Jalen Wilson scored 22 points to lead No. 8 Kansas to a 71-69 win over Oklahoma on Saturday in Lawrence, Kan.
The Sooners had a chance to send the game to overtime, but Jordan Goldwire’s step-back jumper in the final seconds bounced off the front of the rim and Oklahoma couldn’t corral the ball before time expired.
The Jayhawks have won 21 consecutive meetings with the Sooners in Allen Fieldhouse, with Oklahoma’s last win coming in 1993.
Kansas (20-4, 9-2 Big 12) bounced back from a midweek loss at Texas to maintain its spot atop the Big 12 standings.
The loss was the eighth in the past 10 games for the Sooners.
After trailing for much of the game, Kansas led by eight with 1:32 remaining.
But a pair of 3-pointers and a layup by Goldwire, and four missed free throws by the Jayhawks, opened the door for Oklahoma.
Alston Mason’s steal led to an Elijah Harkless layup with 17 seconds left, then Wilson made one of two free throws before Goldwire’s miss.
Goldwire, the Sooners’ fifth-year point guard, scored a career-high 20 points to lead the Sooners (14-11, 4-8). Two of Goldwire’s three highest-scoring games of his career have come against the Jayhawks this season.
Oklahoma led for much of the game but a 15-2 run late in the second half gave Kansas a 67-59 lead with 1:32 left.
Wilson scored 14 of his points in the second half for Kansas while Christian Braun scored 13 of his 18 after the break.
Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack scored 11 each.
Tanner Groves added 19 points for Oklahoma.
While turnovers bit Oklahoma late, the Sooners protected the ball early, helping them build a lead as big as eight points in the first half.
Oklahoma turned the ball over just three times in the first half and none until more than 12 minutes into the game.
The Sooners used a 15-5 run to take a 24-16 lead just more than 11 minutes into the game. Oklahoma hit six consecutive shots during the stretch, but followed with a five-minute stretch without a field goal.
–Field Level Media