No. 4 Kansas Rallies From 15 Down to Beat Oklahoma St. 69-67

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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — The final time Kansas wanted to beat a 15-point halftime deficit was on the most important stage in faculty basketball.

The Jayhawks definitely weren’t going to be intimidated by one in Allen Fieldhouse.

With one other raucous residence crowd behind it, the nation’s No. 4 staff rapidly worn out the massive lead Oklahoma State had painstakingly constructed. And when KJ Adams scored the go-ahead basket with 4.8 seconds left, the Jayhawks twice stopped the Cowboys on the different finish to squeak out a 69-67 victory Saturday within the Large 12 opener for each groups.

“There aren’t any 15-point performs,” mentioned Jalen Wilson, who was instrumental in serving to the Jayhawks rally from the identical gap to beat North Carolina for the nationwide title, “so the primary factor was to win each 4 minutes and that’s what we did.”

Wilson completed with 20 factors and Adams had 14 to guide the Jayhawks (12-1), who trailed 45-30 on the break earlier than a 22-5 run worn out the deficit and propelled them to their thirty second consecutive conference-opening win.

“It may have went to twenty actual fast or we may get it all the way down to 10,” Wilson mentioned. “All of us got here collectively, shook off the primary half, understood we’re at residence. Fifteen factors can look like loads but it surely’s not.”

The Cowboys (8-5) didn’t hand over after the comeback, discovering themselves with the lead once more within the closing minutes.

Kansas took it again on Kevin McCullar Jr.‘s 3-pointer with 45 seconds left, and Wilson added two free throws moments later to stretch the result in 67-64. However the Cowboys’ Bryce Thompson, who started his profession at Kansas and matched a profession excessive with 23 factors, drilled his personal 3-pointer with 14.8 seconds left to tie the sport at 67.

The Jayhawks raced up court docket, received the ball to Adams and he made a nifty lay-in to regain the lead.

“We at all times run performs the place I display and roll out actual quick,” Adams mentioned. “It was identical to that.”

Oklahoma State misplaced the ball on the different finish making an attempt to attain in transition, and with 1.1 seconds on the clock, the Cowboys received the inbounds go to Thompson, whose shot was swatted from behind. A last inbounds go was batted away.

Thompson hit seven 3-pointers however handled second-half foul bother for the Cowboys, who’ve misplaced 4 straight and 9 of their final 10 to the Jayhawks. John-Michael Wright additionally had 4 3s and completed with 19 factors.

“We gave ourselves an opportunity proper up there to the tip,” Cowboys coach Mike Boynton mentioned, “however there’s no ethical victories.”

The final instruction Oklahoma State received earlier than tipoff got here on a whiteboard held by a workers member: “Alert The Lob Backdoor.” The Cowboys shut that down and nearly all the things else.

McCullar had three turnovers within the first 5 minutes and 4 within the half. Adams additionally had 4 within the half. And one of many two 3-pointers that Gradey Dick hit was a desperation financial institution excessive off the glass.

Oklahoma State capitalized on the different finish, benefiting from broad open skip passes for their very own simple 3s. Thompson hit 4 of them within the first quarter-hour, and two extra makes an attempt had been midway down earlier than bouncing out. Wright’s fall-away 3 with 1:56 left pressured Kansas to name timeout, and his buzzer-beater gave Oklahoma State a 45-30 halftime lead.

The Cowboys had been 9 of 18 from the arc within the first half. Kansas had 11 turnovers.

Then got here the comeback.

It started when DaJuan Harris Jr. drilled a 3 in entrance of the Kansas bench. It continued with 11 straight factors after Thompson hit one other 3 of his personal. And by the point Wilson hit a 3-pointer with 10:54 to go, the Jayhawks had ridden a 22-5 surge to not solely wipe out their halftime deficit however take their first lead because the opening minutes.

Kansas wasn’t ready to attract away, although. And that arrange a frantic last 10 minutes.

“It’s the very same factor because the nationwide championship,” Jayhawks coach Invoice Self mentioned. “You flip it up, tie it sooner than you ever count on after which it turns into a basketball sport.”

BIG PICTURE

Oklahoma State: The stress of Allen Fieldhouse was evident within the second half. The Cowboys’ first three possessions ended with a missed shot, one other miss because the shot clock sounded and a shot-clock violation. By the point they lastly received their legs underneath them, Kansas had worn out their benefit and made for a tense end.

Kansas: Even in the course of the Jayhawks’ 22-5 second-half run, after they went scoreless on three straight possessions, their protection stored Oklahoma State from regaining momentum. It helped that they solely turned it over as soon as after the break.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma State: Performs No. 24 West Virginia on Monday night time.

Kansas: Heads to Texas Tech on Tuesday night time.