LAWRENCE, Kan. – A late defensive effort and a 7-0 scoring run secured No. 7/5 Kansas’ (4-1) fourth victory of the season, beating North Dakota State (0-4) 65-61 in Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, Saturday night.
The Jayhawk offense was led by Jalen Wilson (14 pts.) and Ochai Agbaji (13 pts.), who each tallied double-figures against the Bison. Wilson also led the Jayhawks with 15 rebounds and recorded his second double-double of the season.
North Dakota State jumped out to an early advantage over the Jayhawks, but a quick 10-point run gave the Jayhawks their first lead of the game on a fast-break bucket by Agbaji.
NDSU didn’t back down and captured the lead once more. After a Tyon Grant-Foster jumper, the score was tied at 27-all. KU held the lead until the half at 35-33.
In the second half, Kansas tallied the opening points on a jumper by David McCormack, but found itself down after the Bison pushed their lead to 46-39 with a little over 16 minutes remaining in the game.
The Jayhawks continued to push late and tied the score at 58 after back-to-back free throws by Wilson. NDSU tallied a layup and a free throw to take the three-point edge before Kansas rattled off a 7-point run to finish the game.
KU capped the contest with three-consecutive free throws, securing Kansas’ second victory in Allen Fieldhouse this season.
STATS OF THE GAME
7-0 – Kansas rallied with a 7-point run against the Bison to conclude the contest. Five of Kansas’ points were free throws in the scoring run.
15 – Jalen Wilson secured a career-high 15 rebounds, while also earning his second double-double of the season. Wilson tallied his first double-double against Kentucky Dec. 1, finishing with 23 points and 10 rebounds.
NOTES (Full Notes)
- Junior guard Ochai Agbaji’s 13 points extended his double-figure scoring streak to five games. He now has 27-career double-figure games at Kansas.
- Agbaji tied his season high in steals with two. He had a pair of steals against Gonzaga in the Jayhawks’ season-opening game on Nov. 26.
- Redshirt-freshman forward Jalen Wilson set a new career high in rebounds with 15. He grabbed double-figure rebounds for the second time this season.
- Wilson also recorded his second-career double-double, with his first against Kentucky (12/1) earlier this season. He also set a new career high in minutes, playing 33 minutes against the Bison.
- Wilson’s 15 rebounds are the most by a freshman since Andrew Wiggins grabbed 19 rebounds at Iowa State on January 13, 2014.
- Additionally, Wilson’s 15 rebounds and 11 defensive rebounds are the most by a Jayhawk this season.
- Tyon Grant-Foster set Kansas career highs in minutes, points, rebounds, blocks and steals. The junior transfer from Indian Hills Community College (Iowa) played 21 minutes, scored eight points and pulled down eight rebounds, blocked two shots and swiped a pair of steals.
- Redshirt-senior Mitch Lightfoot tied his season high in scoring with four points. He scored four points twice previously this season, against Gonzaga (11/26) and Washburn (12/3).
UP NEXT
Kansas continues its five-game homestand when it plays host to No. 9/11 Creighton on Tuesday, Dec. 8, at 4 p.m. (Central). The contest will air on ESPN and it will be the first game where fans will be able to attend a contest in Allen Fieldhouse this season, with an estimated 2,500 capacity.
