National Basketball Association
BOXSCORE | RECAP
Kansas 80, Oklahoma St. 78
When: 4:00 PM ET, Saturday, January 18, 2014
Where: Allen Fieldhouse, Lawrence, Kansas
Officials: # Doug Sirmons, # John Higgins, # Keith Kimble
Attendance: 12528

No. 18 Kansas 80, No. 8 Oklahoma State 78: Freshman Joel Embiid collected 13 points, 11 rebounds and a season-high eight blocks as the Jayhawks knocked off the visiting Cowboys.

Naadir Tharpe added a team-high 21 points and six assists for Kansas (13-4, 4-0 Big 12), which remained the only undefeated team in Big 12 play. Wayne Selden, Jr. and Jamari Traylor scored nine points apiece as the Jayhawks shot 55.8 percent from the floor.

Phil Forte III hit seven 3-pointers en route to 23 points off the bench to lead Oklahoma State (15-3, 3-2). Star Marcus Smart was held to 16 points on 3-of-14 shooting but contributed 10 rebounds, nine assists and four steals for the Cowboys, who had a three-game winning streak come to an end.

Oklahoma State finally got something going early in the second half as Markel Brown buried four 3-pointers in the first nine minutes to drag the Cowboys back within 59-56. Kansas recovered with an 11-2 burst - highlighted by a monster dunk and a block by Embiid - to regain control and held off a late charge when Frank Mason split a pair of free throws in the final seconds and stripped Le’Bryan Nash on a 3-point attempt as time expired.

The Jayhawks held Oklahoma State to 30.8 percent shooting in the first half and got a 3-pointer from Andrew Wiggins in a 13-0 run that gave them a 29-15 lead with a little over eight minutes left in the half. The teams engaged in some pushing and shoving on two separate occasions in the opening period but Kansas held its composure and took a 47-30 lead into the break.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Brown finished 5-of-9 from 3-point range for 15 points and was joined in double figures by Nash (10) and Kamari Murphy (12) for Oklahoma State. … Kansas freshman sensation Wiggins battled foul trouble and was held to a season-low three points on 1-of-5 shooting. … Each team was hit with three technical fouls in the contest and Brown was ejected after receiving his second with just under four minutes left.
Top Game Performances
 
Oklahoma St.   Kansas
Phil Forte 23 Scoring Naadir Tharpe 21
Marcus Smart 9 Assists Naadir Tharpe 6
Marcus Smart 10 Rebounds Joel Embiid 11
Marcus Smart 10 Free Throws Made Wayne Selden Jr 4
Marcus Smart 4 Steals Naadir Tharpe 3
Kamari Murphy 2 Blocks Joel Embiid 8
Team Stats Summary
 
Team Points FG% 3PM-3PA FTM-FTA Assists Rebounds Blocks Steals Turnovers
Oklahoma St. 78 39.4 12-28 14-16 17 28 3 8 11
Kansas 80 55.8 7-18 15-23 13 32 11 6 19