Senior night was extra special for veteran Kansas guard Zakiyah Franklin, who scored a career-high 31 points and helped KU survive, 98-93, against No. 23 Iowa State on Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Cyclones came within two points of Kansas with 19 seconds remaining, but the Jayhawks managed to hang on for the win.
“She was damn good. Damn good,” head coach Brandon Schneider said of Franklin. “Dynamic, electric, aggressive. That was a performance against a really good defensive team.”
It wasn’t just the seniors driving the offense for KU, as junior guard Wyvette Mayberry started red hot from the floor. She shot a perfect 4-of-4 in the first quarter, hitting all three of her attempts from behind the arc, and she led KU’s blistering offense with 12 points in the first frame.
With the help of Mayberry, Kansas converted 5 of 7 attempts from deep in the first quarter — a 71% shooting rate — while the Cyclones shot 37% from 3.
Senior guard Ashley Joens was held to just one made field goal in the quarter, and the Jayhawks took a 26-19 lead.
Kansas seemingly couldn’t miss to open the second quarter, making 5 of 7 shots in the opening four minutes of play. Iowa State was forced to take a timeout after the Jayhawks extended their lead to 13 points.
The Cyclones quickly responded with a 14-4 scoring run of their own with the help of redshirt freshman guard Denae Fritz. She nailed two 3-pointers and two free throws to help ISU close the deficit to within three points.
But Franklin nailed a buzzer-beating layup to end the first half, putting the Jayhawks up 48-43. Franklin converted all five of her shots from the floor in the second quarter and racked up 17 points in the first half. Mayberry matched that total. The highest scorer for the Cyclones in the first half was Joens, with 15 points. She made just three baskets but shot a perfect 8-of-8 from the free throw line.
In the third period, it was senior center Taiyanna Jackson’s turn to lead the Jayhawks. She made her presence felt at the rim, adding nine points, four rebounds and a block. KU also continued its success from downtown, converting 3 of 5 attempts from behind the 3-point line.
Although Iowa State shot the ball at a 54% clip in this quarter, the Jayhawks managed to add to their lead, and they were up 72-62 headed into the final period.
Freshman forward Zsófia Telegdy controlled the offense to open the fourth quarter. She scored a quick seven points in just the opening 2:30, but the Cyclones responded with a furious 15-4 scoring run of their own to cut the deficit to just six points with three minutes remaining in the game.
Iowa State fought until the final buzzer, but the 53 combined points from Mayberry and Franklin were too much to overcome. It was KU’s first win over the Cyclones during Schneider’s tenure.
After the game, Franklin said her big night “meant a lot.”
“There were a lot of emotions to begin the game, but honestly, I was just locked in on just trying to get the win,” Franklin said.
KU also took time to honor senior guard Holly Kersgieter and senior center Chisom Ajekwu before Wednesday’s game. Both of them have played for Kansas all four years of their collegiate careers.
Kansas improves to 18-10 (8-9 in the Big 12), while Iowa State falls to 18-9 (10-7 Big 12). The Jayhawks will close out their regular season on the road against TCU at 1 p.m. Saturday.
Photo courtesy of Kansas Athletics
