Lincoln - After scoring just 41 points in Wednesday's loss at Missouri, the Nebraska women's basketball team capitalized on a quick start and a solid defensive effort to down Kansas, 73-59, in front of a season-best crowd of 4,577 at the Bob Devaney Sports Center on Jan. 19.
Pressing and fast breaking at every opportunity, the Huskers scored 11 of the game's first 13 points and never looked back, improving to 12-7 on the year and 2-4 in the Big 12. Nebraska's overall win total matches its season total for last year.
Nebraska forced 18 Kansas turnovers and converted them into 19 points, as the Huskers won their sixth straight game against the Jayhawks. NU held the Jayhawks to just 38 percent shooting, including 32 percent in the decisive first half.
Freshman forward Katie Robinette spearheaded the defensive effort, recording a career-high five steals, while totaling 12 points and seven rebounds. Shannon Howell and Stephanie Jones also finished in double figures for the Huskers, scoring 18 and 10 points, respectively. A 5-10 sophomore guard, Howell was 7-of-14 from the floor, including a pair of three-pointers, as she tied her career high set against Kansas last season.
The Huskers established the pace throughout the contest, trailing only once, 2-0, and leading by as many as 27 in the second half. Leading 22-14, NU took control of the contest with a 16-2 spurt, as Robinette scored five of her nine first-half points, staking the Huskers to a 20-point halftime lead, as NU won for the eighth time in the last nine meetings with KU.
Keasha Cannon also gave the Huskers a big lift, nearly recording a double-double with 11 rebounds, seven assists and six points in 27 minutes of action. As a team, NU had 19 assists and committed only 14 turnovers, while outrebounding KU, 41-40, including a 23-15 advantage in the first half.
Without Kristin Geoffrey and Nikki White, who combined for a perfect 7-of-7 from the floor, the rest of the Jayhawks shot a combined 1-for-17 from the field before halftime.
Kansas, which was held to a school-record low 35 points in their loss to Colorado Wednesday, made the final score respectable, using a 17-2 run to trim a 63-36 Husker lead to 65-53 with 4:19 remaining, but never cut the Husker advantage to single digits in the second half.
KC Hilgenkamp led three Jayhawks in double figures, scoring 15 points, including 11 points in the second half. Keila Beachem added a career-high 14 points, while White finished with 10 points and seven rebounds for KU, which dropped to 5-14 overall and remained winless in six Big 12 contests.