Jackson ties career-high as Kansas defense stifles Oklahoma State for Schneider's 500th win

The short-handed Jayhawks hit several milestones in a crucial victory over the Cowgirls.

The Kansas Jayhawks used a stifling defense and a career night from center Taiyanna Jackson to earn the season sweep over the Oklahoma State Cowgirls. The 66-57 victory improved the Jayhawks' record to 17-10 overall and 7-9 in the Big 12 while ending the Cowgirls' six-game winning streak and dropping them to 20-8 overall and 10-6 in the Big 12. The win also gave head coach Brandon Schneider his 500th career win, a milestone that wasn't lost on his players.

"It just means a lot that we can help him accomplish that milestone because he deserves it," guard Chandler Prater noted after the game. And the win was quite an accomplishment, requiring a monumental effort from a Kansas lineup that was without senior guard Holly Kersgieter for the second straight game due to concussion symptoms.

For the second straight game, the Jayhawks started Sanna Strom in place of Kersgieter. But this time, Kansas wasn't able to get off to a quick start. The teams traded buckets early, and the lead went back and forth throughout the entire first quarter, with neither team shooting well from beyond the arc, and compensating by going inside early and often.

The one-point lead that the Jayhawks took into the end of 1st quarter break was the smallest one they would have the rest of the night. The Cowgirls took their final lead of the day on a Naomie Alnatas layup with 6:44 to go in the half, after which the Jayhawks went on a 14-2 run to get their first double-digit lead of the game. While a 7-2 Oklahoma State run shrunk the lead to just five at halftime, it wouldn't stay that way for long.

The second half started much like the first, with neither team really able to make a significant push to change the margin. But the Cowgirls were only able to muster 9 points in the first 6 minutes of the second half, and didn't score again until more than a minute into the fourth quarter. During that five-minute span, the Jayhawks went on a 7-0 run to push the lead comfortably to 13. It would take until the final 30 seconds of the game for the lead to shrink below 10.

Only five Jayhawks recorded points in the game, with Strom being held scoreless while reserve Mia Vuksic scored six points in 20 minutes of play. But her biggest impact didn't come from her shooting. Coach Schneider praised her confidence: 

"She's not scared. She's obviously a terrific three-point shooter, but I was super proud of Mia's defensive energy. She took a lot of pride in her matchup and was really active."

Prater added, "Mia is the type, no matter how many minutes she plays, she is going to make sure her voice is heard."

Prater led the Jayhawks in scoring with 18 points. She had 9 rebounds, including 6 on the offensive end, and added 4 steals. Wyvette Mayberry and Zakiyah Franklin each had 15 points, with the rest of the scoring coming from Taiyanna Jackson's 12 points.

But Jackson's biggest contribution didn't come from her scoring. Instead, her 21 rebounds and 5 blocked shots helped to set the tone of the defense all game long. She matched her career-high for rebounds and now has 82 blocks on the season, good for 5th on the single-season blocks list and just 13 shy of the record of 95 she set last season. 

Schneider, Prater and Mayberry all described her as "relentless" after the game. Mayberry added, "every time you thought the play was over, she got the rebound and went back up."

Schneider added, "I think those that are watching her: I hope they realize how special she is."

But surrounding all of the performances was a very physical game where only 16 total fouls were called. When asked about it after the game, Oklahoma State coach Jacie Hoyt noted that "we were soft. [The Jayhawks] were physical and we weren't."

Prater added, "We like physicality. Coach Brandon had told us before the game 'Go out ad throw the first punch. Don't wait to get punched before starting the fight.' So we went out swinging. And it always feels good to know that your coach has your back."

When asked about the most memorable part of his 500th career win, Schneider said "I think HOW we won is what's memorable. We've always believed really strongly in defense and rebounding. Today I thought we really guarded and took a lot of pride in it and rebounded the ball with toughness and aggression."

Kansas will need all of that and more in their next game, as the Iowa State Cyclones come to town on Wednesday March 1st for Senior Night. The game is scheduled to tip at 7:00pm and will be broadcast on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.

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