Texas hot shooting too much for Kansas in Austin

Longhorns pull away from the Jayhawks in the final period behind 26 points from Gonzales.

For the second straight game, the Kansas Jayhawks saw the best player on the floor down the stretch come from the other team's bench, as Texas' Shaylee Gonzales used a 14 point fourth quarter to help the Longhorns fight off a Kansas comeback and avenge last season's upset in Austin.

Kansas suffered their second straight defeat and third loss in their last five games to fall to 12-3 overall and 2-2 in the Big 12.

The Longhorns jumped out to an early lead in the first quarter, as guard Sonya Morris scored the first six points for the home team on her way to a 9-point first quarter. The Longhorns shot 8-17 while Kansas was an ice-cold 3-12, but 4 made free throws allowed Kansas to trail by just 7 points after the first period.

The second quarter was a duel between Gonzales, who scored 10 in the period, and Holly Kersgieter, who scored 8. It was a physical period, with 12 total fouls committed, with Kansas shooting 10 free throws. But the hot shooting for Texas continued, and their 10-14 effort in the period allowed them to extend the lead by another 5 points.

The third quarter finally saw some balance return for Kansas, as center Taiyanna Jackson went 3-4 with a free throw to score 7, with Wyvette Mayberry adding 4 and Kersgieter getting another 5. And the Jayhawks were able to hold Texas somewhat in check, only allowing 5 made baskets on 18 shots to shrink the lead back to 7 heading into the final quarter.

But everything fell apart in the fourth quarter. Gonzales broke out again for 14 points on 6-7 shooting, Kansas went cold again, only making three baskets in the period. And every time Kansas looked to be ready to make a run, Texas was there to put a stop to it.

Both Kersgieter and Jackson bounced back from their disappointing final lines against Baylor, as Kersgieter led the Jayhawks with 20 points and Jackson got her tenth double-double with 19 points and 12 rebounds. Wyvette Mayberry, who led the Jayhawks in scoring on Saturday, only had 9 points in this one, but she led the team with 5 assists. Zakiyah Franklin struggled from the field again, taking 12 shots to only score 7 points on the night.

The Jayhawks will need to regroup quickly, as they are set to face the 19th ranked Oklahoma Sooners on Saturday in Norman. Tipoff is scheduled for 2pm Central and the game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+.