Even after erasing 16-point deficit, No. 6 Kansas falls at unranked Oklahoma State
Kansas junior Ochai Agbaji set his feet firmly, then hoisted a possible game-tying shot from just behind the three-point arc with 11 seconds left and the Jayhawks down by three points to Oklahoma State on Tuesday night at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The shot missed, but the rebound found itself in the 6-foot-5 wing’s hands. This time he hurried another three, which also missed, the ball retained by KU for one final possession to come off an inbounds pass with four ticks remaining.
“Ochai rushed his second three when he had all the time in the world. Some things like that we can get better at. We’ve not been in that position enough to be great at it,” KU coach Bill Self said after several plays in crunch time went OSU’s way in the Cowboys’ 75-70 victory over the No. 6-ranked Jayhawks.
Agbaji, who scored 14 points on 4-of-12 shooting (4-of-9 from three), in retrospect only was satisfied with one of his two attempts at tying a contest that KU trailed by 16 points with 9:15 left. KU erased that deficit and led by three with 1:20 to play.
“The second one … I kind of floated that up there thinking I had less time on the clock. I didn’t look (at clock),” Agbaji said. “I could have set my feet and got a better second shot off. I know that.”
Down 73-70 with the ball out of bounds, KU’s final possession fizzed when Marcus Garrett floated an inbounds pass deep to Christian Braun, who was standing behind the three-point arc.
OSU’s Bryce Williams (17 points) stole the pass to prevent a final three-point attempt, one that could have forced overtime. After the swipe, Williams raced in for a highlight-reel dunk at the buzzer to put an exclamation mark on OSU’s five-point victory.
“We were going to run some type of elevator for me, have C.B. (Braun) come around, That didn’t play out like we wanted it to,” said Agbaji, who wishes he could have hoisted one more trey.
Of the inbounds call, Self said: “You know what, Marcus underthrew him (Braun) by 10 feet. He didn’t put anything on the pass. It’s not a great percentage play to think you make that shot, but it’s one you are disappointed you didn’t at least give yourself a chance (to hit a three and force overtime).”
OSU (9-3, 3-3), which halted KU’s 11-game winning streak in Big 12 Conference road games and dropped the Jayhawks to 10-3 overall and 4-2 in the league, prevailed after converting on two crucial plays in the final moments.
Isaac Likekele (10 points, six assists, four rebounds) cashed a three-point shot with a minute to play to erase a 70-67 deficit. Yes the Jayhawks actually led after being down by as many as 16 points.
In fact, had the Jayhawks won, it would have tied for the biggest deficit ever overcome by KU in a victory. KU rallied from 16 down to beat West Virginia in January 2018.
“If Likekele doesn’t make that shot we win the game,” Self said. “I’d say there’s 95% chance of that happening. He did make the shot, great shot by him.”
OSU scored the game-winning points after Garrett had an inside shot blocked by freshman Cade Cunningham (18 points, seven rebounds). Rondel Walker (eight points, 10 boards) converted a basket and free throw after a foul by Tristan Enaruna for a conventional three-point play that gave OSU a 73-70 lead with 38 seconds left. Garrett missed a three on KU’s next possession. After a missed free throw by Williams, Agbaji missed his pair of threes.
So KU did have chances to pull this one out.
“You can’t give up an ‘and-one’ at game point, there’s things like that,” Self said. “We’ve got to tighten up. We’ve got to play tougher.”
KU freshman guard Bryce Thompson, who had missed the previous three games because of a back injury, returned to score two points and grab two rebounds in 13 minutes. However, he suffered a broken finger on his right hand in the second half and again figures to miss significant time.
“All I know is we are sure he broke his finger,” Self said, noting, “it’s definitely a break. He’ll be out for a while.”
Junior wing Tyon Grant-Foster left the game in the first half after entering only to commit a quick turnover.
Self said Grant-Foster hurt his shoulder after falling on a reverse pivot. “I don’t think it’s bad,” Self said of the injury.
The Jayhawks, who went just 5-of-21 shooting from three to OSU’s 9-of-21 mark, hit 42% of their shots to the Cowboys’ 45.5% KU’s David McCormack led all scorers with 24 points on 10-of-18 shooting with 12 boards.
“Very poor,” Self said of KU’s performance. “We probably played a pretty competitive 10 minutes (making the comeback while in a triangle and 2 defense). Other than that we were not very competitive. They controlled everything with their speed, quickness. Our inability to get back on transition put it where there was no margin for error.”
KU will meet Iowa State at 1 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
This story was originally published January 12, 2021 at 9:22 PM with the headline "Even after erasing 16-point deficit, No. 6 Kansas falls at unranked Oklahoma State."
