MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — The No. 18 WVU women’s basketball team looks for an opportunity to bounce back from a loss to Iowa State last time out, as the Mountaineers travel to Lawrence today for a rematch against Kansas.
Opening tip against the Jayhawks is scheduled for 2 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse.
West Virginia (17-4, 11-4 Big 12) and Kansas (7-14, 3-12 Big 12) meet for the 20th time. The Mountaineers lead the all-time series 15-4 including a 7-2 mark playing in Lawrence. WVU won the first meeting this season, defeating KU 69-61 on Feb. 10 in Morgantown. West Virginia has won the last 12 matchups against Kansas, dating back to Feb. 10, 2015.
The is the second of a four-game, road stretch that has taken the team to Iowa State and will also see WVU travel to Kansas State and Baylor to conclude regular-season play before traveling to Kansas City, Mo., to compete in the Big 12 tournament.
The Mountaineers are coming off an 85-68 loss to Iowa State on Wednesday. Senior guard Kysre Gondrezick continued her impressive 2020-21 campaign with a team-best 19 points, while shooting 60% from the floor. Sophomore guards Kirsten Deans and Jayla Hemingway also scored in double figures against the Cyclones, with 14 and 12 points, respectively. Sophomore forward Esmery Martinez led WVU on the glass and hauled in 10 rebounds.
Kansas is currently riding a five-game losing streak that dates back to its first matchup against WVU this season. Last time out, KU suffered a 61-52 loss to Texas in Lawrence. Guard Holly Kersgieter once again led the Jayhawks’ scoring attack with 15 points and was the only KU player that finished in double figures. Kersgieter and forward Katrine Jessen tied for the team lead in rebounding, with six boards apiece.
Kersgieter leads Kansas in scoring this season at 15.7 points per game, while freshman forward Ioanna Chatzileonti paces the team in rebounding (7.9) and blocks (1.5). Guard Zakiyah Franklin is KU’s leader in assists (3.5), and guard Aniya Thomas is the team leader in the steals category (1.5)
The Jayhawks are led by coach Brandon Schneider, who is in his sixth season at KU. During his time in Lawrence, Schneider has accumulated a record of 61-106 and has 462 wins during his 23 seasons as a head coach.
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