Hawking Points: Kansas Rolls Past OSU For First Big 12 Road Win
Given the Kansas Jayhawks’ meltdown in Orlando a week ago and track record in Stillwater, it was understandable for fans to be uneasy ahead of Tuesday night’s matchup with Oklahoma State. Turns out, it was unnecessary as Kansas jumped out to an early lead and never looked back on the way to a 90-66 victory.
Key Plays
For the second straight game, Kansas punched first. Hunter Dickinson took Brandon Garrison to the post and then finished with a left hook. After a Kevin McCullar rebound, Johnny Furphy finished a dunk in transition and then after a steal, Furphy again finished a layup and Oklahoma State had to call a timeout 68 seconds into the game.
The Cowboys cut the lead to 10-6 but then the Jayahwks pulled away. McCullar knocked down a three, KJ Adams showed off his range with a 15-foot jumper and the offense was clinical inside, going on an 8-0 run and 11-2 after a Furphy three made it 28-12. Furphy’s hustle on the offensive boards led to another look from the corner as he splashed a second three to put KU up 17. Furphy had 10 points in the first 11 minutes. Two more Furphy free throws gave him 12 as OSU had 14 as a team.
Furphy took a breather and Adams continued his scoring with a put-back and then a huge alley-oop slam from Dajuan Harris. Another layup gave Adams six straight points and KU a 20-point lead. Oklahoma State quickly scored six straight on a three and three free throws but Dickinson ended the run there. Then Furphy hit his third three in three attempts for 15 points, which tied his career high with 3:20 left in the first half.
Furphy then got a block and passed it ahead to Nick Timberlake who put Bryce Thompson on a poster. Thompson hit a three at the buzzer but still Kansas took a 15-point lead into the half at 48-33.
McCullar opened the second half with four straight points and then Dickinson made two consecutive baskets after Furphy missed his first three of the game. And unlike at UCF, the lead didn’t go anywhere in the second half. In fact, it extended.
Adams continuously bullied the rims and his defenders, throwing down dunks and blocking shots as the lead extended to 22 with 14 to play. Then it was good to see Elmarko Jackson get an offensive board and putback for his first points of the game.
Dickinson reached 21 points before coming out of the game with seven minutes left for Parker Bruan. Harris finished at the rim and McCullar knocked down a smooth jumper to keep the lead at 20 (79-59). Harris scored three more points and then found McCullar for an and-one.
The icing on the cake was a three pointer by Michael Jankovich to give Kansas 90 points for the game.
Eye-Catching Stat Lines
Furphy was the story, but it wasn’t just him. The Jayhawks were lights out on offense and multiple players stepped up. Kansas shot 67.7% from the field in the first half and 4-7 from deep and ended at 61% for the game but went cold in the second half and went just 5-13 from deep for the game. This came after making just 3-15 from three against Oklahoma.
KU also continued its strong shooting from the line, going 13-16.
Four starters finished with 15+ points and all five scored in double figures, led by Dickinson, who finished with a team-high 21 points with seven boards and two assists. Adams (16 points, four rebounds, five assists) and McCullar (18 points, six boards, eight assists) both had complete games, while Furphy finished with 15 points, seven boards, and two assists. Harris also had one of his better scoring games with 11 points, three assists, and three steals.
Areas of Improvement
We knew it wasn’t realistic for Kansas to sustain only turning it over less than five times again, but it got sloppy toward the end of the first half as KU finished with six turnovers at the half and 11 for the game.
Now that Furphy is in the starting lineup, the bench production is again minimal, but if the starters can score like it did tonight, it won’t matter. The question is when KU will need Timberlake and Jackson to put up points.
Takeaways
The Jayhawks needed that one – a start-to-finish dominant victory over a conference opponent that was never in doubt and looked clinical. KU didn’t play down to the competition. It looked more athletic and sound. And with Furphy in the starting lineup, the Jayhawks seem to be clicking at a great time.
