It was a thrilling finish at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday, as No. 3 Kansas edged out West Virginia 76-74 to take sole possession of first place in the Big 12. The Jayhawks (24-5, 12-4) trailed by as many as 10 points in the second half, but rallied behind their star guard Kevin McCullar Jr., who scored a career-high 28 points and hit six three-pointers. McCullar also made a crucial steal and drew a charge in the final minute to seal the win for KU.
West Virginia (16-13, 8-8) gave Kansas all it could handle with its physical defense and balanced scoring. The Mountaineers had four players in double figures, led by Joe Toussaint with 18 points. They also outrebounded KU 38-32 and forced 15 turnovers. However, they missed some crucial free throws down the stretch and could not stop McCullar from catching fire.
The game came down to the final possession, when West Virginia had a chance to tie or win after KU’s Jalen Wilson missed a free throw with six seconds left. Toussaint drove into the lane but was called for traveling after McCullar stepped in front of him. The Jayhawks celebrated as time expired and moved closer to their 16th Big 12 title.
Pregame Tuesday on 95.5 KNDY and Z-96.3 The Lake will begin at 7:30 p.m., with tipoff to follow at 8:00 p.m.