nine of her 14 outings in Big 12 play. The duo was responsible for eight of KU’s nine makes from the 3-point line, as the Jayhawks record nine triples in a game for the ninth time this season.
 
Texas was led by freshman guard/forward Joyner Holmes, who poured in 15 points and grabbed 13 rebounds for a double-double. Senior center Kelsey Lang contributed 10 points to round out the double-digit scorers for the Longhorns.
 
Texas opened the ballgame with six unanswered points before the Jayhawks could get a shot to fall. KU missed its first four attempts from the field, but Washington ended the run with back-to-back triples as Kansas trailed Texas, 9-6, halfway through the first period.
 
After two minute scoring drought by both teams, Washington put an end to the scoreless streak with her third triple of the period. The Tulsa, Oklahoma native added a free throw on the next trip down the court, which brought Kansas within a possession of the Longhorns, 11-10. Texas closed out the opening 10 minutes with a 7-0 run to take a 17-10 advantage into the second quarter. Washington finished the first quarter with all 10 KU points, reaching the double-digit scoring mark for the 19th time this season.
 
The Longhorns continued its unanswered scoring trend into the second period with four-straight points before head coach Brandon Schneider called a timeout in hopes of stalling Texas’ momentum and firing up his own offense. Coming out of the timeout, Kopatich drained another KU trey as the Jayhawks deficit was cut, 21-13. Kansas and Texas traded baskets for next couple minutes before the Jayhawks’ efforts on the offensive side cooled and the Longhorns scored six-straight points to reestablish its double-digit lead, 31-18. Texas ended the first half with an 11-0 run and headed into the locker room with a 36-18 lead at intermission.
 
The Jayhawks finished the first half connecting on 5-of-11 attempts from the 3-point line, including three makes from Washington. She finished the opening half with a team-best 10 points.
 
To start the second half, Kansas and Texas swapped six points early on and the Jayhawks would keep up with the Longhorns for the next six minutes as Texas outscored KU just 10-8 halfway through the third period. Despite the closer game in the second half, the Jayhawks still trailed UT, 46-26.
 
Coming out of the media timeout, the Longhorns went an 8-0 run over the next minute and 44 seconds, forcing Schneider to call another timeout and slow Texas’ offense yet again. UT’s run extended its lead late in the third quarter, 54-26. Texas ended the period making five of its last five attempts from the field, heading into the final 10 minutes with a 56-27 advantage.
 
After trading 3-pointers to start the final period, Kansas kept the game close as the Longhorns outscored KU, 8-6, in the first five minutes of the half. Washington sparked a 5-0 run for the Jayhawks with a pair of free throws and a triple, Kansas matched Texas point for point throughout the fourth quarter, but KU’s slow start was too much to overcome as the Jayhawks fell to Texas, 75-42.

UP NEXT
Kansas stays on the road to complete the 2017 series against Texas Tech on Saturday, Feb. 18. Tipoff against the Lady Raiders is slated for 2 p.m., on FOX Sports SW+ and the Jayhawk Radio Network.

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