Maupin and Freelon help Texas Tech women hold off Kansas 57-53 in Big 12 Championship first round

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) — Bailey Maupin scored 12 points, Kilah Freelon scored eight of her nine points in the fourth quarter and No. 14 seed Texas Tech beat 11th-seeded Kansas 57-53 on Wednesday night in a Big 12 Championship first-round game.

Texas Tech (16-16) will move on to face No. 6 seed Utah in the second round on Thursday.

Kansas trailed by 11 points midway through the third quarter but used a 15-3 run to take a 46-45 lead with 5:14 remaining in the fourth. Brittany Harshaw hit two 3s and scored eight points during the stretch. Freelon scored the next four points and Maupin added a free throw to give Texas Tech a 51-46 lead with 1:05 to play.

Laia Conesa’s 3-pointer with 13 seconds left pulled the Jayhawks to 55-53 before Maupin added two more free throws to seal it. Freelon and Maupin combined for 13 of the Red Raiders’ 15 fourth-quarter points while Harshaw finished with eight of the Jayhawks’ 18 points.

Denae Fritz and Jasmine Shavers added 11 points apiece for Texas Tech. Maupin shot 2 of 10 from the floor that included a 3-pointer and was 7 of 9 from the free-throw line.

Harshaw scored 15 points to lead Kansas (16-14). Regan Williams added 13 points and Conesa finished with 12.

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