No. 11 Kansas wipes out second-half deficit, downs UCF

Field Level Media|published: Tue 28th January, 22:57 2025

Jan 28, 2025; Lawrence, Kansas, USA; Kansas Jayhawks center Hunter Dickinson (1) shoots as UCF Knights forward Rokas Jocius (35) defends during the first half at Allen Fieldhouse. Mandatory Credit: Denny Medley-Imagn Images

Hunter Dickinson and Zeke Mayo each scored 24 points to lead five Kansas players in double figures and the No. 11 Jayhawks completed a Big 12 regular-season sweep over UCF, winning 91-87 in comeback fashion on Tuesday.

The first-ever meeting between the two programs in Lawrence, Kan., turned into a physical battle that had Kansas overcome a 56-47 deficit in the final 17 minutes. The stage was eventually set for a back-and-forth finish to a game that featured 12 lead changes and eight ties.

KJ Adams sank two free throws with 4.6 seconds left for an 89-86 Kansas lead, and UCF's Darius Johnson, after being fouled on the floor with 3.1 seconds to go, missed his first free throw.

Johnson sank the second shot, but Mayo (nine rebounds) hit two foul shots with 2.1 seconds remaining to close the door on UCF's upset bid and help Kansas avoid consecutive home losses for the first time under coach Bill Self.

Adams, who returned to the lineup after missing the previous three games with a shoulder injury, and David Coit each finished with 12 points. Freshman Flory Bidunga had 10 points, 11 rebounds and five blocks for the Jayhawks (15-5, 6-3 Big 12), who played without injured guard Dajuan Harris Jr.

The Knights (13-7, 4-5) nearly erased the memories of a 99-48 setback to Kansas on Jan. 5 in Orlando, Fla. UCF shot 14-for-36 (38.9 percent) from 3-point range in the rematch, while Kansas was 10-for-21 (47.6 percent).

UCF's Keyshawn Hall led all scorers with 34 points, hitting 5 of 7 3-point attempts and making all 11 of his free throws. Johnson totaled 19 points and four steals -- moving the senior guard into second place on the Knights' career steals list -- as UCF registered its season high for 3-pointers and made 10-plus triples for seventh time in the plast 10 games.

Jordan Ivy-Curry added 10 points, eight assists and seven rebounds for the Knights. Freshman center Moustapha Thiam contributed 17 points and five rebounds.

Kansas had an uneven performance during the opening 20 minutes. The Jayhawks trailed 43-41 at halftime after committing 10 turnovers compared with only five assists.

--Field Level Media

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