No. 1 Kansas outlasts No. 2 Oklahoma 109-106 in 3 overtimes

Usually the drama in college basketball is concentrated in March and early April, but Monday night was chock full of it. There were 13 lead changes, 13 ties, and mixed in for good measure, each team had a double-digit lead at one point or another.

The Jayhawks’ depth was supposed to be their advantage against Oklahoma, and yet Self ran out the same five for nearly all three overtime periods: Mason, Selden, Graham, Ellis and senior Landen Lucas.

Mason then disrupted an in-bounds pass from Oklahoma star Buddy Hield with 12 seconds remaining for his next steal, which Mason then took into transition where he was fouled. His free throws then sealed the Jayhawks win.

Self told reporters: “If we’d have lost, I would have walked into the locker room and said, ‘You’ll never forget that one.’ It was that good”. “I was happy to be able to shoot free throws at the end”.

Here’s a little more: Last night’s game delivered a 16.79 rating in the Kansas City demographic, the highest for a KU game since the Jayhawks and Kansas State Wildcats squared off on February 11, 2013.

This may have been the two best teams in the country playing it out tonight – apologies to Michigan State with a healthy Valentine.

Hield tied the record for points scored in a single game by a visiting player in Allen Fieldhouse (Mike Wroblewski, 1961-62).

For Kansas/Oklahoma, the bulk of that controversy came when Frank Mason Jr. stole Hield’s inbounds pass with 12 seconds left in the third overtime to all but lock up the victory for Kansas.

The Jayhawks return most of their core from last season, led by high-scoring guard Wayne Selden and steady Perry Ellis, making them one of Bill Self’s most experienced teams. SMU is not eligible to play in the postseason this year due to the sanctions against Larry Brown, and while SC is a pleasant surprise out of the SEC, they haven’t played anyone as of yet that is truly impressive. The Sooners went down the floor and Hield hoisted a three-pointer that wasn’t close.

Range tied the score at 50 with a 3-pointer with 3:36 left, but the Bears didn’t score again until Anigwe’s layup with 18 second left made it 53-52 Arizona. But that was before Buddy Hield’s monster Monday night made him the most popular pick of everyone that can’t remember more than the previous 24 hours.

On the next Jayhawks possession a missed runner led to a scramble for a loose ball, which the Sooners came up with.

Kansas were six-point favorites in the game, which they failed to cover on Monday night.

It was, ironically and sadly, a Hield turnover on an out-of-bounds play that led to the Sooners’ demise.

One of the best things about this game is that this is only the first meeting between the two teams.

Oklahoma head coach Lon Kruger said. His 22 first-half points matched his total from two nights earlier against Iowa State.

ESPN reports that four times has an opposing player scored at least 43 points in Allen Fieldhouse. The lead exchanged sides 10 times in the three overtime sessions. And after a Ryan Spangler three-pointer with 16:42 left it was the Sooners who were up 54-44.

MONMOUTH 81, CANISIUS 66 (at West Long Branch) – Justin Robinson scored 25 points with seven assists as the Hawks (10-4, 2-1 Metro Atlantic) rolled over the Golden Griffins (7-7, 2-2).