No. 5 Kansas grabbed a lead right before the break and never relinquished it during the second half en route to a 87-76 road win over Oklahoma State on Tuesday inside Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The result snapped a five-game win streak for the Cowboys, who fell to 16-10 overall and 7-6 in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks (21-5, 9-4 Big 12) have won three in a row, including back-to-back road wins over Oklahoma and Oklahoma State.
While there were still 20 minutes of game time left, the sequence at the end of the first half proved to be pivotal. The Cowboys rushed an offensive possession instead of holding for the last shot, in which John-Michael Wright launched a layup attempt over the backboard with Ernest Udeh Jr. defending him.
It gave the Jayhawks the ball with six seconds remaining, and they certainly made the most of it. Kevin McCullar Jr. found freshman Gradey Dick in the corner before the sharpshooter drilled the 3-pointer in front of the Oklahoma State bench. The Cowboys’ disappointment was evident, as the Jayhawks took a 39-37 lead at halftime.
sneakin’ a GD3 in before the buzzer ???? pic.twitter.com/Py6L4hi3aU
— Kansas Men’s Basketball (@KUHoops) February 15, 2023
Sure, it was just one play. But it honestly came after 20 minutes of everything going against KU.
The Jayhawks only hit one 3-pointer for the first 19-plus minutes of the contest. Udeh, Jalen Wilson, and K.J. Adams Jr. all dealt with foul trouble from the jump, leading to a dominating performance from Oklahoma State big man Kalib Boone. OSU’s Bryce Thompson also shot well against his former team, recording double figures within the first eight minutes.
Despite all that, Kansas found a way to grab a first-half lead on the road. The Jayhawks played from in front for the rest of the night, though it certainly took everything they had. Wilson and Udeh each picked up their third foul within the first 90 seconds of the second half, with the latter player eventually fouling out.
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PHOTO GALLERY: Kansas basketball at Oklahoma State
Box score: Kansas 87, Oklahoma State 76
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Dajuan Harris Jr. suffered an injury midway through the second half, and even recorded one of his team-high nine assists while hobbling up the court on a nice back-cut basket to Dick. The Cowboys also never went away, pushing the visitors until the very end.
Dick’s career-high 26 points certainly didn’t hurt. He went 10-for-17 from the floor, including 4-of-9 from long range. McCullar registered 15 points, but suffered an injury in the closing minutes of the game. Adams added 15 points, while Wilson finished with 14.
With five games left in league play, Kansas is now tied with Baylor and Texas atop the Big 12 standings. KU will play host to the Bears on Saturday inside Allen Fieldhouse.
