It’s mid-February and the Jayhawks are headed for the Denver International Airport.

On the phone, sophomore forward Nicollette Smith struggles to put Kansas’ most recent meltdown — a 69-62 loss to Big 12 bottom-dweller Colorado — into words.

“It’s frustrating that these games keep slipping away from us,” Smith said,

Yet, that night in Boulder, when Kansas faded miserably down the stretch, unable to get stops or take care of the ball, serves in hindsight as the moment Kansas’ fortunes began to change.

“That was just a crisis,” coach Bonnie Henrickson said. “It was just terrible and it was a horrible feeling.”

Indeed, the Jayhawks have suffered disappointing — and sometimes painful — losses this season. But few rival the frustration and sheer sting left in the wake of Kansas’ loss at Colorado.

Mudded in their second four-game losing streak in conference play, the Jayhawks finally reached the breaking point. With an NCAA tournament bid all but gone, and an invitation to the WNIT slipping away, Kansas’ players looked inward.

“We weren’t ready to play and I don’t know why,” Henrickson said. “We asked them to look in the mirror. We said you can’t separate and we asked them to come together.”

Sounds easy — in theory. Yet, extended periods of losing expose one of two traits: A team’s perseverance and strengths or, often times, a team’s crumbling weaknesses.

Built on the principles of tough lockdown defense, and behind the remarkable scoring of junior forward Danielle McCray, Kansas flipped its four-game losing streak into four consecutive victories.

Now, with a victory at No. 22 Iowa State on Saturday and with at least one victory in the Big 12 Tournament later this month, Kansas enters the realm of a “bubble” team for the NCAA tournament.

“It makes us look back on the whole season and say ‘Wow,’” McCray said. “’How did we let those games go?’”

In the loss at Colorado on Feb. 18, McCray played one of her worst games of the season. She scored 11 points, made one of seven three-pointers and played just 22 minutes because of foul trouble.

Since then, McCray has been one of the most consistent — and dominant — scorers in the Big 12. In Kansas’ last four games, McCray averaged 27 points, 10.8 rebounds while making 52 percent of her attempts.

“The good thing is she doesn’t force any of her shots. That’s where she really grew and where her true leadership skills have shown,” senior guard Ivana Catic said. “She understands the team depends on her but she understands that she needs to get everyone else involved.”

Added assistant coach Katie O’Connor: “That’s something she really wasn’t looking to do early. She only saw the rim, but she’s more of a complete player.”

In the locker room before Kansas’ 69-45 victory against No. 5 Baylor on Wednesday night, Henrickson voiced the need for individuals to continue stepping up.

As important as McCray’s production has been, just as important is the increased scoring from the rest of the Jayhawks.

That combination has Kansas playing meaningful games late in the season.

“I know you guys are getting tired of hearing me say it but you either get better or you get worse in February,” Henrickson said. “And I think we got better. They can’t get enough credit for hanging in a tough situation.”