LAWRENCE, Kan. (Interstat) — The Kansas Jayhawks used a dominant third-quarter surge to pull away from the Lamar Lady Cardinals and secure a 65-54 victory in a non-conference women’s basketball game Wednesday night at a sparse Allen Fieldhouse.

In a contest defined by offensive struggles, the Jayhawks improved to 3-0 on the young season, while Lamar remained winless at 0-3.

The game was a tight, low-scoring affair through the first half. Kansas held a narrow 27-23 lead at halftime, with both teams struggling to find any consistent rhythm. The Jayhawks began to create separation in the third quarter, outscoring Lamar 23-9. That period proved to be the decisive stretch, as Lamar’s offense went cold, managing just nine points while Kansas built an 18-point lead.

Lamar mounted a spirited comeback attempt in the final period, outscoring Kansas 22-15, but the deficit from the third quarter was too large to overcome.

Regan Williams led the way for Kansas, recording a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds. S’Mya Nichols was the game’s leading scorer, contributing 15 points and dishing out six assists. Elle Evans provided a key offensive spark from the perimeter, hitting three 3-pointers on her way to 12 points.

For Lamar, Shaila Forman came off the bench to score a team-high 13 points. Jacei Denley added 11 points, and Chisom Oguego was a force on the glass, pulling down nine rebounds in the losing effort.

The statistical story of the game was one of inefficiency. Both teams shot under 45% from the field, with Lamar managing just 30.9% on 17-of-55 shooting. The Lady Cardinals also committed 16 turnovers. Kansas was only slightly more effective, shooting 44.4% and capitalizing on their opportunities at the free-throw line, where they made 21 of 28 attempts. Lamar went 17 of 25 from the charity stripe.

Kansas also won the battle on the boards, out-rebounding Lamar 36-30, and used their size to an advantage with five blocked shots.

The announced attendance was 3,006.

Kansas will next face Missouri in a neutral-site game in Kansas City, Missouri, on Saturday. Lamar returns home to host Texas-Arlington on Sunday.