Field Level Media
Feb 8, 2021
David McCormack recorded 23 points and 10 rebounds Monday night as Kansas, playing its first game as an unranked team in 12 years, responded by toppling No. 23 Oklahoma State 78-66 at Lawrence, Kan.
Kansas entered the game after its record streak of being ranked in 231 straight polls ended with new ratings released Monday. The Associated Press rankings have been a basketball staple since the 1948-49 season.
Although the Jayhawks (13-7, 7-5 Big 12) struggled with offensive flow and committed 19 turnovers, they turned to McCormack for a big second half after he scored just two points on 1 of 7 shooting in the first half. It marked his fifth consecutive outing of 15 or more points.
Kansas' Marcus Garrett added 17 points on 5-for-7 shooting. Christian Braun (15 points, 10 rebounds) and Jalen Wilson (11, 11) also finished with double-doubles. With Ochai Agbaji adding 10 points, all five Kansas starters netted double figures, while no reserve player made a field goal.
Oklahoma State (12-6, 5-6), which cracked the rankings Monday for the first time since the 2014-15 season, could not overcome sloppy ballhandling, committing 18 turnovers while shooting just 34.9 percent.
The Cowboys' likely one-and-done star, Cade Cunningham, scored 21 of his game-high 26 points in the second half. Cunningham snared a team-high nine rebounds but committed seven turnovers. Avery Anderson added 13 points for Oklahoma State.
Garrett was the only player to flash any offensive consistency in the first half, going 5-for-5 and scoring 12 points while also distributing the only two assists Kansas managed.
Despite 32.3 percent shooting and 10 turnovers, the Jayhawks still gained a 28-25 halftime lead. Outside of Garrett, Kansas made just 5 of 26 shots but thrived on a defense that forced Oklahoma State into more first-half turnovers (12).
Anderson and Kalib Boone each scored eight first-half points for the Cowboys, though six turnovers inside the final six minutes of the half enabled the Jayhawks to grab their halftime edge. Oklahoma State went only 8-for-24 from the floor before the break and got its only 3-pointer from Cunningham.
Each team scored just one bucket inside the final TV timeout of the first half.
--Field Level Media