WICHITA, Kan. — Kansas saw its postseason run end Monday night after BYU closed with a strong fourth quarter to beat the Jayhawks 70-67 in the Women’s Basketball Invitation Tournament semifinals at Charles Koch Arena.
The Jayhawks were outscored 24-16 in the final period as the Cougars erased a five-point deficit entering the fourth and advanced to the WBIT championship game against Columbia.
Kansas finished the season 22-14, while BYU improved to 26-11.
Freshman Jaliya Davis led Kansas with 18 points and four rebounds, capping a standout debut season by moving into second place on the program’s all-time freshman scoring list with 514 points. Davis scored in double figures in all four WBIT games and reached double figures for the 25th time this season.
S’Mya Nichols added 14 points, six assists and four rebounds. The junior guard went 10 of 12 at the free-throw line and moved into the top 10 on Kansas’ career scoring list with 1,691 points, passing Tamecka Dixon. Nichols also climbed to second in Big 12 history for single-season free throws made with 243 and finished ninth on KU’s single-season assists list with 167.
Lilly Meister scored 12 points and grabbed nine rebounds in the final game of her Kansas career. The senior forward knocked down three 3-pointers, marking her second straight game with multiple makes from beyond the arc. Regan Williams chipped in eight points off the bench, and Libby Fandel pulled down seven rebounds.
Kansas came out fast, scoring the game’s first eight points and holding BYU scoreless for more than four minutes. Davis scored five points during the opening burst and Meister added a 3-pointer as the Jayhawks built an early cushion.
BYU answered with a 9-0 run to take its first lead before Nichols scored late to tie the game 15-15 at the end of the first quarter.
The Cougars held a narrow edge for much of the second quarter, but Kansas responded with a 6-0 run, fueled in part by two baskets from Fandel, to grab a 28-24 lead. BYU tied it again before Meister converted a three-point play late in the half, sending the Jayhawks into the break ahead 31-28.
Kansas pushed its lead to four early in the third quarter, but BYU answered with three 3-pointers to reclaim the lead. The Jayhawks regained control late in the period, using a 5-0 stretch at the foul line to take a 51-46 advantage into the fourth.
The Cougars opened the final quarter with an 8-0 run to move in front 54-51. Meister stopped the surge with a 3-pointer and Nichols followed with two free throws to briefly put Kansas back ahead.
BYU then delivered the decisive stretch, knocking down three consecutive 3-pointers during a 9-0 run that opened a 63-56 lead with under four minutes to play.
Kansas cut the deficit late on a Brittany Harshaw 3-pointer and a Davis basket, and Nichols made two free throws in the closing seconds to trim the margin to three, but the Jayhawks could not get closer.