Chelsea Gardner scored 30 points and three other Kansas University women’s basketball players produced double-digit point totals against Alabama Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse, but the Jayhawks couldn’t get the stops they needed late in an 85-80 loss to the Crimson Tide.

KU’s star senior forward led all scorers, fellow seniors Natalie Knight and Asia Boyd chipped in 11 points apiece and sophomore forward Jada Brown added 12 on 5-for-5 shooting in the first game of the three-day Naismith Hall of Fame Women’s Basketball Challenge.

Kansas had no solution, though, defensively for the Crimson Tide’s Ashley Williams (24 points) and Briana Hutchen (20 points), and Alabama (2-2) made 57.7 percent of its shots in the final 20 minutes, putting up 50 second-half points at KU (2-1).

It seemed — even late in the game — the half-court play-making of KU senior guard Knight (seven assists), freshman guard Lauren Aldridge (six assists) and sophomore guard Keyla Morgan (six second-half points) would give the Jayhawks enough to survive. However, Alabama made seven of its final 10 shots and just enough free throws (5-for-8) in the final 39 seconds to win.

Alabama took a 77-75 lead when Meoshonti Knight drove in for a layup with 2:30 left in the game. She then hit both free throws with 2:03 to go, giving the visitors a four-point lead and plenty of confidence for crunch time.

— Check back in at KUsports.com later for more.