LAWRENCE, Kan. - The Cliffs Notes version of the Missouri women’s 75-58 loss to Kansas last night might only need to feature one four-minute span midway through the second half.

Shakara Jones, the Tigers’ main source of early offense, was questionably called for her fourth foul. Kansas intercepted a flimsy pass by Jessra Johnson at the top of the key, then needed even less help moments later as MU’s Marissa Scott and Bailey Gee stood in place watching a Jones pass skip past them for a backcourt violation. And MU was burned on the night’s most improbable play.

With a little over six minutes left, Missouri looked to have forced KU into a shot clock violation. But as the "3 … 2 … 1" countdown from the Allen Fieldhouse crowd reached a crescendo, the Jayhawks’ Nicollette Smith suddenly realized the situation.

The prayer she hurled from two steps beyond the 3-point line swished through the net. The Jayhawks went up 15 and MU Coach Cindy Stein’s face went blank.

"It just seemed like nothing would ever go right," Stein said.

Little did on a night Missouri (9-6, 0-2 Big 12) would like to soon forget.

KU (12-3, 1-1) more than doubling Missouri’s 29.5 shooting percentage was bad enough for the Tigers. But they were also outrebounded 38-28, their bench took - and missed - only two shots and Jones struggled with foul trouble.

"We couldn’t find anything to get rolling in our favor," Stein said. "Our starters weren’t rolling and we didn’t get a lot of play off the bench. Nobody produced tonight."

Jones and senior guard Alyssa Hollins each had 14 points. KU’s Sade Morris led all scorers with 20.

The loss was no doubt a setback for MU, which was riding a wave of confidence after winning eight straight games before playing close last Saturday with No. 3 Texas A&M. And it ratchets up the pressure as Missouri heads into the softest stretch of a brutal conference schedule.

Next up are home games against Nebraska, Colorado and No. 22 Oklahoma State and a visit to No. 20 Iowa State.

"Coming off these losses, those next four games are extremely important," senior guard Alyssa Hollins said. "We’ve got to get our feet up under us and get some wins. We need to get back to doing what we were doing on the win streak. We feel like we can play with anybody."

Just not Kansas last night. The Jayhawks, who were coming off a 72-39 loss to Kansas State, came out strong.

Taking advantage of MU’s early failure to switch off screens, Smith hit three straight open shots beyond the arc as KU built an early lead. Meanwhile, she and Morris locked down MU’s two leading scorers on the other end.

Johnson was 2 for 16 from the field with six points. Hollins was 6 for 17.

Jones, who scored eight of the Tigers’ first 16 points, seemed primed for a big night. But foul trouble and a Tigers offense that rarely continued looking inside as the deficit grew got in the way.

KU shot 58 percent (22 for 38) from the field and 63.6 percent (7 for 11) from 3-point range.

Stein said she was more disappointed than discouraged.

"I really believe in this team," Stein said. "We’re going to be fine. But it’s just so disappointing because the kids were fired up for the game, there was a lot of energy in the locker room and I felt them good about them coming up. We just couldn’t hit shot after shot after shot."

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