Kansas basketball vs. Indiana recap: Second half surge leads Jayhawks to road victory

Some of Bill Self's most memorable victories as Kansas basketball head coach have come when the Jayhawks trailed big at one point in the game. Look no further than the 2022 national championship when the Jayhawks were down 40-25 after the first half yet still managed to pull it off. Other examples include the 2017 thriller against West Virginia or last year's 17-point comeback win over Baylor.

More than a dozen other games could be listed, but yesterday's meeting between Indiana and Kansas was one for the ages. A couple of massive baskets allowed the Jayhawks to come out victorious. They overcame a 13-point deficit to defeat the Hoosiers 75-71 in Assembly Hall for the first time in school history.

Recap

Indiana came out of the gates ready to play. They led 12-6 at the first timeout and forced several missed shots. A 10-1 run toward the latter stages of the opening half gave them a lead of 12 points, and Kansas looked completely discombobulated on the offensive end.

After the first 20 minutes, IU led 40-32. Kansas looked to be making a comeback with a 7-2 run to open the second half, but a couple of Trey Galloway jump shots extended their lead to a game-high 13 points. They were putting up points in a hurry and didn't allow KU to get close to them.

It wasn't until the halfway point of the half that Kansas started to make its way back into it. A Jamari McDowell 3-pointer gave them life, and all of a sudden, it was competitive again. With 4:53, Hunter Dickinson connected on a jump hook to give Kansas a 62-61 lead.

Kevin McCullar sunk a three with 3:29 to break the tie, and Dickinson followed it up with another shot. KU led by two with a one-and-one for McCullar in the final minute, and he missed the first shot. Thankfully, it was out in Indiana and he got a second chance. Kansas won the free throw game and bested them 75-71.

McCullar led the team with 21 points, 13 of them coming from the charity stripe. Dickinson posted a 17-point, 14-rebound double-double, albeit on a poor shooting night. KJ Adams poured in 14 and Dajuan Harris came up big down the stretch with 12 points and five assists.

This was the first road test of the season for Kansas basketball, but they did not shy away despite being in a tough spot from the get-go. While they performed poorly at times and played down to their competition again, those are the kind of games that great teams win. They won't take the floor again until next Friday when they take on Yale of the Ivy League in the Fieldhouse.