photo by: Mike Gunnoe/Special to the Journal-World

Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider looks to a ref in disbelief during the game against Texas Tech in Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Feb. 25, 2026 in Lawrence.

After Kansas started conference play with a record of 1-6, it was always going to be a tough road for the Jayhawks to get back to .500 before March.

Those dreams of getting back to even ahead of the Big 12 tournament were quashed on Saturday evening with a 70-56 loss at Oklahoma State.

“I felt like when we made a couple of runs, we got really good shots and didn’t make them,” Kansas head coach Brandon Schneider said in a press release. “The margin for error is such for us this year, especially against a really good opponent like this that if you get a couple of stops you can’t come down here and have empty possessions.”

The Jayhawks will end the regular season with an 8-10 mark in conference play but will have a chance to improve their final record by going on a run during the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Missouri, beginning on Wednesday.

Kansas was led in scoring on Saturday by freshman forward Jaliya Davis, who finished with 24 points on 10-for-14 shooting from the field. Davis also registered four rebounds, two steals and two blocks.

Kansas started the game with back-to-back layups from Davis and senior forward Lilly Meister to take an early lead, but the Cowgirls fired back with paint scoring of their own.

The squads traded blows over the next few minutes before a 3-pointer from Oklahoma State started an 8-0 run for the Cowgirls. That run lasted just over three minutes and ended with a layup from sophomore forward Regan Williams with 2:49 left.

Junior guard S’Mya Nichols capped off the scoring for Kansas with a 3-pointer in the final minute, but Oklahoma State’s ability to convert in the paint helped it increase its lead. The Cowgirls finished the quarter by drawing a foul and making both from the line to send the teams to the second with Oklahoma State leading 20-13.

The second quarter started how the first one ended for the Jayhawks, with shots not falling Kansas’ way. Oklahoma State built a 10-point lead early in the quarter, but after three minutes the Jayhawks finally found some footing offensively. Kansas made three straight baskets in the paint, but Oklahoma State was able to answer and keep the game close. At the under-five timeout, the Jayhawks trailed 31-23.

Kansas was unable to score after the timeout, and the Cowgirls extended their lead. Nichols finally broke the scoreless drought for the Jayhawks with a 3 with 1:57 to go, but Oklahoma State kept pouring it on.

Junior guard Laia Conesa added a layup before the buzzer to send the two teams into the break with the Cowgirls holding a 40-28 advantage.

The Jayhawks opened the second half looking much better on offense, but they still could not find rhythm on defense. The Cowgirls started 6-for-8 from the field to start the third quarter, while Kansas was also 4-for-8 during the same span.

Davis accounted for seven of the Jayhawks’ 11 points during the first five minutes of the period, going 2-for-2 from the field and 3-for-3 from the free throw line.

At the under-five timeout in the third quarter, the Cowgirls held a 53-39 edge.

Out of the break, Davis added another layup but Oklahoma State responded with six more points, including back-to-back layups, forcing Schneider to use a timeout with the Jayhawks trailing by 18.

Oklahoma State added a 3 after the Kansas timeout, but Davis scored twice to keep the Jayhawks around heading into the final period down 62-46.

The fourth quarter only featured a combined 18 points.

Davis started things in the period with an and-1 bucket that was promptly followed by an over-five-minute-long scoring drought. Senior guard Sania Copeland broke it with a layup, but the deficit was too much and Kansas never got close.

In the final minutes, the Cowgirls were able to close things out for a 70-56 victory over the Jayhawks.

Kansas (18-12, 8-10) now awaits its assignment for the Big 12 tournament in Kansas City, Missouri. The Jayhawks are locked in for a first-round matchup on Wednesday, but their opponent will not be determined until the final conference regular season games are played Sunday.

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