Kansas Survives Oklahoma in Big 12 Opener

Once again, the Jayhawks had to battle through offensive struggles and a late surge by their opponent to hang on and secure a victory, this time to open league play.

Oklahoma started the game with an 11-6 run, but good defense led Kansas back to grab a confident lead. Though KU continued to struggle from behind the three point arc, they found early success getting to the basket and creating turnovers. Toward the end if the first half, it appeared they might finally get a comfortable win over a quality opponent without having to sweat down the stretch.

Despite the 40-25 advantage heading into the locker room, this would not be the case. Kansas scored just one point in the first seven minutes of the second half, which allowed Oklahoma to pull within striking distance. The Sooners never did take the lead, however, and Kansas was able to push it back to double digits.

The Jayhawks once again seemed on their way to a decisive victory, but poor shooting and a couple of bad turnovers made it competitive once again. Oklahoma pulled to within 4 at the 30 second mark, when Devon Dotson split a pair of free throws. OU missed their opportunity to make it a one possession game, and the Jayhawks emerged victorious, 70-63.

Dotson mostly played a fantastic game, leading the team with 16 points despite some shooting struggles, and grabbing five boards while swiping four steals. Dedric Lawson once again couldn't seem to find the flow of the offense, needing 16 shots to score 13 points, though he did grab 15 boards.

The Jayhawks travel to Ames to play Iowa State on Saturday, where they'll tip off at 4:00pm local time.