photo by: Damon Young/Kansas Athletics

KU guard Zakiyah Franklin fires up a shot from long range during the Jayhawks game at Texas on Tuesday, Jan. 10, 2023.

Senior Taiyanna Jackson led Kansas in rebounds and blocks and nearly matched senior Holly Kersgieter in scoring, but the effort wasn’t enough at Texas, where the No. 23 Jayhawks fell 72-59 against the Longhorns on Tuesday.

Texas’ offense got going early in the first quarter, attacking the paint and scoring points in the interior. The Longhorns scored 18 points in the first quarter on 47% shooting, with 10 of those points coming at the rim.

The Kansas offense couldn’t find its rhythm, converting just three of the team’s 12 attempts from the floor, with just four points in the paint.

Graduate student Sonya Morris ran the Longhorn offense all quarter long, scoring nine points on 4-for-6 shooting, accounting for half of Texas’ first-quarter points before picking up two personal fouls.

Graduate student Shaylee Gonzales took over the scoring load for Morris in the second quarter. She scored all 10 of her first-half points in the quarter, shooting 4-for-5 and adding two steals to her statline.

Kersgieter and Jackson led the Jayhawk offense in the first half, with Kersgieter scoring 10 points on 5-for-6 from the free throw line. Jackson stuffed the stat sheet, tallying seven points, five rebounds, two assists, three blocks and two steals in 18 minutes of play.

But Texas shot a blazing hot 71% in the second quarter and scored 23 points – five more than Kansas – to take a 12-point lead into halftime.

The Jayhawks started their comeback attempt in the third quarter on 7-for-12 shooting while holding Texas to a 27% shooting clip. Jackson led the charge with seven points while grabbing three more rebounds and two steals on defense, allowing Kansas to cut the deficit to seven points heading into the fourth quarter down 54-47.

That comeback attempt was short-lived for KU. Shooting 3-for-14 from the floor in the fourth quarter, Kansas dropped a 72-59 game to Texas.

Jackson affected the game in every aspect for the Jayhawks, recording a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double, along with five steals and three blocks. Kersgieter led the team in scoring with 20 points on just under 50% shooting.

Texas’ Gonzales led the game in scoring with 26 points on 11-for-16 shooting.

The loss was Kansas’ second in a row. Now, the Jayhawks look ahead to a 2 p.m. road game at Oklahoma on Saturday.