LAWRENCE, Kan. — Extending the nation’s longest active winning streak, the third-ranked Kansas Jayhawks beat the Oklahoma Sooners 67-54 on Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.
Oklahoma (13-5, 4-2 Big 12) held a brief 5-2 lead to start the game, and trailed 12-9 with under 14 minutes to play, but it was all Kansas for the rest of the half.
Kevin Young’s steal and subsequent dunk put the Jayhawks up 20-12 with 7:24 to play in the first half. Travis Releford’s breakaway jam extended the lead to 29-18, but Steven Pledger’s 3-pointer narrowed the gap to 29-21 at halftime.
Kansas (18-1, 6-0 Big 12) took a 42-31 lead on a 3-pointer by Elijah Johnson with 11:43 to play, matching their largest lead of the first half. KU’s largest lead of the second half was 15 points. The Sooners kept within shouting distance for the rest of the game, but a 10-point deficit was as close as they would get.
Ben McLemore led the Hawks with 18 points and seven rebounds. Jeff Withey finished with 13 points, nine rebounds, four blocks, and three steals. Amath M’Baye added 12 points and seven rebounds for the Sooners.
KU held the Sooners to 36% shooting from the field, and 25% from three-point range. KU shot 44% from the field, and 41% from beyond the arc. KU outrebounded OU 41-31.
The Sooners have now lost 13 straight at Allen Fieldhouse, and 10 straight overall to the Jayhawks. This was the 33rd consecutive win for the Jayhawks at Allen Fieldhouse.
KU hits the road for a showdown with head coach Bob Huggins and the West Virginia Mountaineers on Monday night.
