Hunter Dickinson converted a layup with 3.4 seconds left to lift No. 2 Kansas to an 83-81 victory over TCU on Saturday afternoon in Lawrence, Kan.
Kansas was looking to avenge last season’s 83-60 loss to TCU, which snapped a 16-game home winning streak for the Jayhawks and was the second-worst home loss in coach Bill Self’s career at Kansas. It was the highest-ranked road win in TCU history. But it wasn’t easy.
Kansas has won 33 straight conference openers dating back to 1992.
Kansas (13-1, 1-0 Big 12) was led by Dickinson with 30 points and 11 rebounds. KJ Adams Jr. added 18 points and 10 rebounds, Kevin McCullar Jr. had 16 points and Dajuan Harris Jr. had 10 points and eight assists.
TCU (11-3, 0-1) was led by Trevian Tennyson with 24 points. He was joined in double figures by Emanuel Miller with 20 points, and Micah Peavy and Jameer Nelson Jr. with 10 apiece.
The second half was as tight as the first.
Kansas got its first field goal from anyone other than Dickinson, McCullar or Adams when Harris hit a layup with 16:06 left in the second half.
Neither team could seize control in the second half. TCU held the largest lead by either team at 65-60, but a 10-2 run gave Kansas the lead again.
Peavy tied things at 70 with a three-point play at the 5:12 mark. Harris tied it again at 75-all with a pair of free throws with 2:38 left, and Adams also knotted it, this time at 77-77, with 2:05 to go.
Nelson’s short jumper gave TCU a 79-77 lead with 1:38 left.
A flagrant foul on Ernest Udeh Jr. put Dickinson on the line, and he tied it with a pair of free throws with 57 seconds remaining. Harris then hit a fadeaway jumper to give Kansas the lead at 81-79. Peavy’s follow tied it with 26 seconds left, setting up Dickinson for the game-winner.
TCU stayed close throughout the first half. Each time the Jayhawks opened a two-possession lead, the Horned Frogs would respond. KU’s largest lead of the half was six points. When Xavier Cork got inside the Kansas defense for a dunk with 1:54 left, the Horned Frogs led 38-37.
Kansas took a 41-40 lead into the locker room.
The Jayhawks leaned heavily on their three leading scorers with all three reaching double figures before intermission. Dickinson led the way with 18 points, Adams added 12 and McCullar had 10. Kansas got only one point — a free throw by Johnny Furphy — from the rest of the team.
TCU was led by Miller with 15 points. Three other players scored at least five points.
–Field Level Media
