🏀 Garrett Propels Jayhawks Past Sooners, 87-70

LAWRENCE, Kan. – A career-high 24 points from junior Marcus Garrett was the highlight as No. 3 Kansas topped the Oklahoma Sooners, 87-70, Saturday afternoon inside Allen Fieldhouse. Garrett was joined in double figures by sophomore Devon Dotson (19 points) and Udoka Azubuike, who turned in his 11^th double-double of the season, as the Jayhawks claimed their 10^th-straight victory.

The win improved Kansas to 22-3 on the year and 11-1 in Big 12 play. Oklahoma fell to 16-9 in its 2019-20 campaign and to 6-6 in the league.

MOMENT OF THE GAME
With the Jayhawks trailing 27-26 and under five minutes to play in the first half, junior Marcus Garrett collected steals on consecutive Sooner possessions to ignite the Allen Fieldhouse crowd as well as the Kansas offense. Garrett’s two steals led to four-straight KU points and kicked off a 15-5 run over the final 4:40 of the half to turn the one-point deficit into a nine-point lead, 41-32, as the teams headed to the intermission. KU’s scoring run overflowed into the second stanza, as the Jayhawks came out of the break on a 16-5 run over the first five minutes of the half. In all, Kansas outscored the visitors 31-10 over the middle 10 minutes of the contest, with Garrett’s plays on the defensive end sparking the impressive stretch.

STAT OF THE GAME
6 – Garrett, not known for his shooting prowess from deep, entered the day with just five 3-point makes in Big 12 play this season and only six attempts from deep in his last eight outings. The Dallas, Texas native flipped that script Saturday when he shot in a career-high six triples on nine attempts. The mark doubled his previous best and made him the third Jayhawk to connect on six threes in a game in 2019-20.

NOTES (Full Notes)

The win made Kansas 11-1 in Big 12 play or better for the first time since the 2009-10 season when KU was 12-0 and the third time in the Bill Self era which began in 2003-04 with the other being 11-1 in 2008-09.
The victory also gave the Jayhawks 11 conference wins for the 26th-consecutive season, a streak which started in 1994.
The Jayhawks’ 11 3-pointers tied for their most in Big 12 play and their most in a league home game this season.
KU’s 11-of-22 mark from 3-point range (50%) marked the team’s second-highest mark from deep this season and the Jayhawks’ best clip from beyond the arc with 20 or more attempts since the team also went 11-of-22 against Texas on Jan. 14, 2019.
The final score marked the 22nd time the Jayhawks have held their opponent to 70 points or fewer this season. The 2007-08 squad held 31 teams to 70 or less 31 times, the most during the Bill Self era.
KU held OU to just 35.8% (24-of-67) from the field. It was the 16th time this season that the Jayhawks have held a team to below 40% from the field. Kansas is 15-2 in those games.
The contest saw 11 lead changes, the most in a game inside Allen Fieldhouse since the KU-Stanford contest switched leads 15 times on Dec. 1, 2018.
The Jayhawks’ 87 points were the most allowed by the Sooners this season.
Junior Marcus Garrett’s 24 points bested his previous career-high of 20 points set against Texas last season on Jan. 14, 2019.
Garrett’s six threes also marked a new career best, and made him the third Jayhawk (Moss and Braun) to connect on six or more triples in a game this season.
Senior Udoka Azubuike had 15 points and 17 rebounds to tally his 18th career double-double and 11th this season.
Azubuike’s 17 rebounds tied his career high. He previously reached the number on Dec. 10, 2019 against Milwaukee.

QUOTE OF THE GAME – Full Quotes

"Marcus (Garrett) was unbelievable both halves and he was by far the best player in the game for us. All in all, we’ll take it."
Bill Self

UP NEXT
Kansas will try for its 16th-straight win on ESPN Big Monday when the Iowa State Cyclones come to Lawrence on Feb. 17. Tipoff from Allen Fieldhouse is slated for 8 p.m. (CT) on ESPN. KU great Marcus Morris will have his No. 22 jersey retired during a ceremony at halftime.

Kansas is 183-66 all-time against ISU, which includes a 79- 53 win in this season’s first meeting on Jan. 8 in Ames. The Jayhawks are 94-16 versus Iowa State in games in Lawrence and hold a 53-10 mark in contests inside Allen Fieldhouse. Kansas has won 13 of the last 14 games against ISU in Lawrence.

Bill Self Postgame Press Conference

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