LAWRENCE (AP) — Svi Mykhailiuk went the length of the court and threw in a finger-tip layup as the buzzer sounded to give No. 3 Kansas a 90-88 victory over Kansas State on Tuesday night.
Josh Jackson matched a career high with 22 points to go with nine rebounds and six assists, and Landen Lucas added 18 points and 12 rebounds, as the Jayhawks (13-1, 2-0 Big 12) pushed their home winning streak to 50 in one of the closest games during that incredible streak.
The Wildcats (13-2, 1-1) had the first chance to take the lead in the final seconds, but Dean Wade missed a 3-pointer and the ball bounced out of bounds with 5.6 ticks left on the clock.
Kansas struggled to get the ball inbounds, but once it got into Mykhailiuk’s hands, he used his long stride to carry him down the court. His buzzer-beating basket gave him 11 points in the game, not to mention kept coach Bill Self from losing to Kansas State for the second time at Allen Fieldhouse.
Wade matched a career high with 20 points. Wesley Iwundu finished with 17, Kamau Stokes and Barry Brown added 13 points apiece, and D.J. Johnson had 10 points.
The Wildcats have often been shell-shocked by the Phog, the early minutes taking them right out of the game. But they never appeared to be intimidated by the atmosphere Tuesday night.
In fact, it was Kansas State that raced to a 21-13 lead in the opening minutes.
The Wildcats eventually cooled down from beyond the arc, where they hit four of their first five shots, and Kansas began to claw back. A big run midway through the half allowed the Jayhawks to take the lead, and they hit nine of their last 10 shots to forge a 52-42 halftime advantage.
Kansas never trailed the rest of the way.
Kansas State never made it easy.
The Wildcats used a five-point trip thanks in part to a technical foul on Jackson to trim into a 56-48 deficit early in the half. Then, Johnson single-handedly got Lucas into foul trouble by bulldozing for baskets inside, robbing the Jayhawks of their best interior player for much of the half.
Kansas State finally tied the game 84-all when Brown scored high off the glance in transition, but the Jayhawks went right back inside to Lucas, whose basket made it 86-84 with 1:27 to go.
Back and forth it went: Stokes answered with two free throws — par for the course in a foul-filled game — only for Lucas to get his revenge by fouling out Johnson at the other end.
After his two free throws, Iwundu’s basket tied it at 88 with 49 seconds to go.
BIG PICTURE
Kansas State nearly aced its toughest test of the season, and may gain more in a close loss to the Jayhawks than it did in compiling a glossy non-conference record against a bunch of low-level fodder.
Kansas has won two close games to open conference play, and it is quickly becoming apparent that the Jayhawks will have to earn another Big 12 championship in what was supposed to be a down year for the rest of the league.
UP NEXT
Kansas State returns home to face former coach Lon Kruger and Oklahoma on Saturday.
Kansas welcomes Texas Tech to Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday night.
No. 3 KANSAS 90, KANSAS ST. 88
KANSAS ST. (12-2)
Iwundu 6-9 3-4 17, Johnson 4-7 2-2 10, Wade 6-12 8-9 20, Stokes 4-11 4-6 13, Brown 6-11 0-0 13, Maurice 0-0 0-0 0, Budke 1-3 2-2 5, Sneed 3-6 0-0 8, Ervin 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 31-61 19-23 88.
KANSAS (13-1)
Lucas 8-10 2-4 18, Mykhailiuk 3-7 3-3 11, Jackson 9-15 3-6 22, Graham 4-9 2-2 13, Mason 5-12 1-2 15, Bragg 3-5 1-1 7, Lightfoot 0-0 1-2 1, Vick 1-4 0-0 3. Totals 33-62 13-20 90.
Halftime—Kansas 52-42. 3-Point Goals—Kansas St. 7-21 (Iwundu 2-2, Sneed 2-5, Budke 1-3, Stokes 1-4, Brown 1-4, Wade 0-3), Kansas 11-22 (Mason 4-5, Graham 3-7, Mykhailiuk 2-3, Vick 1-3, Jackson 1-4). Fouled Out_Johnson. Rebounds_Kansas St. 31 (Iwundu 7), Kansas 31 (Lucas 12). Assists—Kansas St. 17 (Stokes 7), Kansas 21 (Jackson, Graham 6). Total Fouls—Kansas St. 18, Kansas 19. Technicals—Jackson. A—16,300 (16,300).
