LAWRENCE, Kan. — It would have been the biggest lead Kansas ever gave up in a loss. It was almost one of the most stirring victories in Colorado’s basketball history.
Instead, it turned out to be the Jayhawks’ 40th victory in 41 games over the plucky Buffaloes, their 27th consecutive victory against Colorado at Allen Fieldhouse, and a narrow escape that left 16,300 Kansas fans gasping for air.
Saturday’s 66-61 squeaker stretched Kansas’ home-court winning streak to 36 games, the longest in the nation, and wasn’t assured until Tyrel Reed’s 3-pointer halted the Colorado comeback and Sherron Collins scored his team’s last four points.
“Fortunately, we didn’t lose,” said Collins, who suffered through one of his worst shooting games of the year.
The Jayhawks (17-4, 6-0 Big 12) scored only 25 points in the second half and went more than seven minutes in one stretch without a field goal.
“I thought we adjusted well,” Colorado coach Jeff Bzdelik said. “So we grew as a young basketball team. And the most important thing is to understand the difference in the two halves.”
The Buffaloes (9-11, 1-5) nearly overcame a 21-point second-half deficit while gunning for their first win in Lawrence in 26 years.
Kansas seemed comfortably in front of the 20-point underdogs when Markieff Morris’ three-point play made it 46-25 less than a minute into the second half.
But then Cory Higgins hit five straight points, and the Buffaloes went on a 27-8 run to get within two points.
The Kansas record for the biggest lead surrendered in a loss is 20 points, and that seemed in grave danger as the Jayhawks missed shot after shot in the second half.
Reed’s 3-pointer gave Kansas a 57-52 lead with 5:43 left.
Nate Tomlinson’s 3-pointer shaved the lead to 62-59 with 59 seconds left, and Colorado called timeout. With four seconds left on the shot clock, Kansas called time. Collins then put up an off-balance shot that went in, making it 64-59. Then, with seven seconds to go, Dwight Thorne’s basket made it 64-61.
After a CU timeout, Collins was deliberately fouled with 4.8 seconds to go. With a free-throw streak of 27 straight and the game on the line, the junior guard hit both shots to seal the win.
“I thought that we were going to get the win when we were down by two,” Thorne said.
COLORADO (9-11, 1-5 BIG 12)
Jackson-Wilson 6-9 0-0 12, Dufault 2-5 2-2 7, Tomlinson 3-4 0-0 7, Higgins 6-16 3-5 15, Thorne II 6-9 3-4 18, Coney 0-1 0-0 0, Knutson 1-3 0-0 2, Crawford 0-3 0-0 0, Eckloff 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 24-51 8-11 61.
KANSAS (17-4, 6-0)
Marc.Morris 1-2 4-4 6, Aldrich 5-10 5-6 15, Collins 4-16 2-2 11, Morningstar 3-7 2-2 10, Taylor 1-4 2-2 4, Teahan 0-0 0-0 0, Thomas 0-1 0-0 0, Reed 2-4 2-2 8, Mark.Morris 4-5 2-2 10, Little 1-2 0-0 2, Releford 0-0 0-0 0. Totals 21-51 19-20 66.
Halftime — Kansas 41-25. 3-point goals — Colorado 5-17 (Thorne II 3-4, Tomlinson 1-2, Dufault 1-3, Knutson 0-1, Coney 0-1, Eckloff 0-1, Crawford 0-2, Higgins 0-3), Kansas 5-21 (Reed 2-3, Morningstar 2-6, Collins 1-10, Little 0-1, Taylor 0-1). Fouled out — None. Rebounds — Colorado 24 (Higgins, Jackson-Wilson 5), Kansas 37 (Aldrich 13). Assists — Colorado 10 (Higgins 5), Kansas 13 (Collins 4). Total fouls — Colorado 17, Kansas 15. A — 16,300.
