Freshman leads Kansas to fifth victory in row
NO. 3 KANSAS 65, OKLAHOMA STATE 50
STILLWATER, Okla. — Freshman Christian Braun had 16 points and nine rebounds to lead No. 3 Kansas to a 65-50 victory over Oklahoma State on Monday night.
Isaiah Moss added 13 points and Devon Dotson had 11 for the Jayhawks, who led wire to wire.
Kansas (17-3, 6-1 Big 12) has won five in a row, including a 74-68 triumph over Tennessee on Saturday in the Big 12/SEC Challenge, as well as its last five on the road. The short-handed Jayhawks were playing their second game since Silvio De Sousa and David McCormack were suspended for their roles in an ugly postgame brawl with rival Kansas State.
McCormack can return from his two-game suspension for Kansas’ next game, Saturday at home against Texas Tech.
Cameron McGriff had 18 points and eight rebounds to lead Oklahoma State (1010, 0-7), the only winless team in Big 12 action. Isaac Likekele had 10 points and four rebounds for the Cowboys, who had snapped a six-game losing streak with a 73-62 win at Texas A&M on Saturday.
Kansas’ defense was outstanding, limiting Oklahoma State to 28.1% shooting (18 of 64), including 13.6% (3 of 22) over the first 14 minutes of the second half.
After watching a big lead evaporate late in the first half, the Jayhawks managed to build another one early in the second. After Oklahoma State cut the Kansas lead to four early in the second half, the Jayhawks went on a 17-1 run over the next six minutes to take control. Their lead never dropped below 15 the rest of the way.
NO. 18 IOWA 68, WISCONSIN 62
IOWA CITY, Iowa — Luka Garza had 21 points and 18 rebounds as No. 18 Iowa rallied from a 12-point second-half deficit to beat Wisconsin.
The Hawkeyes (15-5, 6-3 Big Ten) trailed 57-45 with 7:13 to play before going on a 19-2 run. Joe Toussaint’s layup and free throw with 1:20 to go gave Iowa a 60-59 lead, and the Hawkeyes did not trail again.
CJ Fredrick had 17 points for Iowa. Joe Wieskamp had 12 points and 10 rebounds, and Toussaint added 11 points.
D’Mitrik Trice led Wisconsin (12-9, 5-5) with 16 points and 9 rebounds. Nate Reuvers had 13 points.
The Hawkeyes struggled with their shooting, going 20 for 60 from the field, including 3 of 20 on three-pointers. But they came up with big plays in the closing minutes, including Fredrick’s three-pointer with 5:08 to go that cut Wisconsin’s lead to 57-54.
The game was tied at 30-30 at halftime, but the Badgers opened the second half on an 18-8 run and kept control until Iowa’s late burst.
Guard Kobe King, Wisconsin’s leading scorer, did not make the trip for personal reasons. King, who has started 19 games, is averaging 10 points per game.