A three-pointer from KU freshman Micah Downs with a couple seconds on the clock bounced off the rim and dropped Kansas to (3-4) for the first time since 1971-72.

“We got a good look, we just missed it. Pretty frustrating loss,” KU coach Bill Self said. “Six-of-19 from the free-throw line. We gave them the game. Free throws have cost us two games now. If we make our free throws we probably win this game.”

Freshmen Julian Wright and Brandon Rush each scored 13 points to lead Kansas. KU’s leading scorer Sasha Kaun, who was averaging 14.5 ppg before Tuesday, scored just two points and only took two shots.

St. Joe’s, which suffered a 91-51 at Allen Fieldhouse, outrebounded the Jayhawks 33-to-29.

Scott McClurg/Journal-World Photo

“Last year we had no chance against Kansas,” Saint Joseph’s coach Phil Martelli said. “We got what we deserved last year and we got what we deserved tonight.”

Stachitas, who played all 40 minutes, hit 9-of-12 shots from the field and 6-of-9 from the three-point line.

Kansas jumped out to a 17-4 lead thanks to a 13-0 run and 10 points from freshman Brandon Rush. The Jayhawks hit 6-of-9 three-pointers in the first half — including three triples by Jeff Hawkins.

“We weren’t shocked when we were down 17-4,” Martelli said. “On the board in the locker room it says `Believe in the plan.’ They did.”

But a three at the end of the half by St. Joe’s Dwayne Lee, who added 13 points and seven assists, gave the Hawks a spark as Saint Joseph’s went on a 11-2 run and took its first lead of the game when Abdulai Jalloh hit a wide-open three from the left baseline.

Hear Bill: St. Joseph’s postgame comments Photo Gallery: KU vs. St. Joseph’s

“We lost that game in the final two minutes of the first half,” Self said. “Instead of us having the momentum we gave it to Saint Joseph’s.”

Stachitas, who entered the game hitting 62.5-percent of his three-point attempts, made all four attempts over the final 15 minutes. The senior hit a final free throw with 17 seconds to go to give St. Joe’s its final margin.

“Obviously we did a miserable job on Stachitas. He was great,” Self said. “We just haven’t put it together yet. We’re getting closer but we are always coming up a pass short.”

Second Half Action

St. Joe’s Dwayne Lee hit another long jumper to cut KU’s lead to one, 34-33, in the first minute of the second half.

KU’s C.J. Giles missed two free throws but a rebound by Brandon Rush kept a ball alive and Russell Robinson knocked down a three.

Ahmad Nivins received a no-look pass from Lee and easily scored for St. Joe’s on the other end.

Abdulai Jalloh hit a wide-open three from the left baseline to give St. Joe’s its first lead of the ball game, 38-37.

Lee scored on the Hawks next possession to put St. Joe’s up 40-37 with 17:09 to go.

Robinson played a pass into Giles for a one-handed jam with 16:45 to go to cut KU’s deficit to one.

But St. Joe’s Chet Stachitas hit a jumper off the backboard moments later to secure his squad’s lead.

Nivins hit one of two free throws to extend St. Joe’s run to 11-2 and put the Hawks up 44-39.

Micah Downs hit a guarded three, but Stachitas answered with a trey of his own to make the score 47-42 with under 15 minutes to go.

KU’s Christian Moody missed two free throws as the Jayhawks are just 2-of-9 from the line.

With 13:25 Rush scored his first bucket since early in the game with a three from the left wing to cut KU’s deficit to two.

But once again St. Joe’s answered with a three-pointer when Pat Calathes knocked down his second deep ball of the contest.

KU’s Julian Wright hit a short hook shot to cut the score to 50-47.

A long three didn’t go for Lee and St. Joe’s gave the ball back to KU with a timeout at 11:06 to go.

St. Joe’s stole an inbounds pass but Lee could only hit one of two free throws after getting fouled on a drive to the hoop.

A foul by Wright gave the ball back to St. Joe’s with just over 10 minutes to go.

Wright blocked Calathes’ drive to the hoop then went back the other way with a monster jam to cut KU’s deficit to 51-49.

Stachitas hit two more free throws to give him 17 points and put the Hawks up 53-49 with 9:34 to go.

Mario Chalmers made a nice pass to Giles, who flew in for the dunk and foul. Giles missed the free throw, but Wright rebounded the ball and was fouled by Jalloh, his fourth.

Wright hit both free throws to tie the contest at 53 with 9:22 to go.

Stachitas answered with a three, but Wright flew back the other way for another pretty basket on a reverse lay-up.

But Stachitas came right back and hit his fifth three of the game to put St. Joe’s up 59-55. Stachitas has 23 points.

Giles missed the front end of a one-and-one.

Rob Ferguson added a pair of free throws to extend St. Joe’s lead to its largest of the game at 61-55 with 7:29 to go. The Hawks have hit 12-of-13 from the line.

Mario Chalmers hit his first basket of the night, a three from the right side to cut the Hawks’ lead in half.

Chalmers missed another trey, but a St. Joe’s foul put Wright at the free-throw line. The KU freshman hit both with 6:29 to go to cut the score to 61-60.

Chalmers came up with a steal and laid in the ball to put Kansas back in front with just over six minutes to go.

Jalloh missed the front end of a one-and-one, but KU turned the ball back over.

Lee drove the lane and hooked up Ferguson for an easy lay-in to give St. Joe’s the lead again.

Rush missed two free throws as KU is just 6-of-17 from the line.

Stachitas followed with another three, his sixth, to put St. Joe’s up 66-62 with 4:05 to go.

Sasha Kaun missed both free throws.

Rush missed a three and KU trails 66-62 with under three minutes to go.

Jalloh missed both free throws, but St. Joe’s came up with the rebound.

Chalmers forced a turnover off Stachitas with 1:57 to go, but Giles let a pass go through his hands.

Jalloh hit a guarded jumper from the baseline with 1:14 to go to put St. Joe’s up six.

A drive by Chalmers wouldn’t go, neither would a tip from Wright. But KU got the ball back as St. Joe’s lost the rebound out of bounds with 44.6 seconds to go.

With 34.5 to go Chalmers hit a runner in the lane to cut St. Joe’s lead to 68-64.

Lee made just one free throw with 32.9 seconds to go for the 69-64 lead.

With 21.4 to play Robinson hit a three to cut the lead to 69-67.

Stachitas hit one free throw to give St. Joe’s a three-point lead with 17.6 to go.

Micah Downs missed a three pointer in the final seconds and St. Joe’s escaped with a 70-67 victory.

Halftime

Kansas jumped out to a 17-4 lead thanks to a 13-0 run and 10 points from freshman Brandon Rush. The Jayhawks have shot 50-perecent from the field — and have 6-of-9 from three-point range (including three triples by Jeff Hawkins).

St. Joe’s, which shot 39.3-percent, was led by Chet Stachitas’ 10 points, while Dwayne Lee added seven for the Hawks which ended the half with an 8-0 run.

KU outrebounded St. Joe’s 15-to-13 in the first 20 minutes.

First Half Action

Kansas won the tip but a shot by C.J. Giles crawled off the side of the rim.

St. Joe’s Dave Mallon missed a shot on a drive to the basket and a ball went out of bounds back to KU.

This time Giles converted a shot in the lane putting KU on the board first with 18:36 to go.

Brandon Rush knocked down a midrange jumper to give KU a 4-0 lead on the Jayhawks next trip down the floor.

Hawks’ leading scorer Chet Stachitas hit a jumper to cut the game to 4-2.

Center Dave Mallon followed with a hoop to tie the game at 4-all.

Sasha Kaun countered with a basket in the lane, but missed a free throw to put KU up 6-4 with 16:36 to go.

Rush hit a long three from the top of the key for the 9-4 advantage.

Jeff Hawkins followed Rush’s lead with another triple to extend KU’s 8-0 run with just under 15 minutes left.

Rush picked off a St. Joe’s pass and took it the other way for a stuff.

Rush followed that up with his second three-pointer of the game to put KU up 17-4.

St. Joe’s Ahmad Nivins ended KU’s 13-0 run and five-minute scoreless drought with a putback dunk and free throw at the 11:44 mark.

Mario Chalmers couldn’t get KU a shot on its next possession as the shot clock expired and coach Bill Self put Jeff Hawkins back in.

Nivins went back to the line and hit a pair of free throws to make the score 17-9 with 10:44 to go.

Kansas senior Christian Moody came back and answered with a left-handed shot off the backboard.

St. Joe’s Dwayne Lee stole the ball, but a KU block thwarted the uncontested lay-up. However, Stachitas was there for the follow.

New York native Russell Robinson hit his first basket off a tough runner to make the score 21-11.

But Stachitas followed with a three from the right side, and big man Dave Mallon hit a midrange jumper to cut KU’s lead to five.

Lee took a step in from the three-point line to hit another jumper from St. Joe’s.

KU freshman Micah Downs drilled a three-pointer from the right wing to put KU back ahead 24-18 with 7:19 to go.

Hawkins hit his second three of the game with 5:39 to go to give KU a 27-18 advantage.

Lee came up with another easy steal and converted the break-away lay-up.

But Hawkins drilled another three, from the left baseline to put KU back up by double figures.

C.J. Giles, who is 1-of-5 from the field, knocked down a free throw to pu KU up 31-20 with just over four minutes remaining in the half.

Wright, who is playing alongside KU’s other three freshmen, hit a free throw for the 32-20 lead with 2:24 to go.

Pat Calathes knocked down back-to-back threes to cut the lead to 34-26.

Rob Ferguson hit two free throws with 52.8 to go in the half to bring St. Joe’s back to within 34-28.

St. Joe’s ended the half with an 8-0 run — including a long three by Lee as time expired to cut KU’s lead to 34-31.

Kansas, wearing its road blue uniforms, started forwards Sasha Kaun, C.J. Giles, Brandon Rush and guards Jeff Hawkins and Russell Robinson.

St. Joe’s countered with forwards Chet Stachitas and Rob Ferguson, center Dave Mallon and guards Pat Calathes and Dwayne Lee.