Quick recap: Kansas ends skid with hard-fought win over Kentucky - KUsports

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Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, left, is defended by Kansas' K.J. Adams Jr. (24) and Kevin McCullar Jr., middle, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

Kentucky's Oscar Tshiebwe, left, is defended by Kansas' K.J. Adams Jr. (24) and Kevin McCullar Jr., middle, during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game in Lexington, Ky., Saturday, Jan. 28, 2023. (AP Photo/James Crisp)

The Kansas Jayhawks have never lost four games under Bill Self. And that streak will live on for another day.

No. 9 Kansas put everything on the line and secured a hard-fought 77-68 victory over Kentucky on Saturday night inside Rupp Arena at Central Bank Center. The win snapped a three-game skid for the Jayhawks, who improved to 17-4 on the year. The Wildcats (13-7) had their four-game win streak snapped.

Perhaps the best evidence for KU’s gutsy performance was how it performed on the glass and against reigning National Player of the Year Oscar Tshiebwe.

Kentucky, which came into the game ranked No. 1 in offensive rebound rate, didn’t grab its first offensive board until over a minute into the second half. The Wildcats finished with four offensive rebounds, and the Jayhawks posted a 34-29 advantage on the glass.

The Jayhawks led for nearly 30 minutes, and they were able to respond when the Wildcats made things close down the stretch. Gradey Dick, Jalen Wilson, and Kevin McCullar Jr. all hit key 3-pointers in the final minutes to keep the hosts from taking control of the game.

McCullar’s 3-pointer was the decisive blow, giving Kansas a 73-66 lead with 3:09 left in the game. His triple came at the end of the possession on a broken play that seemed destined to end a shot clock violation. McCullar and Zuby Ejiofor suffered injuries during the game, with the latter player wearing a boot on the bench in the second half.

Wilson continued his impressive heater, finishing with 22 points on 9-of-18 shooting. K.J. Adams Jr. scored 17 points in a matchup that was supposed to be unfavorable to him. Tshiebwe registered 18 points on 6-of-9 shooting.

Kansas will play host to Kansas State at 7 p.m. on Tuesday.

Kansas 77, Kentucky 68

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Written By Shane Jackson

Shane is a sports writer for the Lawrence Journal-World and KUsports.com and one of the hardest working people we have on staff.
After working for the Journal-World in a part-time capacity during his college days at KU, Jackson returned to the paper after covering prep sports and K-State for the Manhattan Mercury.
In addition to helping out with all of our KU coverage, Jackson is in complete control of our coverage of the high school sports scene in and around Lawrence, writing stories, covering games, organizing freelance writers and photographers and keeping track of the schedule of the dozens of prep teams in the area.
A former 8-man football star in small town Kansas, Jackson has a real appreciation for all high school athletes and enjoys telling their stories, from the star of the team to the less heralded players living outside of the spotlight.
Jackson, a diehard fan of the Baltimore Ravens, lives in Lawrence and plays golf whenever he possibly can.

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January 29, 2023 at 10:33AM
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Quick recap: Kansas ends skid with hard-fought win over Kentucky - KUsports

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