Kansas is playing its best basketball of the season and is doing it at just the right time.
Riding a season-best six-game winning streak, the No. 11 Jayhawks will hunt for more Saturday afternoon when they host Utah in Lawrence, Kan.
Kansas (17-5, 7-2 Big 12) solidified its third-place status in the conference with a 64-61 victory at No. 13 Texas Tech on Monday night during their marquee matchup with the Red Raiders. Each team entering the game sporting identical records and were looking to stay competitive with No. 7 Iowa State, No. 8 Houston and No. 1 Arizona at the top of the conference standings.
While Darryn Peterson provided the heroics for Kansas in the final 80 seconds with tying and go-ahead three-pointers, the Jayhawks put forth a strong team effort on defense in the big win.
Kansas’ defense held Texas Tech’s JT Toppin to 10 points while limiting him to 5 of 8 from the floor. Toppin entered as one of the conference’s top scorers at over 22 points per game and is averaging a double-double. Toppin also was limited to six rebounds.
The Jayhawks held the Red Raiders to 31.9% from the field and 30% from 3-point range. Even Texas Tech’s top scorer in the contest, LeJuan Watts, missed 14 of his 22 shots in his 19-point showing.
Jayhawks coach Bill Self appreciated the effort from Flory Bidunga, who notched 14 points and nine rebounds in the comeback victory.
“I think it was Flory,” Self said after his squad rallied from down nine points with six minutes left. “I mean, to me, there’s not a better defender, regardless of position, anywhere. He can guard one through five. He did a great job on Watts when he guarded him and Watts killed us, and he did a great job on JT, and he can switch and guard a guard.”
Bidunga has team-high 8.9 rebounds per game, while star freshman Peterson has scored 21.1 points in 12 games and Tre White has scored 14.5 points over all 22 games.
Saddled with a 1-9 record since Dec. 29, Utah (9-13, 1-8) is riding a four-game losing streak and has only beaten TCU in conference play. The Utes defeated the Horned Frogs 82-79 on Jan. 17.
In its most recent Wednesday, a 71-63 home defeat against Arizona State, the Utes were overwhelmed early as the Sun Devils led by 15 at halftime.
Utah’s top scorer, Terrence Brown (21.4 points), missed his first eight shots from the field and ended up with a season-low six points.
Entering the game fourth in the nation in scoring, Brown missed 14 of 16 shots from the floor including all four from distance. However, he did produce six assists and five rebounds.
Without the necessary talent to compete in the powerhouse conference, first-year coach Alex Jensen has been trying to lay the groundwork of a strong rebuild.
“I’ll give it to our guys, I think they’ve always bounced back,” Jensen said. “It’s being more consistent with the defense, like just the little things, the things you can control. And falling into shots instead of necessarily hunting them.”
Brown and Don McHenry (18.1 points) are having solid offensive seasons for the Utes, while Keanu Dawes averages 12.1 points and 9.0 boards.
–Field Level Media
