Freshmen help Kansas salvage a win after blowing 20-point lead
They stormed to a 20-point first-half lead in startlingly quick fashion by defending relentlessly and burying every 3-pointer they attempted.
They surrendered the entirety of that lead even faster than they built it to start the second half by playing careless offense and lackadaisical defense.
On a night when Kansas received a rude reminder of the focus and mental toughness needed to put away a quality opponent, its freshmen ensured that lesson came in a harder-than-necessary win rather than an agonizing loss. Kelly Oubre and Cliff Alexander both made critical plays down the stretch Monday night as the Jayhawks wrested control back from visiting Oklahoma and escaped with an 85-78 victory.
Kansas trailed by one with just over three minutes to play when Oubre tipped his own missed free throw to Alexander, earning another possession that ended seconds later with a go-ahead Brannen Greene 3-pointer. The two freshmen then helped the Jayhawks build a cushion, Alexander drawing a charge on Oklahoma center Tashawn Thomas on the Sooners' next possession and Oubre delivering six of Kansas' final eight points of the game.
Oubre, the McDonald's All-American who averaged only 8.3 minutes in Kansas' first eight games, showed how far he has come by delivering 19 points on 6-for-11 shooting while also grabbing nine rebounds and playing energetic defense. Alexander, the fellow elite recruit whose defensive lapses got him benched for most of Kansas' previous game, responded with one of his most complete performances of the season, tallying 13 points, 13 rebounds and three assists.
Big nights from both of Kansas' heralded freshmen were timely with the 11th-ranked Jayhawks aiming to bounce back from their first league loss two nights earlier at Iowa State. Kansas (15-3, 4-1) moved into a tie for first place in the Big 12 with in-state rival Kansas State and avoided taking a two-game losing streak into one of its most difficult road games of the season Saturday at 17th-ranked Texas.
If horrendous transition defense and frequent lapses in concentration were the biggest reasons Kansas lost at Iowa State, the Jayhawks did a fairly good job cleaning up those issues Monday night. Take away Oklahoma's 12-for-17 shooting during its 32-9 surge to open the second half, and the Sooners shot an anemic 14-for-48 the rest of the game.
Buddy Hield scored 26 points but needed 19 shots. Isaiah Cousins had 18 points on more efficient 7-for-15 shooting. Forward Ryan Spangler had some impressive stretches in the paint in posting a double-double, but he did not touch the ball often enough.
If Oklahoma will leave Allen Fieldhouse lamenting not playing a better first half, Bill Self will probably head home Monday night with mixed emotions.
Yes, his team blew a huge lead. Yes, his team didn't play with the proper intensity for all 40 minutes. But Kansas learned that lesson while picking up a critical win in its quest for an 11th straight Big 12 title.
And for that the Jayhawks can thank two freshmen who haven't been handed anything this season but are gradually starting to consistently make a bigger impact.
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Jeff Eisenberg is the editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at daggerblog@yahoo.com or follow him on Twitter!
