It was going to happen eventually. Not surprising that it did so at one of the toughest places to play in college basketball, even with the home team missing its best player. Top-ranked Arizona is no longer unbeaten after falling 82-78 at No. 9 Kansas on Monday night, ending its program-record 23-game win streak. The […]
It was going to happen eventually. Not surprising that it did so at one of the toughest places to play in college basketball, even with the home team missing its best player.
Top-ranked Arizona is no longer unbeaten after falling 82-78 at No. 9 Kansas on Monday night, ending its program-record 23-game win streak. The Wildcats were outscored by 16 during a 10-minute stretch in the second half and missed 13 of 14 shots at one point.
Brayden Burries scored 25 points, making 4 of 7 3-pointers, and Motiejus Krivas went for 14 points, 15 rebounds, four assists and six blocks while Ivan Kharchenkov had 13 points, six rebounds and three steals. But the rest of the Wildcats had off nights, particularly Jaden Bradley and Koa Peat, who each scored six.
Bradley, who had averaged 19.8 points against ranked opponents, was 2 of 8 while Peat was 2 for 11. Tobe Awaka also had six but just two rebounds as foul trouble limited his effectiveness.
Kansas (19-5, 9-2) won its 61st consecutive Big Monday home game despite the absence of freshman guard Darryn Peterson, a potential No. 1 draft pick, who sat out due to flu-like symptoms. His supporting cast stepped up big without him.
Flory Bidunga and Melvin Council scored 23 apiece, combining for 32 of the Jayhawks’ 40 points in the second half. Bryson Tiller added 18 and Jamari McDowell, who started for Peterson, tied his career high with 10.
It was Kansas’ defense that stood out most, particularly inside. Arizona shot 44.4 percent but only 37.1 percent after halftime, its 45.6 percent efficiency on 2-pointers the second-worst of the season.
The didn’t get to the line nearly as much as normal, and struggled when it did. Arizona was 8 of 14 compared to 21 of 25 for Kansas.
Arizona led 45-42 at the half, only the fourth time Kansas trailed this season after 20 minutes. Less than three minutes into the second half it was 55-44 after a Krivas block sprung Burries for a 3-point play.
But it was almost all Kansas for the next 10 minutes.
The Jayhawks got within four of several occasions only to see Arizona answer, but that changed whenBidunga dunked over Krivas on a lob and was fouled, with the free throw cutting the UA lead to 62-61 with 11:38 left.
Bidunga then gave Kansas its first lead with 9:33 to go, dunking after blatantly double dribbling but getting away with it. It was part of an 8-0 run, paired with the UA going more than four minutes without points, to put the Jayhawks up 69-64.
A Burries 3 ended the drought but that was the only shot Arizona made over a 9-minute stretch. The Wildcats missed 13 of 14 shots in that span.
Kansas got its lead to six but then went three minutes without scoring, and anKharchenkov layup got the UA within 73-71 with 2:09 left. A Burries 3 cut it to 77-76 with 33.6 seconds left but the Jayhawks made five of six free throws down the stretch.
A steal and score byKharchenkov started a game-opening 6-0 run, prompting Self to call timeout just 95 seconds in. The Wildcats maintained a 2-score lead until Kansas scored six in a row, tying it at 19 on aTiller 3-pointer.
Dwayne Aristode drained a 3 on the other end on Arizona’s first attempt from the perimeter. That keyed a 10-3 UA run to go up 29-22 with 7:47 left in first half, forcing another Kansas timeout.
Kansas blocked six of Arizona’s first 28 shots before the Wildcats hit back-to-back triples, fromBurries and Anthony Dell’Orso, again building a 7-point lead. But then seven in a row by the Jayhawks tied it again at 38 with 3:01 left in the half.
A shot clock violation gave Kansas a chance for its first lead butCouncil missed a 3 and Arizona scored five in a row to keep the edge going into the break.
The UA returns home Saturday to host No. 16 Texas Tech, with ESPN doing its College GameDay show from McKale Center that morning. The Red Raiders (17-6, 7-3) are the second of four consecutive ranked opponents for the Wildcats.
Category: General Sports
