NCAA News Wire
Kansas 67, Oklahoma State 57
Jeff Hawkins is an award-winning sportswriter with more than four decades in the industry (print and digital media). A freelance writer/stay-at-home dad since 2008, Hawkins started his career with newspaper stints in Michigan, North Carolina, Florida, Upstate New York and Illinois, where he earned the 2004 APSE first-place award for column writing (under 40,000 circulation). As a beat writer, he covered NASCAR Winston Cup events at NHIS (1999-2003), the NHL's Chicago Blackhawks (2003-06) and the NFL's Carolina Panthers (2011-12). Hawkins penned four youth sports books, including a Michael Jordan biography. Hawkins' main hobbies include mountain bike riding, 5k trail runs at the Whitewater Center in Charlotte, N.C., and live music.
All posts by Jeff HawkinsUpdated15 Oct 2021
LAWRENCE, Kan. — Sophomore guard Frank Mason scored 16 points, and freshman guard Kelly Oubre added 14 as No. 9 Kansas toppled No. 24 Oklahoma State 67-57 Tuesday in Allen Fieldhouse.
The win was the fifth straight for the Jayhawks and the 13th in their past 14 games.
Much of the offense came off free throws. Kansas (14-2, 3-0 Big 12) shot 32-for-46 from the line as the officials called the game tight following a first-half incident that prompted a double technical. The Kansas record for most free-throw attempts in game is 56, set against Rice in 1954.
Oklahoma State (12-4, 2-2) was whistled for 29 fouls, compared to 20 for Kansas.
Senior forward Le’Bryan Nash led the Cowboys with 21 points, all but two coming in the second half. Junior guard Phil Forte added 18 points. Oklahoma State finished 22 of 25 from the foul line. Both teams canned 16 field goals.
The 3-0 start for Kansas is its ninth in a row in Big 12 play. The Jayhawks claimed the past 10 Big 12 championships.
A contentious first half included three technical fouls. A double technical, which began when Nash was caught shoving a Kansas player, also included a technical on Jayhawks forward Jamari Traylor at the 13:50 mark.
Forte made both free throws stemming from the flare-up, part of his 9-for-9 performance from the line in the first half. Those free throws gave Oklahoma State a 16-15 lead, but the Jayhawks countered with nine unanswered points.
During that run, a fast-break bucket from freshman guard Devonte’ Graham with 9:30 remaining was the last field goal Kansas made in the half. The Jayhawks missed their last 10 field goal attempts, but made enough free throws (15 of 24 in the half) to post a 32-28 halftime lead.
Kansas missed eight consecutive field goal attempts before forward Cliff Alexander connected off an ally-oop with 1:32 left in the half.
Forte scored 16 first-half points to pace the Cowboys. Mason scored 11 to lead the Jayhawks at the break.
NOTES: No. 9 Kansas not only moved back into the top 10 in this week’s Associated Press poll, but it also is listed second nationally in RPI and strength of schedule. … Kansas coach Bill Self graduated from Oklahoma State, where he played basketball as a point guard. He entered Tuesday’s game 13-9 in games he coached against the Cowboys, including a 12-6 record with the Jayhawks. … Oklahoma State junior G Phil Forte and senior F Le’Bryan Nash entered the game as the top two scorers in the Big 12 with averages of 17.7 and 17.6 points, respectively. Over the previous four games, including three Big 12 games, the pair combined for 57.7 percent of the Cowboys’ points. … Oklahoma State was the last Big 12 team to beat Kansas in Allen Fieldhouse, during the 2012-13 season.
