LAWRENCE, Kan. — 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 3s 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 3-point range in the first half to KU’s 4 of 6.
Self used 11 players in the first half, trying to no avail to find some sort of spark.
Thompson hit three early 3-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 3 and OSU led 26-18 at 5:41.
Gradey Dick followed with a crazy 3 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 3 of his own to make it 32-23 at 3:01. Wright’s 3 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 3s. Thompson hit his fifth 3 of the game, Wilson answered, and it was 48-38 at 15:45.
After a bucket by Adams and a 3 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 3 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 3 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 3 at 2:11. Ex-Jayhawk Thompson followed with a 3 and OSU led 64-62 at 1:51.
McCullar put KU on top 65-64 by hitting a 3 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.
