Win or lose, Colorado’s Brittany Spears almost always impacts the game.

The sophomore forward ranks third in the Big 12 with 18.2 points per game, and she’s only scored fewer than 11 points once this season.

Photo Gallery

Kansas Women's Basketball vs. Colorado

A photo gallery of the Jayhawks 65-54 win over Colorado Wednesday night.

However, not since that disastrous Nov. outing at No. 17 Virginia has Spears been such a non-factor as she was against Kansas.

In that game, she scored just four points in 19 minutes. Wednesday night she didn’t score a field goal until seven minutes into the second half and turned the ball over five times.

Asked what was the key to silencing Colorado’s weapon, Kansas coach Bonnie Henrickson immediately answered Sade Morris.

“I think it’s as good a defensive performance as she’s had since the Iowa game,” Henrickson said. “I was proud of Sade for stepping up to that challenge and really single-handedly slowing her down.”

In just her second game back from a concussion, Morris played 33 minutes and shadowed Spears throughout the game.

Spears shot 0-of-7 in the first half and Morris’ defensive intensity rubbed off on the rest of the Jayhawks.

“When you know someone’s working hard on defense then it makes you want to work even harder just to reward her,” junior forward Danielle McCray said.

“Once one person is on fire defensively then it gets the whole team excited,” sophomore forward Nicollette Smith said.

As a team, Kansas forced 21 turnovers and held Colorado to 45 percent shooting.

In addition to Morris’ stingy defense, Henrickson commended Nicollette on her ability to contain Buffs guard Bianca Smith.

Bianca hit 7-of-10 behind the three-point line in Saturday’s 75-73 victory over Nebraska. Against Kansas she was 2-for-9 and drained just one three-pointer.

“The most important thing was for her to not get off threes,” Nicollette said. “All week that’s been an emphasis, just to keep a high hand and if anything make her put it on the ground.”

Once Kansas overcame its zombie-like start to the game its defensive gameplan went to script.

Spears eventually broke through to score 10 points, but that’s still her second-lowest total of the season and those buckets came in garbage time at the end.

Morris said that her one job in Wednesday’s game was to frustrate Spears and let her teammates feed off it. That’s exactly what happened.

“Sade is a special person and that defensive intensity is what she brings to our team,” McCray said.

— Edited by Carly Halvorson