Field Level Media
Feb 14, 2023
Freshman Gradey Dick scored a career-best 26 points to lead No. 5 Kansas to an 87-76 victory over Oklahoma State in Big 12 play on Tuesday night in Stillwater, Okla.
Kevin McCullar Jr. recorded 15 points and eight assists and KJ Adams Jr. also scored 15 points for the Jayhawks (21-5, 9-4 Big 12), who have won three straight games and five of their past six.
Jalen Wilson added 14 points for Kansas, which moved into a three-way tie for first in the Big 12 with Texas and Baylor.
Senior Kalib Boone scored a career-best 27 points and collected nine rebounds for Oklahoma State (16-10, 7-6), which had a five-game winning streak halted. The Cowboys lost for just the second time in the past nine games.
John-Michael Wright added 18 points and Bryce Thompson had 17 for Oklahoma State, which has lost 10 of the past 11 meetings with Kansas.
The Jayhawks made 53.8 percent of their field-goal attempts, including 8 of 22 from 3-point range. Dajuan Harris racked up nine assists for Kansas.
Oklahoma State connected on 50 percent of its shots and was 8 of 17 from behind the arc.
Boone scored back-to-back baskets and Wright hit a 3-pointer during a 7-2 run that saw the Cowboys creep within 78-71 with 3:03 remaining.
However, Wilson converted a three-point play to give Kansas a 10-point lead with 1:49 left and added a jumper 46 seconds later as Kansas closed it out.
The Jayhawks led by two at the break and quickly expanded the lead to eight less than two minutes into the second half. Dick hit two 3-pointers and Joseph Yesufu added one as the Jayhawks took a 52-44 lead with 18:05 to play.
Dick later scored four straight points to increase the Kansas lead to 11, but Wright answered with back-to-back 3-pointers to bring Oklahoma State within 58-53 with 13:43 remaining.
The Jayhawks responded as McCullar scored consecutive baskets and fed Zuby Ejiofor for a layup to push the lead back to 11 with 11:25 to play.
Harris later hit a 3-pointer to make it 76-64 with 4:48 remaining.
Dick buried a 3-pointer before time expired in the first half to give Kansas a 39-37 halftime lead.
Boone (16) and Thompson (14) combined for 30 of Oklahoma State's 37 first-half points.
--Field Level Media