Just one game into the season, Kansas University womenâÂÂs basketball coach Marian WashingtonâÂÂs recruiting class is stepping up already.

Freshmen Erica Hallman and Crystal Kemp and sophomore transfer Aquanita Burras accounted for all of the Jayhawksâ points during a game-ending 8-2 run that gave Kansas a 63-60 victory against the University of Texas-El Paso on Sunday in Allen Fieldhouse.

âÂÂI think we just have a lot of heart, and weâÂÂre going to play to the finish,â Hallman said. âÂÂWe did a good job not giving up and playing solid defense down the stretch.âÂÂ

The Miners (1-1) took their first lead, 58-55, after back-to-back three-pointers by Kia Dowell with about five minutes left.

Neither team could score for the next two minutes until Hallman hit a jumper. She stole the ball on UTEPâÂÂs next possession, and Kemp found Burras under the basket for a layup and a 59-58 Kansas advantage.

UTEP turned the ball over again on its next possession, and freshman Tamara Ransburg passed to Kemp for a layup. After Dragana Zoric made a driving layup that brought the Miners within a point, Hallman hit two free throws for the final margin.

âÂÂThatâÂÂs how itâÂÂs going be probably, day in and day out,â Hallman said. âÂÂWeâÂÂre going to have somebody different contributing every day, and itâÂÂs really going to help us down the stretch.âÂÂ

Kemp finished with 21 points and 10 rebounds in her college debut, playing all but two minutes.

âÂÂShe ran the floor very well tonight,â Washington said, âÂÂand (gave) 38 minutes worth of tremendous performance.âÂÂ

Hallman, who did not play in either of the Jayhawksâ two exhibition games because of an injured right knee, scored nine points, grabbed four rebounds and had three assists in 21 minutes.

âÂÂJust the few minutes she was out there I thought she really helped to make a difference,â Washington said, âÂÂparticularly down the stretch. SheâÂÂs had her debut and itâÂÂs only going to get better.âÂÂ

Kansas started strong in its season-opener, leading by as many as 15 in the first half, but the Miners went on a 20-11 run in the first 7 1/2 minutes of the period to pull within two points.

DowellâÂÂs three-point exhibition and an unexpected zone defense that stifled the Jayhawksâ attempts to get the ball to Kemp down low helped UTEP continue its success and grab a lead.

âÂÂWe didnâÂÂt anticipate them going to a zone,â Washington said, âÂÂso it cut into our momentum, without question. We struggled trying to get some looks we wanted.âÂÂ

Washington said she thought the early season, come-from-behind victory was significant for her young club.

âÂÂItâÂÂs real important, because I guarantee you weâÂÂre going to have to fight for every win that we get this year,â Washington said. âÂÂThe fact that this team is already beginning to understand that and theyâÂÂre trying to respond to situations like this – I think itâÂÂs all real important.âÂÂ