Kansas adds another home win
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Oklahoma coach Lon Kruger tried to inject a little bit of energy into a team that has been lacking much in the way of life recently.
But four minutes into Monday’s game at No. 8 Kansas, the energy was squarely on the side of the Jayhawks and reverberating throughout Allen Fieldhouse.
The Sooners recovered, at least briefly, before Kansas seized back in a major way and blew out OU, 104-74.
“It’s been tough for awhile,” Kruger said. “We’ve got to keep battling. It’s not going to get easier.”
Kruger mixed up his starting lineup for the first time this season, starting Kristian Doolittle and Jamuni McNeace for the first time this season and Kameron McGusty for the just the third time — the first not related to injury.
The result was more of the same, though, as the Jayhawks scored the game’s first 10 points and then buried the Sooners with a big push in the second half.
Once ranked No. 4 in the country, Oklahoma has now lost six consecutive games and nine of its last 11 and are flirting with missing the NCAA Tournament completely.
But Oklahoma star Trae Young, who was held to a season-low 11 points on 3 of 13 shooting, said he still had confidence.
Oklahoma likely needs two wins in their last three regular-season games to feel assured of their place in the tournament.
“There’s no concern,” Young said. “Those games aren’t moving. We know we have to win at least two, but we’re going to try to win three games and that’s our goal, but we’ve got to get better.”
The Sooners got big offensive production from two of the three new
starters.
McNeace scored a career-high 18 points on 8-of-11 shooting. McGusty led the Sooners (16-11, 6-9 Big 12) with 22 points, tying his season high.
Young added nine assists, but his shooting struggles continued.
In the first meeting between the teams, an 85-80 Oklahoma win, Young scored 26 points with nine assists, going 7
of 9 from the field.
“We didn’t do one thing different than what we did that game,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.
During the losing streak, Young is shooting just 34 percent from the floor.
Oklahoma didn’t score until nearly four minutes had elapsed.
The Sooners trailed by as many as 16 in the first half but got the lead down to seven in the opening minute of the second half before Kansas made another push.
Just before the midpoint of the half, the Jayhawks were up 20.
In the first half, the Jayhawks punished the Sooners with 3-pointer after 3-pointer, hitting nine and shooting better than 50 percent from behind the arc.
After halftime, Kansas pounded the ball inside, though it still hit seven threes.
Devonte’ Graham led the Jayhawks with 23 points, while Malik Newman added 20.
Kansas out-rebounded the Sooners 38-25.
Kruger has been fairly static with his starting lineups over the last five seasons except for last year when he alternated between Darrion StrongMoore and Jordan Shepherd at point guard when Jordan Woodard was out.
But with his team struggling on both sides of the floor, he needed to do something.