Kansas City, Mo. ? Wait ’til next year.

Kansas University’s women’s basketball season ended on a sour note Tuesday — a 62-57 loss to Missouri in the Big 12 Conference tournament — but coach Bonnie Henrickson wielded a bright brush.

“It’ll hurt for a while,” first-year coach Henrickson said of the defeat, “but we can’t let it overshadow our growth.”

Kansas (12-16) won three more games than it did last year, but it still was the school’s fifth consecutive losing season, and it was clear Henrickson must have more talent to climb above .500 next year.

Kansas virtually was a two-woman act in Municipal Auditorium. Junior forward Crystal Kemp scored a career-high 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, and junior point guard Erica Hallman scored 19 points, had five assists and was guilty of only one turnover.

Kemp and Hallman scored all but 11 of the Jayhawks’ points. Combined they made 19 of 33 shots. Their teammates converted just five of 31 attempts.

“At 12:01, this will be their team,” Henrickson said, glancing at Kemp and Hallman. “They’ll be seniors next year, and we’ll count on them to help us continue our growth.”

In retrospect, Tuesday’s defeat encapsulated the Jayhawks’ season in the sense that it featured torrid shooting stretches and agonizing cold spells.

Kansas came out on fire. The Jayhawks made 15 of their first 25 shots while rolling to a nine-point lead, but missed their last four and went into the break trailing, 34-33. The chilliness continued to start the second half, growing to 11 straight bricks that resulted in a 40-33 deficit with about 16 minutes remaining.

Kansas University guard Erica Hallman (23) puts up a shot as the Jayhawks try to rally against Missouri. KU couldn't and lost, 62-57, to the Tigers on Tuesday at the Big 12 Conference tournament in Kansas City, Mo.

Suddenly, though, the Jayhawks’ rediscovered their touch and grabbed a 44-43 lead on Hallman’s layup with 12:53 remaining. During the next five minutes the lead changed hands nine times until Hallman’s three-pointer — her third of the day — gave KU a 55-51 lead with 6:49 remaining.

What followed made that earlier sinking spell look like a hot streak. Kansas clanked 13 of its last 14 shots. Only a basket by Kemp with 20 seconds remaining prevented a total whitewash.

“MU picked up the pressure, and we tried to rush some things,” Kemp said of the late shooting woes.

Added Hallman: “You’ve got to give Missouri credit. I thought it got away from us.”

Kansas had won both regular season meetings — 63-61 in Allen Fieldhouse and 60-42 in Columbia, Mo. — but the MU players downplayed the revenge angle.

6Sports video: Big 12 tournament loss ends women’s season Photo Gallery: KU vs. Missouri Get the stats: KU vs. Missouri box score

“After losing two to them we wanted to come out and win,” guard LaToya Bond said, “but not because it was them. We wanted to keep playing in the tournament.”

Christelle N’Garsanet, a 6-foot-3 junior who led the Tigers with 19 points and nine rebounds, sounded the same refrain.

“I really wanted it, and I’m sure everybody on the team wanted it,” N’Garsanet said, “but if it wasn’t them we would have played just as hard.”

Missouri (11-17) will face Big 12 champion Baylor at noon today in the second round.

KU coach Bonnie Henrickson watches in the final minutes.

“We still want to make a statement,” MU coach Cindy Stein said. “I’m excited we’re still playing, and that’s all that matters. All the games you lost don’t matter.”

Henrickson might beg to differ. If the Jayhawks had won two or three more games they might have received a bid to play in the Women’s NIT.

“There was a chance to be in the NIT,” Henrickson said. “I know they say that means Not-In Tournament, but we would have had a big party in Lawrence if we’d have been in it.”

Now, all Henrickson can do is wait until next year, hoping newcomers will be able to take some of the pressure off Hallman and Kemp.

Kemp sounded like she would spread the welcome mat for the newcomers.

“I’d rather have two points and a win,” Kemp said, “instead of 35 points and a loss.”

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Notes: Kemp’s previous high was 26, a total she had reached twice, including earlier this season against UT-Arlington. … Kemp’s 27 points also eclipsed Tamecka Dixon for the most points by a Jayhawk in the Big 12 tourney. Dixon scored 22 in the 1997 meet. … Aquanita Burras, who scored eight points, started all 85 games during her three-year KU career. … Freshman Taylor McIntosh scored only three points, but matched her career high with 11 boards. … Kemp, Hallman, Burras and McIntosh were the only Jayhawks who scored. … KU shot 51.7 percent (15-of-29) in the first half, but only 24.9 percent (9-of-35) in the second half. …