Kansas basketball solves road struggles with huge Jayhawks win over Oklahoma

After losing four consecutive road games in conference play, the Kansas basketball team was in dire need of a victory yesterday afternoon when they traveled to Norman. The Jayhawks overcame an 11-point deficit in the first half to storm back and defeat the Sooners in their final meeting as members of the Big 12.

Kevin McCullar returned from a two-game absence and his presence paid dividends for the team. Despite a two-point outing from the bench, Kansas' starting lineup was able to get it done with a 67-57 win.

Hunter Dickinson led the game in scoring (20 points) and boards (16 rebounds) on 9-for-16 shooting. Johnny Furphy also poured in 15 points with nine rebounds while recording three steals. He shot 5-for-8 from the floor and connected on three attempts beyond the arc.

McCullar shot poorly but still scored double digits and finished third on the team with eight rebounds. The Jayhawks had been getting dominated on the glass in recent games but outrebounded Oklahoma 40 to 29, a statistic that can be attributed to McCullar's return.

Both teams turned the ball over 11 times, but the difference was that the Sooners shot 16-for-50 from the field (32.0%) in an ugly offensive performance. KU's opponent actually shot better from beyond the arc than from two-point range, and Kansas caught several breaks with Oklahoma missing open looks.

With road losses to teams like UCF and West Virginia in conference play, picking up a ranked win away from Allen Fieldhouse is huge for Kansas basketball's NCAA Tournament resume. Claiming a share of the Big 12 regular season title might seem like an afterthought considering road games vs. Baylor and Houston remain on the schedule, but at least the team showed some heart today.

Kansas advanced to 8-5 in conference play and will receive a much-needed rest in between games. The next time the Jayhawks take the court will be next Saturday, Feb. 24 against Texas at home.