Nick KrugWith the clock ticking down to end the first half, freshman Gradey Dick marched up the court with a purpose. Moments after crossing the beak of the Jayhawk logo at midcourt, Dick fired a 3-pointer from well behind the left wing with a pair of Harvard defenders lunging toward him.
The triple splashed through the net. Allen Fieldhouse erupted, and the sequence punctuated KU’s 16-3 run to end the first half. The Jayhawks never looked back after that en route to a 68-54 victory over the Crimson to close out nonconference play on Thursday.
These types of runs have become all-too familiar for Kansas fans, especially inside Allen Fieldhouse. It marked the first time Harvard gave up a 10-0 run or worse this season, per Evan Miya’s analytical website in which he calls such stretches as kill shots. The Jayhawks now have a dozen kill shots on the year, which is tied for eighth in the country.
But this one was especially needed after a cold start to the game on a frigid night in Lawrence. Dick started the stretch with a pair of free throws at the 5:05 mark, but Kansas didn’t actually take the lead until a basket by K.J. Adams Jr. at the 2:40 mark.
Dick, who didn’t score for the first 16 minutes of the game, then buried a triple from the right wing on the very next possession. It marked the team’s first 3-pointer of the contest and came after Kansas started 0-for-9 from long range.
The flood gates opened from there, as MJ Rice came off the bench and provided a spark. He followed up with four points, including lob on an inbounds play against a rare Harvard zone possession.
It looked like Harvard finally stopped the bleeding after a 3-pointer from Chris Ledlum with eight seconds left in the first half, but Dick had other plans. His triple gave Kansas a 32-23 advantage at the break, capping off a decisive 16-3 run over the final five minutes of the first half.
The Jayhawks played from in front for the rest of the night, though the Crimson opened the second half with an 8-0 run and were able to hang around after that. Midway through the second half, Harvard was within four before Dick drilled a huge 3-pointer to create some cushion.
When things got tight again, Jalen Wilson came through with back-to-back baskets to stretch KU’s lead back to nine with over five minutes to play. Wilson, who now has 1,000 points in his career, paced the team with 21 points and was one of four players to finish in double figures. Kevin McCullar Jr. added 14 points, Dick finished with 11, and Adams recorded 10.
Kansas (11-1) has now won five games in a row since losing to Tennessee. Harvard falls to 8-5 on the year, but did cover the 21.5-point spread in a hard-fought loss.
KU will return to action on Dec. 31 for the Big 12 opener against Oklahoma State in Lawrence.
