With roughly 14 minutes to play in No. 25 Kansas’ 76-57 win over the Princeton Tigers, the score sat at a narrow 44-43 advantage, Kansas head coach Bill Self called a timeout. Up to that point, there was no time for Kansas to rest. The Jayhawks had to battle to gain any lead over Princeton, and while Princeton rarely led, the pressure was always on Kansas to hit its next shot.
“Just clean up, you know, we're not playing against them. We're playing against us,” quoted Illinois transfer Tre White.
“So we're just trying to hold our hat on our principles. You know, he ain't say it that clean, but, you know, that was the message.”
Following that spirited timeout, Kansas would go on to score 32 of the game’s last 46 points. White notched 18 points on a strong 4-7 clip from the field and a further 10 more points from the line. White added eight rebounds and one steal. While Flory Bidunga’s 25 points would go on to lead the game, White’s ability to draw fouls kept the Tigers in foul trouble.
Bidunga, who has arguably been the Jayhawks' best player this season, finished the night with 10 rebounds and three blocks, which helps offset the four turnovers the sophomore compiled.
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On the day, Kansas finished with a 23-53 mark from the field, measuring out to a 47.2% rate. While the Jayhawks knocked an ugly 23.8% three-point rate, the Jayhawks' stern second-half defense and their slightly improved offense kept Princeton away from knocking off the No. 25 team in the nation.
Up next for Kansas is a massive test. The No. 4 Duke Blue Devils. Kansas will take the trip up north to the prestigious Madison Square Garden in the State Farm Champions Classic. Tipoff is set for 8 p.m. CT with streaming available on ESPN.
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