Clutch buckets, glasswork carries Kansas past Cats
Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe lost control of the ball after facing a double-team by the Jayhawks in the first half of Saturday's game at Rupp Arena. (Jeff Drummond/Cats Illustrated)
Jeff Drummond • CatsIllustrated
Managing Editor Edit
@JDrumUK
LEXINGTON, Ky. -- Kansas came up with all the big shots down the stretch and turned in a surprisingly dominant performance on the glass Saturday in a 77-68 win over Kentucky in the Big12-SEC Challenge at Rupp Arena.
The No. 9 Jayhawks, which entered the matchup riding a rare three-game losing streak, got three consecutive 3-pointers by different players in a 1:40 span with the game hanging in the balance.
Gradey Dick, Jalen Wilson, and Kevin McCullar Jr. each drained a trey to ensure there would be no late comeback by Kentucky, which saw its four-game win streak end in front of a raucous crowd of 20,418.
"Hard fought game," UK head coach John Calipari said. "Give them credit. They were physical. Their ball screen was really physical, knocked us off point a few times... But they deserved to win the game because they made three 3s down the stretch. You've got to make those kind of plays, and they made them."
While the clutch shooting saved the day for Kansas (17-4), it was consistent rebounding that likely made the biggest difference. The Jayhawks outrebounded one of the nation's top teams on the glass, 34-29, and did not allow a second-chance point the entire game.
"We were just praying on the rebounding stuff," Kansas head coach Bill Self said. "We did a great job defensive rebounding. We haven't rebounded the ball like that in a while... I think we were kinda fortunate that the ball bounced our way a little bit tonight."
Kentucky (14-7) had just four offensive rebounds in the game, and reigning national player of the year Oscar Tshiebwe was limited to nine total rebounds, well under his nation-leading average of 13.9 per game.
“I feel like we were physical, but we weren’t physical enough," Tshiebwe said. "Like I said, I didn’t rebound the ball. I think they beat us on the rebounds, too, so that was the it factor. Every other game we’ve won we’ve dominated on the boards, and we didn’t do that today.”
The Cats were also plagued by poor shooting -- at the free-throw line in the first half, where they went 4-for-11, and from the 3-point arc the entire night, where they finished 2-for-13.
Wilson led the Jayhawks with a game-high 22 points. KJ Adams followed with 17, while Dick and McCullar chipped in with 13 and 11, respectively. McCullar also pulled down a game-high 12 rebounds, matching his career-high.
"I thought all our starting five did great," Self said. "... If you can have all five starters play well on the same night, you've got a chance, and that's what happened with us."
Kentucky got 18 points and nine rebounds from Tshiebwe, 14 apiece from Cason Wallace and Jacob Toppin, and 10 from Antonio Reeves.
Both teams shot 49% from the field, but Kansas knocked down six 3-pointers compared to UK's two.
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In this "Rapid Recap" feature, we touch on some quick-hitters from the UK loss...
KEY MOMENT:
With Kansas clinging to a 70-66 lead with 3:09 remaining, the ball found its way into Kevin McCullar Jr.'s hands with the shot clock about to expire. The senior guard splashed a 3-pointer from the right wing to essentially take the wind out of UK's sails. It was the third of three straight 3-pointers by the Jayhawks with the game hanging in the balance, and the Cats never got closer than five the rest of the way.
GAME BALL:
Jalen Wilson, Kansas -- The Jayhawks' junior star showed why he's in the conversation for national player of the year, scoring a game-high 22 points on a variety of offensive moves that displayed the whole gamut of his NBA skills. He was 9-of-18 from the field, 2-of-3 from the arc, and also pulled down eight rebounds and dished out two assists in 39 minutes of action.
BY THE NUMBERS:
0 - Second-chance points for Kentucky, which was held to only four offensive rebounds. Kansas had 11 second-chance points.
2-for-13 - Kentucky's 3-point shooting, 15% The Cats were minus-12 from the arc on the night.
4-of-11 - The Cats' first-half free-throw shooting. They made all 12 of their second-half attempts.
5-0 - The largest scoring run of the night for UK.
24-11 - Kentucky's lead in the all-time series with Kansas, but the Jayhawks have won five of the last seven.
68-48 - Kentucky dropped to 59% against ranked competition under John Calipari.
QUOTABLE:
"I don't know how many points we scored off ball screens tonight, but it had to be close to 20." -- Kansas head coach Bill Self.
UP NEXT:
Kentucky returns to action Tuesday at Ole Miss for a 9 p.m. ET tipoff on ESPN. The Rebels (9-12, 1-7 SEC) lost 82-60 on Saturday at Oklahoma State.
