NORMAN, Okla. – Wyvette Mayberry scored a season-high 21 points in her home state, but it was the Oklahoma Sooners who prevailed victorious over the Kansas Jayhawks, 60-55, on Saturday night at the Lloyd Noble Center.
Kansas sees its record evened at 10-10 on the season while falling 3-6 in Big 12 play. Oklahoma improves to 13-6 for the year and 7-1 in league play.
“We needed it to be lower scoring, that was our intent. We didn’t need it to be a track meet,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said after the game. “Control of the pace was in our favor, but I thought the difference in the second half was rebounding and physical play. I thought Wyvette Mayberry was terrific, Zakiyah Franklin was good and S’Mya Nichols did exactly what she’s done all season, by being our most consistent player.”
Mayberry led the way with a season-high 21 points on 8-of-16 shooting, which included hitting three three-pointers. This is her first 20-point game of the season and fifth in two seasons as a Jayhawk. Nichols added 15 points and Franklin had 13 as the trio combined for 49 of the team’s 55 points. Taiyanna Jackson had the other six points for KU and pulled down a game-high 14 rebounds.
Kansas grabbed the lead early, with Mayberry scoring five-straight points to put the Jayhawks up 6-2 in the early going. Following a pair of Oklahoma free throws, Mayberry connected on another three-pointer and Franklin scored her first basket of the game to put the Jayhawks up 11-4 with 5:20 to play in the quarter.
OU answered with a 6-0 run, getting within one as the Jayhawks were held scoreless for nearly three minutes before Franklin connected on a three-pointer to end the run and put KU up 14-10. The teams traded three baskets over the final 2:10 of the quarter, the last of which left the Jayhawks with a 16-14 lead at the end of one.
Oklahoma scored the first five points of the second quarter, taking a 19-16 lead less than three minutes in. Mayberry continued her hot start, scoring on the next possession as the teams again traded baskets over the next four minutes. OU hit a free throw to go up 24-22 with 2:37 to play in the half, but Kansas hit its last three field goals of the half and outscored the Sooners 6-3 to take a 28-27 lead after Mayberry closed the half with a three-pointer, giving her 13 first-half points.
The third quarter featured runs by both teams, first from Oklahoma as the Sooners opened on a 9-3 run, taking a 36-30 lead after back-to-back three-pointers. Kansas was held without a field goal for nearly six minutes, but stayed close on the strength of three free throws from Nichols.
Taiyanna Jackson’s first basket of the game got KU within one, 36-35, with 2:41 to play in the third. A jumper from Nichols and a three-pointer by Zakiyah Franklin kept the Jayhawks within two, trailing 42-40 despite being outscored 15-12 in the quarter.
OU scored the first basket of the fourth quarter, extending its lead to 44-40, but Mayberry brought the Jayhawks right back with consecutive baskets to tie the game. Kansas took its first lead of the second half on the next possession as Jackson knocked down one of two at the free throw line, making it 45-44 with 7:07 to play.
The fourth quarter would go on to feature five ties and five lead changes, and Kansas held a 53-51 lead with 3:14 to go following a pair of free throws from Mayberry. From that point on, however, it was the Sooners who closed the game out with a 9-2 run, including three-straight baskets before three free throws, which wrapped up the 60-55 Sooner victory.
Next Up
Kansas takes on Big 12 newcomer BYU for the first time on Wednesday, Jan. 31. Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse is set for 6:30 p.m. CT and the game will be broadcast on Big 12 NOW on ESPN+.
