Kevin McCullar scores career-high 34 points as Jayhawks beat pesky Yale, 75-60
No. 2-ranked Kansas will take a sparkling 11-1 record into what figures to be a festive 3 1/2-day Christmas vacation for the players and coaches.
Kevin McCullar scored a career-high 34 points and Nick Timberlake added 13 as the Jayhawks upended pesky Yale of the Ivy League 75-60 on Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks certainly weren’t guaranteed a carefree holiday for much of this game. Yale, which hit five 3-pointers in the first half to KU’s two, led by 11 points (25-14) with 6 minutes, 19 seconds remaining until intermission.
That’s when McCullar, who had 14 points while playing 18 of the initial 20 minutes, led a furious comeback. KU outscored Yale 18-8 during the remainder of the half and lagged by just one, 33-32, at halftime.
Hunter Dickinson had 10 rebounds and eight points and Dajuan Harris scored 10 points for the Jayhawks, who now scatter to their hometowns for the holiday break.
They will return to practice in Lawrence on Tuesday night in preparation for one final nonconference game. KU will meet Wichita State at 3 p.m. on Dec. 30 at T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.
After that, the Jayhawks will open Big 12 play against TCU on Jan. 6 in Lawrence.
Bez Mbeng scored 13 points and August Mahoney 13 on Friday for Yale, which dropped to 7-6.
Here are some takeaways from Friday’s game …
Yale not afraid
The mid-major Bulldogs forced KU to call a timeout after they hit their first three to grab a 15-11 lead at the 11:34 mark.
Yale big man Danny Wolf (11 points, six rebounds) scored four early points, getting one of his buckets on on a spin-move drive through the lane. He also hit a 3-pointer in the first half to gave Yale a stunning 25-14 advantage.
Yale led 17-14 with 7:55 left in the first half, KU losing a scoring opportunity when 7-footer Dickinson missed a dunk.
The Bulldogs expanded their lead to 11, 25-14, when Wolf hit a deep 3-pointer with 6:19 remaining until halftime. That was Yale’s biggest lead of the game.
The Bulldogs maintained their one-point lead (39-38) at the first TV timeout of the second half. The Jayhawks finally took the lead, 43-42, on an inside bucket by Dickinson off a pass from Elmarko Jackson with 11:30 left in the game.
KU doesn’t need Furphy to defeat Bulldogs
Johnny Furphy, KU’s 6-9, 202-pound freshman guard from Australia, wasn’t on hand to provide depth for the Jayhawks. He was granted an excused absence because of a family commitment in Australia.
Furphy — he headed back home after last Saturday’s win at Indiana — missed five practices, as well as the game. He has averaged 5.3 points and 2.5 rebounds in 13.2 minutes per game.
KU’s Nick Timberlake, Jamari McDowell and Parker Braun comprised KU’s scholarship bench players on Friday. Timberlake hit three 3-pointers.
Self has said Furphy will return to Lawrence with his teammates Tuesday night.
Huge crowd for pre-Christmas game
Allen Fieldhouse was full for the Yale game despite the students being on semester break.
Recruit in the house
A highly regarded high school junior, Sebastian Williams-Adams, attended the game on an unofficial recruiting visit.
Williams-Adams, a 6-7, 215-pound small forward out of St. John’s High School in Houston, is ranked No. 33 in the recruiting class of 2025 by ESPN.com and No. 96 by 247sports.com.
He has KU, Kansas State, Houston, Arkansas, LSU and others on his early list of prospective collete destinations.
Outmanned Ivy
The Jayhawks are now 18-0 all-time against Ivy League competition. KU is 4-0 versus Yale.
This story was originally published December 22, 2023 at 9:05 PM with the headline "Kevin McCullar scores career-high 34 points as Jayhawks beat pesky Yale, 75-60."
