LOS ANGELES (AP) — Zakiyah Franklin scored 22 points, including a tying 3-pointer that bounced on the rim and dropped with 12 seconds left in regulation, and Kansas beat Michigan 81-72 in overtime in the first round of the women’s NCAA Tournament on Saturday.
“My coach said you must be living right,” Franklin said, grinning.
Wyvette Mayberry and S’Mya Nichols added 15 points each and Taiyanna Jackson had 14 points and eight rebounds for the eighth-seeded Jayhawks (20-12).
“March is about getting everyone’s best basketball,” Nichols said. “It was exciting, back and forth, not easy.”
The Jayhawks rallied in the fourth quarter, when they outscored the Wolverines 23-14. Then Kansas stepped up its defense and controlled the five-minute extra session, 14-5.
“They never fragmented,” Kansas coach Brandon Schneider said. “They just stayed the course and made some really big plays that were preceded by stop after stop.”
Lauren Hansen’s 3-pointer pulled the Wolverines within 75-72. Franklin missed, but the 6-foot-6 Jackson grabbed the rebound. Nichols scored and drew the foul, extending the Jayhawks’ lead to 78-72.
Franklin stole the ball with 22 seconds left and Nichols got fouled and made both.
The Jayhawks advanced to a second-round game against either No. 1 seed Southern California or 16th-seeded Texas A&M-Corpus Christi.
Cameron Williams scored 18 points to lead ninth-seeded Michigan (20-14). Laila Phelia added 16 points.
“I thought they were by far the best team for three quarters,” Schneider said of Michigan. “Williams in particular did some things to us.”
Williams went to the bench after picking up her third and fourth fouls early in the fourth. Phelia made the first of two free throws for a 58-48 lead.
After Franklin’s tying 3-pointer, Hansen’s potential game-winning 3 missed for Michigan.
“We run this play all the time when it’s late clock,” Franklin said. “We felt we were still having time to play.”
The Jayhawks got within 65-62 on a free throw by Jackson. With Kansas pressuring and the shot clock winding down, Phelia raced in for a layup that extended Michigan’s lead to 67-62.
Jackson scored again and Phelia’s offensive foul turned the ball over with 1:16 to play. But the Jayhawks couldn’t take advantage and Nichols was called for an offensive foul.
Williams scored 10 points in the third when the Wolverines led 53-44.
The Jayhawks had a six-point lead when the Wolverines outscored them 14-5 to go into halftime leading 32-29. Jordan Hobbs and Elissa Brett hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Williams added four points in the spurt.
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AP March Madness bracket: https://apnews.com/hub/ncaa-womens-bracket/ and coverage: https://apnews.com/hub/march-madness
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