Last second defensive stop helps Kansas hold on against WVU
LAWRENCE (KSNT)- Kansas men's basketball is alone in first place in the Big 12.
The Jayhawks beat West Virginia 76-74 on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.
KU got a big boost from point guard Dajuan Harris Jr. who scored ten points in the first half and finished with 17.
The first half was back and forth the entire way. Kansas led by three points at the 12 minute mark. Then, WVU went on an 8-0 run to take a five-point lead. Kansas had an answer. The Jayhawks went on a 7-0 run to regain that lead.
Joe Yesufu drilled a huge three-pointer in the final thirty seconds of the first half to give KU a two-point lead at the break.
The second half began the same way: Two teams playing hard and trading buckets. West Virginia held a 42-40 lead with 17:09 left in the game. Kansas responded in the form of a 10-2 run. A dunk by KJ Adams followed up with a three-pointer from Gradey Dick put KU up eight, and brought the Allen Fieldhouse volume level to perhaps its highest point of the day.
WVU didn't go away though. The Mountaineers were back within three with under 11 minutes to play. Furthermore, the Kansas lead was narrowed to 58-56 with 9:40 to play. Bill Self called a timeout. West Virginia pulled within one with 7:44 left.
Kansas continued to lead but struggled to pull away and create any sort of comfortable deficit.
That sense of comfort finally showed up in the final few minutes when KU took a seven-point lead with 2:20 to play. The game was far from over. West Virginia got a bucket and followed it up with a pair of made free throws to make it, yet again, a one score game. Then, WVU's full court press worked like a charm. A steal and a slam for the Mountaineers made it a one-point game with 37 seconds to go.
Jalen Wilson made one of two free throws when fouled with 24 seconds left. West Virginia had the ball with a chance to win it, but the Mountaineers struggled to find a shot and were whistled for travelling in the final second of the game.
All five Kansas starters finished in double-figures.
Kansas improves to 24-5 overall and 12-5 in the conference.