Kansas Puts the Boom on Sooners With 78-55 Road Win

A slow start was erased thanks to a bounce-back game from Jalen Wilson and breakout performance by Ernest Udeh.

Another early tip on the road, another lackadaisical start for Kansas. But Ernest Udeh would have something to say about that. By the end, Kansas had brought the boom to the Sooners with a 78-55 win.

Oklahoma opened the game scoring the first seven points — five of those coming from Grant Sherfield — as the Jayhawks only hit one of their first six shots while turning it over four times in the first four minutes.

KJ Adams picked up two early fouls in those first four minutes, bringing in Udeh. It may have ended up being the best thing that could happen. The energy completely changed when he got in, as he was all over the place defensively.

Kansas still couldn’t buy a basket in the first 10 minutes as 2-14 shooting led to a 10-4 Oklahoma lead at the under 12. But then KU got in a groove. Wilson found Dick for a layup, MJ Rice had a nice putback, and Harris hit a free throw and a footer to get Kansas within one. An Adams turnaround followed by a Kevin McCullar drive gave the Jayhawks their first lead of the game with 6:30 left.

That’s when Kansas broke away. Wilson hit a step-back jumper, an Udeh steal led to a Wilson layup, and a Harris drive made it 27-20 in a blink of an eye. KU went on a 13-0 run before OU hit another shot with 30 seconds left. Wilson then hit his second three in a minute with three seconds left and Kansas led 35-22 at half. Kansas turned Oklahoma over 13 times in the first half.

Oklahoma came out of the second half firing. A 10-2 run cut the lead to five in two minutes and then Harris hit a huge three to extend the lead to eight, 40-32. A Wilson pass to McCullar for a reverse layup got KU’s lead back up to 10. Oklahoma again chipped away and cut the lead to 42-36 with 15:37 left.

A Dick dunk extended the lead to 10 and KU wouldn’t look back from there. Adams, Udeh, and McCullar all scored, Kevin’s being an and-one, and suddenly KU was up 55-38. Udeh scored the next two baskets and then it was Wilson with five points over two possessions to go up 65-42.

Kansas was stuck on 65 points for about four minutes, but by this point the game was over. Then Dick got a couple buckets and with 30 seconds left, Michael Jankovich hit a three for Kansas’ final points of the game.

Four Jayhawks scored in double figures, led by Wilson’s bounce-back 18 points, five rebounds, five assists, and five steals. Harris was hot again with 16 points, three rebounds, and three assists. McCullar (13 points) and Adams (10) rounded out the scoring while Dick and Udeh scored eight. Udeh also added four rebounds, two steals, two blocks, and an assist, but more importantly was an incredible presence that turned the game.

That’s two straight wins for the Jayhawks, who will look to boost it to three on Tuesday against Oklahoma State in Stillwater.