LAWRENCE, Kan. (Interstat) — Jaliya Davis scored 28 points and the Kansas Jayhawks used a dominant second-quarter surge to overcome a fast Cincinnati start, securing an 80-71 victory in a Big 12 Conference women’s basketball game Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.

The game turned decisively in the second period after a back-and-forth opening quarter. Cincinnati, led by the sharp shooting of Mya Perry and Caliyah DeVillasee, built an early lead and held a 21-17 advantage after the first 10 minutes. The Bearcats’ early success was fueled by aggressive offensive rebounding, a theme that would persist throughout the contest.

Kansas, however, responded with a commanding 23-15 second quarter, seizing control with a 14-2 run that spanned the end of the first and start of the second periods. The Jayhawks’ offense found its rhythm, exploiting the interior with efficiency. Davis, a 6-foot-2 sophomore from Overland Park, Kansas, was the catalyst, scoring 11 of her points in the second quarter. Her driving layups and free throws, combined with timely three-pointers from S’Mya Nichols and Elle Evans, stretched the Kansas lead to double digits.

The most important stretch of the game came late in the second quarter as Kansas built its lead to 15 points. After Cincinnati’s Perry hit a three-pointer to cut the deficit to 32-27 with 4:27 left in the half, the Jayhawks closed the quarter on an 8-2 run. Davis capped the surge with a traditional three-point play, giving Kansas a 40-29 halftime lead it would not relinquish. The Jayhawks shot a blistering 64 percent from the field in the first half while holding Cincinnati to 33 percent shooting.

Kansas extended its lead in the third quarter, outscoring Cincinnati 24-17 to take a 64-46 advantage into the final period. The Jayhawks’ offensive execution was precise, posting an offensive rating of 123.1 points per 100 possessions for the game. They shot 55 percent from the field overall and made 8 of 17 from three-point range. Defensively, Kansas protected the rim with eight blocked shots and limited Cincinnati to just 14 points in the paint.

Despite the deficit, Cincinnati refused to fade, mounting a sustained challenge in the fourth quarter. The Bearcats chipped away, using their significant advantage on the offensive glass—they finished with 19 offensive rebounds to Kansas’ five—to create extra possessions. A driving layup by Perry with 4:35 remaining cut the Kansas lead to 70-62, prompting a Jayhawks timeout.

Each time Cincinnati threatened, Kansas had an answer, often from Davis or Nichols. After the Bearcats pulled within eight, Davis drew a foul and made two free throws. Following a Cincinnati turnover, Nichols found Davis for a clutch jump shot to push the lead back to 77-66 with 47 seconds left, effectively sealing the outcome.

Perry led all scorers with 25 points for Cincinnati, while DeVillasee added 18. The Bearcats’ effort on the boards gave them 22 more field goal attempts than Kansas, but they could not overcome poor shooting, finishing 25 of 67 from the field and 6 of 21 from three-point range.

For Kansas, Nichols supported Davis with 16 points and six assists. Lilly Meister contributed 14 points and three blocks, and Evans added 12 points. The Jayhawks were efficient from the free throw line, making 18 of 21 attempts.

The win improved Kansas to 15-10 overall, while Cincinnati fell to 8-16. Kansas will travel to face Texas Tech on Tuesday. Cincinnati returns home to host Arizona on the same night.

The announced attendance at Allen Fieldhouse was 6,171.