Late Run Sparks Kansas Comeback Over Oklahoma 79-75
There are no layups in the Big 12, and Kansas took that to heart against Oklahoma. The Jayhawks started 1-8 on layups and struggled to hit anything in the first half. That was exacerbated in the second half, but KU ends the game on an 18-4 run to win 79-75.
It was all Dajuan Harris and KJ Adams offensively to start the game. The duo scored KU’s first eight points while everyone else missed shot after shot. The Jayhawks were 3-12 from the floor to start the game and couldn’t get anything going. Then came Zach Clemence as the first big off the bench.
Clemence had only one field goal on the season coming in, and that was against West Virginia on Saturday. But he saved the Jayhawks defensively against Tanner Groves last year in Allen Fieldhouse and this time, his shot started fouling. After hitting a layup to give KU a 12-10 lead, OU went on a 7-0 run, but he followed a Gradey Dick three with one of his own before hitting another to give KU a 21-19 lead.
However, Clemence would pick up two early fouls and it was once again Harris and Adams doing the work offensively. Within a span of four possessions, Harris found Adams for a layup, Adams hit two free throws, and then Harris once again connected with Adams on an alley-oop layup on a fast break. Adams had 10 points – and two massive blocks – in the first half while Harris chipped in six and two assists.
It was needed, as Jalen Wilson didn’t score his first points until 2:30 left in the half and he and Dick combined for just five points in the first 20 minutes. Meanwhile, OU’s Grant Sherfield and Sam Godwin both had 10 in the first half. Despite the struggles and poor defensive performance by the Jayhawks, KU took a 36-34 lead into halftime.
Adams wasted no time going right back to work in the second half. Dick hit Adams rolling off a pick for an and-one on the first possession. Then Adams went coast-to-coast for his 15th point after an OU turnover. An abundance of foul calls against OU and a technical on Sherfield let KU stretch out to a 47-40 lead, but OU continued to claw back with points in the paint.
Oklahoma would go on a 10-1 run as the game got out of control with foul call after foul call. Bill Self picked up a technical and the Sooners continued to get to the line to take a 50-48 lead. The Jayhawks were living and surviving from the line, scoring 12 straight from the charity stripe to keep the OU lead at one (56-55).
With 9:15 to go, it had been nearly nine minutes without a field goal for the Jayhawks and Oklahoma was hitting wild layups on the way to a 61-56 lead. Wilson and Clemence couldn’t tip in their misses, Clemence missed a post up hook, and Dick couldn’t finish as KU missed 11 shots in a row as Dick went to the free-throw line with seven minutes left.
Finally Adams got a dunk on a driving dish from Harris with five minutes left after OU stretched the lead to 10. Then Wilson hit a three and the lead was suddenly 71-66 Oklahoma with 4:15 left. After a stop on defense, Harris hit another runner to cut the lead to three as part of a 7-0 run. But after a Harris miss, no one got back and Dick was forced to commit a goaltend. McCullar found Adams for his 20th point (career high) with 1:38 left and KU trailing 73-70.
Great defense by Wilson and a rebound by Dick led to Harris again finding ADams and KU was down just one with a minute left. Groves missed a three and Dick with another big rebound. McCullar then took it all the way to the basket, finished the layup, and got the and-one. In the blink of an eye, Kansas was up 75-73.
Oklahoma was clearly rattled and Sherfield airballed the next possession, giving KU the ball with 21 seconds left. The Sooners were forced to foul Wilson, who hit both to extend the lead to 77-73. It was a 16-2 Kansas run before Adams fouled Tanner Groves with 13.8 seconds left and he hit both.
Then it was Harris’ turn at the line – a place both teams spent a ton of time in the second half – and he hit both. A desperation three missed for OU and Kansas ran out the clock.
Kansas went to the line 39 times, hitting 31, while shooting just 37% from the field. Adams finished with a team-high 22 points and six rebounds. Wilson hit 10 free throws on the way to 17 points, Harris scored 11 with five assists, and Clemence was the only other Jayhawk in double figures. Oklahoma shot nearly 47% from the field but made just two of 17 from three.
The Jayhawks will remain home this weekend in a matchup of 4-0 Big 12 teams when Iowa State comes to Lawrence.
