Kansas Claims Lone Spot Atop Big 12 With 62-60 Win Over Iowa State

The Jayhawks pulled out a late victory on the day the program celebrated 125 years of basketball.

With Hall of Famers and Kansas basketball royalty in the house to celebrate 125 years of Kansas basketball and the winningest program in history, the Jayhawks gave them another win to cheer for inside Allen Fieldhouse. And with TCU’s take down of Kansas State just two hours earlier, Kansas’ 62-60 win over Iowa State Saturday put the Jayhawks alone in first place in the Big 12 at 5-0.

The Jayhawks’ defense was much better to start the game against Iowa State than it was Tuesday against Oklahoma. ISU started the game on a 5-0 run, but Kansas then answered with 12 straight points of its own. Who else but KJ Adams got KU’s first points, Kevin McCullar took a steal coast-to-coast, and then Jalen Wilson got in on the action with a turnaround from the block. And after missing his first two threes, Adams found Dick in the corner for a swish and it was soon 12-5.

Dick hit a floater and then his second three of the half for a team-high nine points in the first 20 minutes. But he was the only Jayhawks who could hit a shot from outside. Despite shooting 50% from the field in the first half, KU was just 2-11 from three. Instead, Wilson went to work in the paint and at the free-throw line. Wilson hit four of five from the charity stripe, and Bobby Pettiford found Wilson for an incredible and-one finish.

Joseph Yesufu found Zach Clemence for a wide-open layup to extend Kansas’ lead to 27-20 with 2:43 left in the half. But then it was all Iowa State. The Cyclones rattled off eight straight points – including two threes – and looked like they were going to go into the half up one (despite Kansas being the better team for much of the early going) but Adams was able to muscle his way in for a layup to send KU to the locker room up 29-28.

ISU got the first points of the second half, but two Adams free-throws and some beautiful perimeter passing ending in a Wilson three pushed KU back up by four. But turnovers by the Jayhawks and ISU getting points in the paint led to a number of back-and-forth lead changes.

Gabe Kalscheur went on an individual 5-0 run to give Iowa State a three-point lead, but Dick erased it with one stroke. Then after Demarion Watson knocked down a wide-open corner three, it was again Dick to tie the game with a three of his own – his fourth of the game to give him 17 points with 11:16 left in the game and the score tied at 44.

Again the Cyclones got up by three and again Kansas answered. Harris dropped it off to Adams for a dunk and then, guess who? Gradey Dick hit his fifth three of the night (and 21st point) to put Kansas up two. Kalscheur looked content to match him the best he could, putting ISU up one. But back-to-back turnovers by the Cyclones and a Wilson three gave Kansas a 55-53 lead with 4:36 left. Except his toe was ruled on the line and the two made it 54-53.

Another ISU turnover gave Kansas the ball back and Adams found McCullar, who was fouled and hit both to make it 56-53. Osun Osunniyi – who was dominant late – answered with a jumper to cut it to one and a Dick miss gave ISU the ball back and he hit a layup to give ISU the lead.

Wilson hit one of two free-throws to tie it at 57. On a sporadic play with the ball on the ground and the shot clock counting down to zero, Wilson picked it up and knocked down a 10-footer to give Kansas the lead. After a missed ISU three, two big offensive boards and passes led to Osunniyi fouling out and Adams going to the line. He missed the first but nailed the second to make it 60-57 with 1:01 left.

Kalscheur wasn’t done, hitting his fourth three to tie it, his 23rd point of the game. Kansas had the ball back with 30 seconds left and 22 on the shot clock. It was fitting that after giving KU the lead at the half, Adams took it himself to the block and finished off the glass with 11.7 seconds left to put Kansas up two. Amazing ball defense by Bobby Pettiford and Dajuan Harris led to a forced, off-balance three by Caleb Grill that missed and Kansas hung on for the win.

Dick’s 21 points was a team high, and he also added five boards, two assists, and two steals. Wilson recorded a 16-point, 11-rebound double-double and Adams chipped in 15 points, six rebounds, two assists, a block, and a steal. Harris didn’t score, but was impactful in plenty of ways. The point guard had six assists, three rebounds, a steal, and two blocks.

Next up for Kansas is a huge in-state showdown against Kansas State in Manhattan Tuesday. 

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