For the third year in a row, the second-ranked Kansas Jayhawks defeated their biggest rival with a 73-64 win over the Missouri Tigers on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse. The latest edition of the Border Showdown was arguably the most competitive since this rivalry was renewed, though that’s not saying much, as Kansas improved to 9-1 on the year.
Despite the raucous crowd in Lawrence, Missouri (7-3) actually took control of the game out of the gates and led by as many as nine in the first half. But Kansas put its stamp on the game with a 20-2 run to end the first half, grabbing a 12-point lead at the break.
The Jayhawks gave the crowd plenty to cheer for in the closing moments of the first half — just before Thomas Robinson, who had one of the biggest highlights in the history of this rivalry with his game-clinching block in 2012, got his jersey hung up in the rafters. KU closed the first period on a 11-0 run.
Freshman guard Elmarko Jackson got it all started with a four-point play, nailing a 3-pointer from the corner in front of the Missouri bench and earning the foul. Kevin McCullar Jr. followed that up with a triple from the other corner.
After baskets by Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams Jr., McCullar capped off the decisive run with a 3-point attempt in the corner at the buzzer. He was fouled, and promptly hit all three free throws to give the Jayhawks a 41-29 lead at the intermission. The Tigers didn’t score a single point during the final 4:26 to end the first half.
KU’s defense then helped put the game away for good in the second half, highlighted by an emphatic block from Adams in transition at the 13:50 mark. It might not have been of the same magnitude as Robinson’s block, but Adams’ powerful swat will certainly go down as the defining moment in this game.
Missouri eventually cut the deficit to eight points in the closing minutes, but the score never got closer than that.
McCullar and Adams each led the Jayhawks with 17 points in the win. Hunter Dickinson recorded 13 points and 16 rebounds for a double-double. Jackson joined them in double figures with 11 points.
Kansas will travel to Indiana next Saturday. Tipoff is slated for 11:30 a.m.
