J’Wan Roberts had 24 points, nine rebounds and five assists to help No. 7 Houston rally to a dramatic 92-86 double-overtime victory over No. 12 Kansas on Saturday evening in a Big 12 showdown at Lawrence, Kan.
Mylik Wilson added 18 points and Milos Uzan had 17 points, nine rebounds and nine assists as the Cougars (16-3, 8-0 Big 12) won their 12th consecutive game.
Houston overcame six-point deficits late in regulation and in the first overtime to remain alive before controlling the second OT.
Flory Bidunga recorded 19 points and seven rebounds before fouling out for Kansas (14-5, 5-3). Rylan Griffen scored eight of his season-high 17 points in the first overtime and matched his career high of five 3-pointers for the Jayhawks.
Hunter Dickinson registered 17 points and eight rebounds, Zeke Mayo had 16 points and nine rebounds and Dajuan Harris Jr. had 12 assists for Kansas.
Houston received 3-pointers from Emanuel Sharp and Uzan to take an 86-81 lead with 2:54 left in the second overtime. A three-point play by Mayo brought the Jayhawks within two with 1:16 left.
A basket by Roberts, two free throws by Uzan and two free throws by Sharp gave Houston a 92-84 lead with 24.2 seconds left, and the Cougars wrapped up the victory.
Things looked good for Kansas in the first overtime when Griffen made two free throws for a 79-73 lead with 28.3 seconds left.
But Sharp made a 3-pointer with 7.5 seconds left, Uzan stole Mayo’s inbounds pass and Wilson drained a trey with 4.3 seconds left to tie the game at 79.
In regulation, Griffen buried a 3-pointer and Bidunga slammed home a dunk to give Kansas a 66-60 lead with 1:31 remaining.
Uzan made back-to-back jumpers, the latter with 16.6 seconds left, to bring the Cougars within 66-64. Mayo was called for a five-second violation on the ensuing inbounds pass to give Houston the ball.
Roberts was fouled with 13.9 seconds left and made both of his free throws to tie the contest at 66.
The Cougars made 47.9 percent of their shots and were 8 of 25 from behind the arc. Houston made just 14 of 25 free throws (56 percent), but the Jayhawks (17 of 30, 56.7 percent) also struggled.
Kansas shot 45.5 percent from the field, including a 9-of-25 mark from 3-point range.
Houston committed just five turnovers in the 50-minute game. The Jayhawks had 12.
Dickinson scored 12 points in the first half, and the Jayhawks led 38-31 at the break. Wilson had nine points in the half for Houston.
–Field Level Media
