Prater's huge second half propels Jayhawks past Cornhuskers, 64-55

Kansas got contributions from across the roster to overcome multiple Nebraska rallies to move on in the WNIT.

Thursday's Super 16 matchup in the Women's NIT was a big step up in competition for the Kansas Jayhawks. After all, their opponent was the same team that beat them earlier in the season in a three-overtime thriller at the end of the non-conference schedule.

But Kansas found success in the paint against the Nebraska Cornhuskers up in Lincoln, and they used that success as a roadmap for a 64-55 victory in Allen Fieldhouse in which they never trailed.

The first quarter was exactly what we expected, as the Jayhawks went inside early and often against a Cornhusker lineup that has struggled inside. After Holly Kersgieter took a wild three at the very end of the shot clock, Taiyanna Jackson took the next five shots for Kansas, making three of them. Chandler Prater and Zakiyah Franklin joined in for a quick 7-0 run, and the Jayhawks defense clamped down. Nadira Eltayeb came in for some big minutes as well, recording 2 points, 3 rebounds and a block while giving Jackson a rest. The Cornhuskers finished the quarter just 5-15 from the field, compared to the Jayhawks’ 8-17. Kansas took a five-point lead into the break.

The second quarter saw both defenses clamp down early. It took Kansas 5 minutes to score 6 points in the quarter, and nearly 6 minutes before Nebraska scored at all. That turned into a quick 7-0 run for the visitors, bringing them back within four with just 2:34 left in the half causing a Brandon Schneider timeout. But Kansas was able to break their drought after the timeout thanks to a Zsofia Telegdy jumper. The half ended with Kansas up by five.

The second half got a bit dicey at the beginning, as Nebraska used an 11-4 run in just under three minutes to tie the game up with 6:04 to go in the third quarter. But a quick three-pointer from Kersgieter and a layup by Prater gave the Jayhawks the lead for good, even though they still had to work for it the rest of the way. Nebraska closed the gap to just 1 twice in the early minutes of the fourth quarter, but they were never able to break through, as the Kansas defense held long enough to spark a 6-0 run and stretch the lead one final time.

Jackson led the Jayhawks with 16 points on 8-12 shooting, and she had 12 rebounds to record her 20th double-double of the season. She also had 2 assists and 3 blocks, bringing her single-season block record to 99. Kersgieter and Prater each had 14 points, but Prater’s second half was especially impressive. She had 12 of her points and 13 of her 16 total rebounds in the second half to help put the game away. Franklin had 13 for the game, with 6 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal.

Wyvette Mayberry picked up two quick fouls in the first half and ended up playing only 25 minutes, struggling to get on the board. She was still able to contribute with 4 assists and some lockdown defense, but her rough night also opened the way for some big contributions from the rest of the team. Head Coach Brandon Schneider mentioned that her absence in the first half allowed Prater to slide out to the perimeter, opening up the door for Telegdy and Nadira Eltayeb to step in. Telegdy had a big jumper to help break a scoreless streak, and Eltayeb came in for four huge minutes in relief of Jackson in the first quarter. While she was in, she scored a bucket, had 3 total rebounds and a block, continuing the strong inside play that Jackson had started.

In all, the team came together to gut out a gritty win, moving on to the WNIT quarterfinals. They will take on the winner of the Super 16 matchup between the Arkansas Razorbacks and the Texas Tech Lady Raiders, but game time and location will not be known until after tomorrow’s games have concluded.

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