Hawking Points: Kansas Erupts in Second Half for Key Road Win
The Kansas Jayhawks were in a rare position of late being the healthier team. Kevin McCullar returned to the lineup while Rivaldo Soares and John Hugley were out for the Oklahoma Sooners.
Key Plays
McCullar made his presence felt early, scoring the first points of the game on a drive that was goaltended, though that was later taken away. Then Furphy knocked down a three for what would officially be the first points of the game. It was ugly early offensively as KU led 5-4 at the first media timeout.
Milos Uzan got hot from three and gave OU an 8-5 lead. A Furphy miss led to OU points in the paint to get up five before Hunter Dickinson got his first points to stop the run. It didn’t last long as Jalon Moore drained a corner three. McCullar and Dickinson put together back-to-back baskets to trim the lead to two as OU missed three of four from the line early.
Kansas was called for five fouls in the first nine minutes while OU wasn’t called for a single one. Meanwhile, four potential KU points were wiped off the board in that time. Still OU led by just four. Furphy answered with his second three to cut it to one halfway through the first. Every time KU tried to take the lead, OU answered with a three. Another three, this one by Javion McCollum put the Sooners up seven, 23-16. OU started 4-7 from three.
KU players not named Johnny Fuprhy started 0-8 from three while OU continued its hot shooting. McCollum knocked down his second to give Oklahoma a 10-point lead as it was 5-8 from three. After four minutes without a field goal, McCullar hit his first three of the game. It didn’t matter because OU made its sixth three in 10 tries. A seventh three put OU up 11. Jamari McDowell made a rare strong play from a bench player, grabbing an offensive rebound and putting it back up for two. Kansas got a stop and Dickinson finished down low to make it seven with 55 seconds to play in the half. OU traveled and Dickinson hit his 10th point. Oklahoma had the final shot of the half and missed it. The Sooners led 34-29 at the break.
Dickinson scored the first points of the second half. OU answered with McCollum’s third three, but then McCullar drew a foul to give KU its first free throws, though he missed both. Luckily for KU, the rebound went out of bounds off Oklahoma and Adams drew a foul. But Adams only made one. Adams made up for it, stealing the ball and slamming home a transition dunk on the next possession. KU couldn’t make a jumper but another Adams steal led to Harris finding Furphy for a dunk in transition. KU trailed 39-36.
OU turned the ball over and McCullar finished inside to cut the lead to one as KU’s defense really ramped up. Adams was fouled again but only made one to tie the game at 39. Kansas refused to take the lead – missing free throws and shots for minutes – while only going as far as tying the game. OU drew an and-one to go up three and then Harris answered with his first triple. KU got a stop and Adams found McCullar for a corner three with nine to play, giving the Jayhawks their first lead since 5-4. On the next possession, McCullar picked up his fourth foul. After an Adams floater, Furphy hit his third three, giving KU a 54-48 lead.
Harris scored four straight points (his 11th of the game) and extended KU’s lead to 10 with 5:57 left. OU cut it to seven but Dickinson wasn't having any of that as the Sooners couldn't hit a three and Dickinson dominated the post.
Eye-Catching Stat Lines
Kansas shot just 41% from the field and 25% from three in the first half while not getting to the line a single time. Meanwhile, OU was just 43% from the field but 58.3% from three but just 3-8 from the line. That shifted majority in the second half as OU only shot 32% from the field for the game and 36.4% from three.
Furphy did everything for the Jayhawks in Norman. The freshman ended with 15 points and nine rebounds, and also had three steals. Dickinson was good as well, recording a 20-point, 16-rebound double-double and four assists, but also four turnovers. Adams was held scoreless with foul trouble in the first half but ended with nine points.
McCullar wasn’t efficient in his first game back, shooting just 4-14, but did contribute 10 points and eight rebounds. Harris was also great, scoring 11 points and dishing out seven assists to zero turnovers.
Areas of Improvement
It was against Oklahoma in Lawrence where Kansas turned it over just two times the entire game. And the Sooners are the worst in the conference in forcing turnovers. But still KU turned it over seven times in the first half and 10 for the game.
Kansas has to be more aggressive inside and getting to the line. Not taking a single free throw in a half is leaving a huge opportunity for offensive efficiency on the floor. Then the problem was Kansas wasn’t making them. The Jayhawks made just three of its first seven from the charity stripe and ended 9-18.
Takeaways
It wasn’t pretty for 30 minutes, but it was just Kansas’ second road win in the 2024 calendar year, so you absolutely take what you can get. McCullar was not 100% and it showed, but Furphy carried the team in the first half and Harris and Adams stepped up huge in the second half to turn a five-point deficit into a decisive victory. And now KU has a week break before hosting Texas.
