photo by: Photo courtesy Emma Pravecek/Kansas Athletics

Kansas guard Wyvette Mayberry drives to the rim during the Jayhawks' home game against Tulsa — Mayberry's old team — on Friday, Dec. 16, 2022 at Allen Fieldhouse.

Thanks to a big comeback in the second half, No. 22 Kansas beat Tulsa 81-62 on Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse and kept its undefeated record intact.

The Golden Hurricane (8-3) rank No. 5 in the nation in 3-point shooting, averaging more than 10 made baskets per game from downtown, and they played to their strengths in the first quarter, aiming to sink Kansas (10-0) from beyond the arc. In the first quarter alone, Tulsa attempted 12 shots from 3-point range.

KU’s leading three-point shooter and second-leading scorer, senior guard Holly Kersgieter, missed Friday’s game due to an illness, but senior guard Zakiyah Franklin was perfectly capable of taking her place. Franklin was on fire to start the game; in the first quarter, she reached double-digit points and shot a blazing 3-for-4 from behind the arc. That almost matched Tulsa’s four first-quarter 3-point makes.

“I think Holly obviously hates that she wasn’t available, but I think that’s what good teammates do,” Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said. “KB [Franklin] was terrific.”

Franklin said that with Kersgieter gone, “We all felt like we had to step up.”

“Obviously, when one of our teammates goes out, we all have to rise our games up and contribute the best way we can,” Franklin said.

Kansas had a 25-17 lead after the first quarter, but the Golden Hurricane came roaring back. Tulsa went on a 15-1 run to open the second quarter thanks to some stellar 3-point shooting and plenty of turnovers by KU. As the Jayhawks’ offense ran cold, Tulsa turned an eight-point deficit into a six-point lead with this run.

Kansas simply couldn’t stop the Golden Hurricane’s 3-point barrage in the first half. Tulsa shot 38% from beyond the arc in the first half and forced 10 KU turnovers (eight in the second quarter). By halftime, Tulsa led by five points.

“We were dysfunctional offensively in the second quarter, and — give Tulsa credit — they outcompeted us in every phase of the game in the first half,” Schneider said. “The biggest adjustment we needed to make was to decide if we were going to outcompete them for a half. I felt like if we could do that, then we’d have a chance to win.”

And that’s exactly what KU did in the third quarter, finding its groove on both ends of the floor. Kansas outscored the Golden Hurricane 25-11 in the third period, shot more than 53% from the field and went a perfect 9-for-9 from the charity stripe.

While Kansas’ offense heated up, the defense kept Tulsa’s scoring at bay, holding the Golden Hurricane to just 11 points in the quarter and just three made baskets. Tulsa didn’t score a single basket in the final 7:30 of the third quarter, allowing the Jayhawks to push their lead to nine points heading into the fourth frame.

And KU didn’t look back from that dominant third-quarter performance. The Jayhawks extended their lead to 19 points by the end of the game and kept their record a perfect 10-0.

Four players scored in double figures for KU, with Franklin leading the offense with a game-high 26 points. Senior center Taiyanna Jackson and junior forward Ioanna Chatzileonti finished the night with double-doubles, hounding the glass and attacking the rim on the offensive end.

Kansas won the battle in the paint once again against Tulsa, outscoring the Golden Hurricane 36-12 in the painted area and winning the rebounding battle 54-28. And the Jayhawks found 21 second-chance points off of their 15 offensive rebounds.

“It was definitely a point of emphasis going into this game, and it was an extremely heavy emphasis going into the second half,” Schneider said. “… I think it’s very obvious that the shot distribution needed to be adjusted in order for us to get ourselves better opportunities.”

Up next, Kansas takes on the Nebraska Cornhuskers (8-3) at 6 p.m. Wednesday in Lincoln, Nebraska.