Jayhawks avenge loss to Oklahoma State

Travis Ford was trying to work around foul trouble, but he also was going completely against the scouting report.

The Oklahoma State coach decided late in the first half that his team’s best defensive option against the nation’s fourth-best three-point shooting team was to pack it into a 2-3 zone and dare the Jayhawks to shoot it from the outside.

“We were trying to mix things up,” Ford said. “Obviously, it didn’t turn out too good.”

KU took full advantage, showing their shooting strength while pulling away late in the first half of a 94-67 victory over Oklahoma State on Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

OSU’s errors were numerous in the passive zone.

On the first possession, KU forward Jamari Traylor — one of KU’s role players offensively — was able to complete a straight-line drive all the way to the rim for a layup.

It actually got worse from there for the Cowboys.

The next time down, Traylor set a screen to open up Wayne Selden on the perimeter, and the junior knocked down a deep three on the left wing while drawing a foul. The shot seemed to re-energize the Jayhawks, as Selden flipped his hands in the form of three guns toward the floor, while teammate Frank Mason screamed “Boom” to famous spectator Marlins Man, who was jumping in the first row a few feet away.

KU wasn’t finished. Selden attacked a poor closeout 30 seconds later, flipping a one-handed pass to Graham for an open three-pointer from the right side.

Three possessions, nine points, and one Big 12 coach finally convinced it was time to move on from a 2-3 zone.

“Every mistake,” Ford said, “they made us pay.”

OSU rallied from 18 back in the second half to cut the deficit to six, only to once again forget about the Jayhawks on the perimeter. Selden and Brannen Greene hit three-pointers as part of a 10-0 run that was the precursor to OSU’s worst loss since 2012.

It wasn’t easy for KU early. OSU (12-14, 3-10 Big 12) scored the game’s first eight points, then went ahead 23-14 at the 9:20 mark before the Jayhawks finished the half on a 33-11 spurt.

KU finished 11-for-21 on three-pointers, which upped its season mark to 43 percent.

“They did go under a couple of ball screens that I was a little shocked at,” Greene said. “We ended up capitalizing and stretching out the lead.”

There were other positive signs for KU. The Jayhawks, who have struggled on the offensive glass compared to previous Bill Self teams, grabbed 16 of their 36 misses. They also turned it over just seven times — tying for their second-fewest of the season.

Selden emerged from a three-game slump with a team-high 18 points, which included 4 of 7 three-point shooting. He hadn’t scored more than seven points in any of his previous four games.

“He needed to see the ball going into the hole,” Self said. “I could tell at shoot-around he was going to play well.”

Greene also provided strong minutes off the bench, posting 11 points while making all three of his outside attempts.

KU (22-4, 10-3) avenged its worst loss of the season after losing 86-67 in Stillwater on Jan. 19. The Jayhawks also completed a seven-day stretch where they went 3-0 with victories over top-10 teams in West Virginia and Oklahoma.

“It’s been a pretty good week, but it also takes some energy and focus to have those weeks,” Self said. “I’m glad we played on Monday, and I’m glad we can take tomorrow off.”

This story was originally published February 15, 2016 at 10:53 PM with the headline "Jayhawks avenge loss to Oklahoma State."