Crystal Kemp, junior forward, grabs hold of the ball as she blocks out Missouri’s EeTisha Riddle during the first game of the Big 12 Women’s Tournament in Kansas City, Mo., yesterday. Kemp finished the game with a career-high 27 points, but the Jayhawks fell to the Tigers with a final score of 62-57.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Crystal Kemp and Erica Hallman did everything they could to win, but the rest of the Jayhawks just couldn’t get it done.

Kemp scored a career-high 27 points and pulled down 11 rebounds, while Hallman added 19 points and five assists in the Jayhawks’ 62-57 loss to the Missouri Tigers in the opening round of the Big 12 Conference women’s basketball tournament yesterday.

“I did have a career high, but we fell short of the victory,” Kemp, junior forward, said. “I’d rather have two points and a win than 35 points and a loss.”

Combined, Kemp and Hallman, junior guard, were 19-for-33 from the field. The rest of the Jayhawks were just 5-for-31. Only four Jayhawks scored in the loss. Senior guard Aquanita Burras scored eight points and grabbed five rebounds in 39 minutes of action.

The Jayhawks shot 51 percent from the field in the first half but managed only 25 percent in the second half.

The Jayhawks trailed by four with 13:26 to play in the game when Hallman found Kemp for a layup. Kemp was fouled on the play and hit a free throw to cut the deficit to one. On the ensuing Missouri possession, Kemp blocked a shot by Missouri junior center Christelle N’Garsanet and found Hallman, who hit a running layup and was again fouled, giving the Jayhawks the 44-43 lead.

The teams traded baskets for the next few minutes with the lead changing hands. After Hallman hit a three-point shot with just under 7 minutes remaining, the Jayhawks led 55-51, their biggest lead of the second half.

When N’Garsanet hit a jumper to cut the Jayhawk lead to two with 6:20 to go, both teams suddenly didn’t score. Kansas missed its next nine shots, but didn’t fall behind as the Tigers committed four straight turnovers.

Missouri junior guard LaToya Bond, who finished with 12 points, drove the lane and scored on a layup to tie the game at 55 with 2:39 to play. No one scored until Hallman was called for fouling Bond with 54 seconds remaining. Bond hit both free throws, giving the Tigers the lead.

Hallman drove to the hoop on the Jayhawks’ next possession, but her floater rimmed out. Carlynn Savant, Missouri sophomore forward, grabbed the rebound and was fouled by Kansas freshman forward Taylor McIntosh.

Savant hit both free throws to extend the lead to 59-55. The Jayhawks pushed the ball up the floor and Hallman heaved a half-court pass to Kemp, who scored the Jayhawks’ first basket in more than 6 minutes, cutting the deficit to two with 20 seconds to play.

After Savant was fouled and made one of two free throws, the Jayhawks had an opportunity to tie it with a three-point shot. Instead of going for the tie, Hallman drove the lane and her short jumper hit the rim and missed.

“We wanted to go for a two for one,” Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “If we don’t make the three, and then have to foul, it’s back to a two-possession game. Also, we would have ran 10 or 12 seconds off of the clock, setting up a play for a three-pointer.”

EeTisha Riddle, sophomore forward, hit two free throws to secure the victory for Missouri.

The Jayhawks finished the season at 12-16. Seniors Burras and Blair Waltz played their last game as Jayhawks last night.

Edited by Kim Sweet Rubenstein