No. 1 Kansas outlasts No. 2 Oklahoma in 3 OTs

Hield scored a career-high 46 points, the most ever scored against Kansas in Big 12 Conference play and the second-most in the nation this season. Hield could have sent the game into a fourth overtime but his wild buzzer beater attempt was too strong. Graham took a pass in transition and was fouled at the other end, converting both free throws to give Kansas the lead.

This was the first triple overtime game in the regular season to be played between a No. 1- and No. 2-ranked team. They played with the same five players for the final 20 minutes of the game, except when Jordan Woodard, who also played one heck of a game, pouring in 27 points and hitting six of nine three-point shots, fouled out with 15 seconds to go in the third overtime session.

Arizona 57, Cal 52: Kristine Anigwe had 19 points, 10 rebounds and four blocked shots, and Courtney Range scored 18 points, but they couldn’t keep the No. 21 Bears (9-4, 0-2 Pac-12) from losing to the Wildcats (10-4, 1-1) in Tucson. “He can score from anywhere… but we wanted it so bad”, said KU senior forward Perry Ellis, who responded with 27 points and 13 rebounds for the Jayhawks in the first three-OT game in fieldhouse lore. Mason Jr. made two more free throws, and Hield’s desperation three-pointer-after Kansas nearly had another steal-missed.

Kansas led by as many as 11 in the first half.

The first 1-2 matchup in their league since the Sooners and Jayhawks met 26 years ago in the Big Eight tournament not only lived up to expectation, it exceeded every one of them.

Hield was so good that he churned through three different defenders, getting Selden and Graham into foul trouble and forcing Mason onto him for the balance of the game.

The Jayhawks controlled most of the first half, hitting seven 3-pointers and twice taking an 11-point lead.

“When Forte went out, it changed things and it took them some time to adapt”, Drew said. Mason had a chance to make a driving runner at the end of the second overtime, but he missed as well.

The scene was already set for an epic matchup when Kansas and Oklahoma were ranked No. 1 and 2 respectively in Monday’s afternoon’s new AP Poll.

Oklahoma’s last triple-overtime game was at home against Nebraska in the 1995-96 season. Dwight Coleby, middle, and Devonte’ Graham (4) celebrate a 3-point basket late in the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Baylor in Lawrence, Kan., Saturday, Jan. 2, 2016.

5 – Jamari Traylor: Played a terrific second half, showing fire at times when teammates were dragging. Off their inbounds play, the ball was knocked out of bounds off an Ellis miss and, after review, the Jayhawks were awarded the ball with 2.4 ticks left on the clock. But no one should want to go anywhere near Kansas this time of year, either. Dwayne Bacon and Malik Beasley, the ACC’s top freshman duo, combined for 33 points and 15 rebounds. In fact, the Sooners proved they are one of the two best teams in the country along with Kansas. The Jayhawks survived his onslaught to notch a crucial early conference win as they seek their 12 straight championship in the conference.