A spirited mob of fans lingered outside Kansas University’s locker room Saturday to greet the Jayhawks after their 64-45 waxing of San Diego at Allen Fieldhouse.

It was a welcome sight for women’s basketball coach Marian Washington’s squad after its best all-around performance of the year.

The win also added a confidence boost most of the Jayhawks admitted they would need in the next few weeks. KU opens Big 12 Conference play Wednesday at home against No. 3 Texas, a Final Four qualifier in 2003.

Then Kansas travels to Missouri, followed by dates with two more Top-15 teams.

“It’s tough, it’s rough, especially in the first round,” Washington said of the early Big 12 slate. “What we have to do is take each game and challenge this team to demonstrate that we’re a better ballclub than we were a year ago.”

But are the Jayhawks ready for it?

“I know we’re a lot better than what we were. We’re a lot more ready,” sophomore Crystal Kemp said. “I don’t know if I can say we’re where we want to be, but I know we’re definitely getting there gradually.”

San Diego (5-8) isn’t on the same radar with Texas or most other conference teams, but Kansas (7-4) showed it has improved, using an 8-0 run to build a 14-6 lead. Junior point guard Larisha Graves, who logged her best outing of the year, scored five points down the stretch and pushed the KU lead to 29-16 at halftime. It’s the third time the Jayhawks have held an opponent to less than 20 points in a half this season.

“Our defense, tonight it was great,” Graves said, “but some nights it’s not great. We need to be consistent with our defense.”

Kansas University junior point guard Larisha Graves splits San Diego defenders Jamie Corwin, left, and Lindsey Helvey. The Jayhawks routed the Toreros, 64-45, Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas was a model of consistency Saturday, and the end result was never in doubt. Offensively, the Jayhawks picked up the pace in the second half and pushed their lead to 26 points. Defensively, they were equally stifling, forcing a season-high 30 turnovers and swiping a season-best 17 steals.

Graves led all KU scorers with 13 points and seven steals. Kemp and Aquanita Burras each added 11 points.

Brandi Collato led the Toreros with 15 points.

Although Kansas did plenty right against SDU, sophomore center Tamara Ransburg said the Jayhawks didn’t think the conference season would nearly be as easy. More than half the KU roster is new and hasn’t faced a Big 12 team before.

“We’ve just got to get in their minds that this isn’t nothing,” Ransburg said. “The Big 12 is everything.”