No. 4-ranked Kansas erases 15-point halftime deficit, trips OSU in Big 12 opener, 69-67
It took a monumental comeback Saturday for No. 4-ranked Kansas to extend its win streak in conference openers to 32 games.
Jalen Wilson scored 20 points and KJ Adams 14 (including the game-winning bucket with six seconds left) as the Jayhawks rallied from a 15-point halftime deficit to beat the unranked Oklahoma State Cowboys 69-67 at Allen Fieldhouse.
Kevin McCullar contributed seven points and blocked Bryce Thompson’s possible overtime-inducing layup with three-tenths of second to play as KU won its 32nd consecutive conference opener dating to the 1991-92 season.
Thirteen of those league-opening wins have been in the fieldhouse, 19 on the road.
Former KU guard Thompson hit six threes and scored 23 points and John-Michael Wright scored 19 for OSU. They both had 14 points apiece at halftime as OSU led 45-30.
OSU went 9-of-18 from three-point range in the first half to KU’s 4-of-6.
Wilson had 10 points the first half, but McCullar had and Harris had none and Adams just three.
Self used 11 players in the first half, trying to no avail to find some sort of spark.
Thompson hit three early three pointers and the Cowboys led 21-13 with 9:14 left in the first half. John-Michael Wright had six points in that stretch. Thompson added a fourth three and OSU led 26-18 at 5:41.
Gradey Dick followed with a crazy three from the side that hit the backboard and went in, cutting the deficit to five (26-21) at 5:27.
Chris Harris banked in a three of his own to make it 32-23 at 3:01. Wright’s three beat the halftime buzzer to give OSU its 45-30 halftime lead.
KU cut the gap to 10 points at 45-35 less than a minute into the second half, but Dick and Wilson missed threes. Thompson hit his fifth three of the game, Wilson answered, and it was 48-38 at 15:45.
After a bucket by Adams and three by Harris, it was 48-43 at 14:26.
KU cut the gap to 50-48 on a Wilson bucket at 12:51. After Harris had his shot rejected by Tyreek Smith, McCullar was fouled with a chance to tie the game with 11:55 left. He made one of two free throws to cut it to 50-49.
Wilson connected on a three to give KU a 52-50 lead at 10:57.
KU led 55-52 at 8:19 on a bucket and foul shot by Adams. But it was 55-55 at 6:38.
The Jayhawks erased a 57-55 deficit on a Yesufu three at 5:55. After an Adams dunk off a pass from Wilson, KU led 60-57 at 4:17.
OSU’s Wright hit two free throws at 3:54. After an Adams basket, OSU’s Anderson scored and it was 62-61 at 2:41. Dick missed a three at 2:11. Ex-Jayhawk Thompson followed with a three and OSU led 64-62 at 1:51.
McCullar put KU on top 65-64 by hitting a three from the corner with 49 seconds remaining, and Adams scored an inside bucket to bust a 67-67 tie with just six seconds to go.
On OSU’s final possession, the ball was whacked out of bounds with under a second left. After some time was added back to the clock, McCullar blocked Thompson’s driving layup with three-tenths of a second remaining.
OSU’s subsequent inbounds play was tipped to end the game.
This story was originally published December 31, 2022 at 3:43 PM.
