photo by: Big 12 Conference

Kansas center Taiyanna Jackson attempts a contested shot during the game against BYU on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

Kansas City, Mo. — After amassing a career-high 24 points in Provo, Utah, earlier this season, super-senior guard Zakiyah Franklin dropped another 20 on BYU in Kansas’ impressive 77-53 victory over the 10th-seeded Cougars on Friday night. The victory marked the Jayhawks’ first win in the Big 12 Conference tournament since the 2018-19 season, and further improved their prospects for the NCAA Tournament.

“I know the first time I was thinking about when we won, was ‘Man, we’ve been here, been fighting for this win for so long,'” guard Holly Kersgieter said. “It’s kind of just something extra special to have to celebrate.”

“We came a long way,” Franklin added. “And it just shows that this group that we have is a really special group, and we were able to get the job done today.”

Along with Franklin’s 20-point game, Kansas’ diverse offense proved valuable once again, as Wyvette Mayberry amassed an impressive 14 points and Ryan Cobbins added five ever-valuable bench points.

“That just makes us so much better, when we have the ability to stretch the floor because I do think we have some players that can draw attention,” head coach Brandon Schneider said of Mayberry’s performance. “Whether attacking the paint off the dribble or trying to keep some heat off of (Taiyanna Jackson).”

The Jayhawks went on a seven-point run to open postseason play at the T-Mobile Center, courtesy of two buckets down low by Jackson and a 3-pointer by Mayberry. BYU responded immediately, taking an 8-7 lead after starting out hot from behind the arc, thanks to freshman standout Kailey Woolston.

After Jackson’s first foul of the game, head coach Brandon Schneider chose the conservative route, replacing her with Danai Papadapoulou, who picked up two fouls in one minute, leaving guard Cobbins to fill in at the post. Cobbins stepped up in this spot, as she so often has in a flexible role for the Jayhawks. In a back-and-forth quarter, Jackson and Mayberry led the way for the Jayhawks with six points each, while the combination of Cobbins and Jackson held BYU’s leading scorer, forward Lauren Gustin, to no points in the quarter.

“I just wanted there to be an actual matchup,” Schneider said. “I wanted them (Gustin and Jackson) to play against each other. And tonight, fortunately for us, Twin was able to be in, I don’t feel like we ever took her out due to foul trouble, and that was an important piece.”

After returning for the end of the first and beginning of the second, Jackson headed to Kansas’ bench to get her ankle worked on. Cobbins continued to step up on the defensive end, but BYU’s perimeter shooting kept the Cougars afloat as they amassed a 31-25 lead. Kansas then embarked on a 10-point run courtesy of six points from Franklin and an impressive jumper by Cobbins for Kansas’ first bench points of the game and a 32-31 lead.

“Ryan has meant a lot to our team,” Franklin said. “She’s a veteran leader, she came from another pretty good program, and just coming to us we’ve used her a lot. I think pretty much she’s just shown the little things that she’s able to do.”

Franklin finished off the run, before BYU’s Amari Whiting hit a buzzer-beating jumper that spoiled the Jayhawks’ run to end the half. Kansas still came out on top by the break, holding onto a narrow 35-33 lead but with lots of momentum and aggression on its side.

Franklin led the Jayhawks in scoring with 14 points, while Jackson and Mayberry’s six points, all scored in the first period, came in second. Kansas’ S’Mya Nichols and Kersgieter faltered on the offensive end, with four and three points respectively, but provided good ball movement en route to the halftime lead. The Jayhawks prepared well for Gustin after she had dropped a career-high 33 points on Kansas in the matchup in Provo. Gustin was held to only three points on 1-for-7 shooting in the first half, even with Kansas’ rotation of post defenders.

“We had a team goal to keep them under 50 (points) so at halftime we obviously had to make some adjustments, and we did that well in the second half,” Kersgieter said. “I wish everything could go according to plan all the time, but they came out aggressive and played really hard and we fought back.”

The Jayhawks didn’t let the halftime break stem their momentum. They entered the second half with two strong buckets to reclaim a six-point lead. Jackson’s 10th point of the game gave Kansas its largest lead yet at 44-36, where the Jayhawks continued to balloon their advantage, going on a 7-2 run capped by Kersgieter’s second 3-pointer of the game to get out to a 14-point lead. Up to that point, Kansas went 8-for-11 from the field in the quarter and allowed five points in seven minutes of second-half play. BYU finished out the quarter strong, but Kansas still was able to take a 56-45 lead into the last quarter of play.

The Jayhawks kept their foot on the gas, starting the fourth on an 11-point run, including a three-point play by Cobbins as she remained the only non-starter to score in the game. BYU responded with a three-point play of its own, but already facing a 22-point deficit, the Cougars were running out of time for a comeback. Another 3-pointer by Mayberry brought Kansas’ lead back to 20 with under four minutes to go.

As Schneider inserted a few bench players with time winding down, the Jayhawks ended the game with five straight points to take home the victory in a 24-point blowout.

After Kansas’ first tournament victory in five years, the Jayhawks will continue on to the quarterfinals with a matchup against No. 2 Texas on Saturday at 5:30 p.m. at the T-Mobile Center.

“Here’s the good thing about coaching: you can turn on a film in early January, and not recognize the team,” Schneider said. “And we’re not even close to being the same team that we were in early January… That being said, Texas is Final Four, national-championship good … So (it’s a) very, very difficult challenge, especially with a short turnaround like this with them getting the bye.”

Schneider added that his team has already played back-to-back games earlier this season (if not in past Big 12 tournaments).

“We actually did it (before) against two extremely good teams,” he said. “We played Virginia Tech in a really close game, a one-point game, then had to turn around and play UConn the next day. So I think we’ll reflect back on experience like that, and really just emphasize … turning the page very quickly.”

Box score

photo by: Big 12 Conference

Kansas guard Holly Kersgieter secures the ball against BYU on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

photo by: Big 12 Conference

Kansas coach Brandon Schneider looks on during the game against BYU on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

photo by: Big 12 Conference

Kansas guard Wyvette Mayberry makes a 3-pointer during the game against BYU on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

photo by: Big 12 Conference

Kansas guard Skylar Gill (32) looks on from the bench during the game against BYU on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

photo by: Big 12 Conference

The Kansas bench celebrates during the game against BYU on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

photo by: Big 12 Conference

Kansas guard Zakiyah Franklin makes a pass during the game against BYU on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

photo by: Big 12 Conference

Kansas guard Holly Kersgieter tries for a layup against BYU on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.

photo by: Big 12 Conference

Kansas guard S’Mya Nichols holds the ball during the game against BYU on Friday, March 8, 2024, in Kansas City, Mo.