Bob Lutz: Somehow, Jayhawks get past Buddy Hield

If you have grandchildren, they’ll be telling their grandchildren about this one.

Not even Allen Fieldhouse has experienced a game like this, and Allen has more stories to tell than most basketball buildings.

In three exhausting overtimes Monday night, Kansas defeated Oklahoma 109-106. Brent Musburger and Dick Vitale had the call for ESPN and I don’t care how many games they’ve called in their long and glorious careers, they’ve not called one like this.

It was No. 1 (Kansas) vs. No. 2 (Oklahoma) and if the Sooners drop in the rankings next week there should be an investigation.

And if you’re a Wichita fan of basketball, this one had the bonus of Buddy Hield (Sunrise Christian) and Perry Ellis (Heights) combining for 73 points.

Hield’s 46 tied the most points for a KU opponent inside Allen Fieldhouse, previously held solely by Kansas State’s Mike Wroblewski in 1962. (Oscar Robertson once had 56 inside Allen in an NCAA game against K-State.)

There was a time in the game — long, long ago — when it appeared Kansas might put a whipping on the Sooners. KU led 37-26 with three minutes left in the first half.

Then Oklahoma starting making shots. A bunch of them. And after a Ryan Spangler three-pointer with 16:42 left it was the Sooners who were up 54-44.

But this one wasn’t meant to be a blowout. And from the 6:18 mark in regulation through most of the overtimes, there only two occasions where one team led by more than three points.

Three Kansas players scored 20 or more points, led by Ellis’s 27.

Ellis and Frank Mason played 53 of the 55 minutes for Kansas. Hield played 54 for Oklahoma and teammates Spangler and Jordan Woodard played 51 and 50, respectively.

It was, ironically and sadly, a Hield turnover on an out-of-bounds play that led to the Sooners’ demise. His pass was deflected by Mason, then retrieved by the KU guard who was immediately fouled and made two free throws to give the Jayhawks their 109-106 lead.

But with 8.6 seconds left, Oklahoma had a chance. Spangler’s three-pointer was contested and Hield heaved up a prayer as the final buzzer sounded.

What a game. And if you have a calendar, circle Feb. 13 because that’s when these teams meet again in Norman. While you’re at it, circle April 4 because it wouldn’t surprise anyone if Kansas and Oklahoma meet again in the national championship game.

Oklahoma’s players held their hands over their heads in disappointment as they sauntered to the locker room after it was over while the Kansas players reacted in joy, jubilation and exhaustion.

“I thought guys on both teams just made fantastic plays, just kept grinding and battling,” OU coach Lon Kruger said. “Obviously, you’d like to win a game like that but give Kansas credit.”

Hield was approached by Vitale after the game, but said he couldn’t remember what was said because of how much he had put into the game.

“I hate the fact that we came up with a loss,” Hield said. “This is my last time playing in this building and it just sucks to go 0-4.”

Through no fault of his own. Hield is in the discussion for national player of the year and he’s probably never been better than he was Monday night.

Kansas had been 71-2 in Big 12 games at Allen Fieldhouse since losing to Texas A&M on Feb. 3, 2007. It’s impossible to beat the Jayhawks here and Oklahoma came oh so close.

KU has now won 25 conference games in a row at home and finally won one of these No. 1 vs. No. 2 battles after losing the previous four in which the Jayhawks had played.

The key Monday night was perseverance. These were two heavyweights exchanging blows in a game full of crucial baskets and critical possessions.

Kansas had 60 rebounds to OU’s 55. Oklahoma shot 45.8 percent; KU 44.4. Both teams were great from the three-point line — Kansas made 11 of 22 attempts while Oklahoma was 16 of 33. The Sooners were 18 of 24 from the free-throw line while KU was 18 of 23. Each team had 22 fouls. Turnovers and assists were close, too.

Over 55 minutes, neither team established itself as the clear-cut best. That’s what you hope for in a game of this magnitude, but how often is it achieved?

Kansas is 13-1. Oklahoma is 12-1. And everybody basketball fan in the country will be talking about this game for days.

The pregame hype was enormous. And the game lived up to expectations. It exceeded expectations. It’s one of the best college basketball games ever played.

This story was originally published January 4, 2016 at 11:39 PM with the headline "Bob Lutz: Somehow, Jayhawks get past Buddy Hield."