McCullar scores career-best 34 points, No. 2 Kansas pulls away late for 75-60 win over Yale
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) Kevin McCullar Jr. was going IN for a layup in practice this week when one of his Kansas teammates landed on his head.
You'd never know that he had tweaked his neck Friday night.
The veteran guard poured in a career-high 34 points against Yale, taking over during a second-half run that gave the Jayhawks the lead, and the nation's second-ranked team eventually pulled away for a 75-60 win over the Bulldogs.
"He's been our best player the whole year. Proved it again today," said Jayhawks reserve Nicolas Timberlake, who added 13 points. “Got nicked up in practice the other day and played through it. Easily one of the toughest players I've played with."
Dajuan Harris Jr. added 10 points and six assists for the Jayhawks (11-1), who trailed by as many as 11 in the first half and by a point at the break before making the final appear much more comfortable than it was all night.
Yale (7-6) shut down Kansas big man Hunter Dickinson, kept the Jayhawks from getting into transition and held its own on the glass. It also got 13 points apiece from guards August Mahoney and Bez Mbeng, who kept the Bulldogs in the game.
“We didn't play well early,” Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. “The last 24 minutes I thought we were pretty good.”
Kansas has had trouble with trap-type games this season, stumbling past Eastern Illinois between the Maui Invitational and a showdown with UConn, and struggling to overcome a slow start against Kansas City before facing rival Missouri.
That was the case again in the Jayhawks' last game before an eight-day holiday break.
They missed easy shots in the paint, took poor shots from the perimeter and allowed Yale to gain some confidence when Mahoney and John Poulakidas began knocking down 3-pointers. By the time Danny Wolf knocked down a 3 of his own, and Self called timeout, the Bulldogs had built a 25-14 lead in the closing minutes of the first half.
The Jayhawks settled down a bit, scoring the final seven points of the half, but they still trailed 33-32 at the break.
Then they turned up the defense in the second half.
Forcing the Bulldogs into a pair of shot-clock violations, and very nearly three more, the Jayhawks slowly pulled back ahead. And when they got the lead, they quickly extended it, unspooling a 13-1 run to take a 51-43 lead with 7 1/2 minutes to go.
McCullar added a pair of 3s during a 10-0 run a couple of minutes later that put the game away.
“The big thing for us, we have guys that can put the ball in the hole,” McCullar said. “It's about the defensive end for us. Not all shots are going to fall. We have to worry about the defensive end first.”
BIG PICTURE
Yale hung with Gonzaga earlier this season, so coach James Jones knew his team could compete. But the way the Bulldogs played in the toughest environment they will face all season bodes well for Ivy League play.
Kansas was coming off tough games against Missouri and Indiana, so the Jayhawks were ripe for a letdown. Now comes a break before facing Wichita State in Kansas City, Missouri, in the Jayhawks' final tuneup before Big 12 play.
UP NEXT
Yale visits Santa Clara on Dec. 30.
Kansas plays the Shockers the same day.
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Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
20:00 | Danny Wolf vs. Hunter Dickinson (Dajuan Harris Jr. gains possession) | |||
19:34 | Hunter Dickinson misses three point jump shot | |||
19:32 | Matt Knowling defensive rebound | |||
19:09 | +2 | Danny Wolf makes two point layup | 2-0 | |
18:42 | Dajuan Harris Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
18:40 | Bulldogs defensive rebound | |||
18:30 | John Poulakidas misses three point jump shot | |||
18:28 | Danny Wolf offensive rebound | |||
18:16 | Matt Knowling misses two point layup | |||
18:14 | Hunter Dickinson defensive rebound | |||
18:08 | +2 | Hunter Dickinson makes two point jump shot (Kevin McCullar Jr. assists) | 2-2 | |
17:53 | August Mahoney misses three point jump shot | |||
17:51 | Kevin McCullar Jr. defensive rebound | |||
17:46 | +2 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes two point layup | 2-4 | |
17:46 | John Poulakidas shooting foul (Kevin McCullar Jr. draws the foul) | |||
17:46 | +1 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 2-5 | |
17:15 | +2 | John Poulakidas makes two point layup (Bez Mbeng assists) | 4-5 | |
16:54 | Hunter Dickinson misses two point jump shot | |||
16:52 | August Mahoney defensive rebound | |||
16:33 | +2 | Danny Wolf makes two point layup (August Mahoney assists) | 6-5 | |
16:08 | Hunter Dickinson turnover (Bez Mbeng steals) | |||
15:52 | Dajuan Harris Jr. personal foul (Bez Mbeng draws the foul) | |||
15:52 | TV timeout | |||
15:37 | John Poulakidas misses two point jump shot | |||
15:35 | Elmarko Jackson defensive rebound | |||
15:17 | Kevin McCullar Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
15:15 | Bulldogs defensive rebound | |||
14:54 | John Poulakidas misses two point jump shot | |||
14:52 | Jayhawks defensive rebound | |||
14:41 | +2 | Parker Braun makes two point dunk (KJ Adams Jr. assists) | 6-7 | |
14:29 | Kevin McCullar Jr. blocks August Mahoney's two point layup | |||
14:27 | Dajuan Harris Jr. defensive rebound | |||
14:19 | Kevin McCullar Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
14:17 | Nick Townsend defensive rebound | |||
14:05 | Elmarko Jackson personal foul | |||
14:02 | +2 | August Mahoney makes two point jump shot | 8-7 | |
13:55 | +2 | Nicolas Timberlake makes two point layup (Dajuan Harris Jr. assists) | 8-9 | |
13:31 | Samson Aletan misses two point jump shot | |||
13:29 | Parker Braun defensive rebound | |||
13:12 | Dajuan Harris Jr. turnover (Bez Mbeng steals) | |||
13:08 | +2 | Bez Mbeng makes two point layup (August Mahoney assists) | 10-9 | |
12:46 | +2 | Nicolas Timberlake makes two point layup | 10-11 | |
12:23 | Bez Mbeng turnover (Dajuan Harris Jr. steals) | |||
12:15 | Samson Aletan blocks KJ Adams Jr.'s two point jump shot | |||
12:13 | Nick Townsend defensive rebound | |||
12:01 | Kevin McCullar Jr. personal foul (Samson Aletan draws the foul) | |||
12:01 | +1 | Samson Aletan makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 11-11 | |
12:01 | +1 | Samson Aletan makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 12-11 | |
11:44 | Elmarko Jackson misses two point jump shot | |||
11:42 | Danny Wolf defensive rebound | |||
11:35 | +3 | August Mahoney makes three point jump shot (Yassine Gharram assists) | 15-11 | |
11:33 | Jayhawks 30 second timeout | |||
11:33 | TV timeout | |||
11:15 | Nicolas Timberlake misses three point jump shot | |||
11:13 | Nicolas Timberlake offensive rebound | |||
11:11 | Danny Wolf blocks Nicolas Timberlake's two point layup | |||
11:09 | Jayhawks offensive rebound | |||
11:05 | KJ Adams Jr. turnover (lost ball) (Casey Simmons steals) | |||
10:53 | KJ Adams Jr. blocks Casey Simmons's two point layup | |||
10:51 | Elmarko Jackson defensive rebound | |||
10:47 | +3 | Nicolas Timberlake makes three point jump shot (Elmarko Jackson assists) | 15-14 | |
10:23 | +2 | Matt Knowling makes two point jump shot | 17-14 | |
10:05 | Elmarko Jackson misses two point jump shot | |||
10:03 | Yassine Gharram defensive rebound | |||
9:40 | Danny Wolf misses three point jump shot | |||
9:38 | Jamari McDowell defensive rebound | |||
9:14 | Elmarko Jackson misses two point jump shot | |||
9:12 | Danny Wolf defensive rebound | |||
8:43 | Bez Mbeng misses three point jump shot | |||
8:41 | Bulldogs offensive rebound | |||
8:41 | Bulldogs turnover (shot clock violation) | |||
8:34 | Elmarko Jackson turnover (lost ball) | |||
8:13 | Matt Knowling misses two point jump shot | |||
8:11 | Hunter Dickinson defensive rebound | |||
8:02 | Hunter Dickinson misses two point dunk | |||
8:00 | Matt Knowling defensive rebound | |||
7:56 | Nicolas Timberlake personal foul (Danny Wolf draws the foul) | |||
7:56 | TV timeout | |||
7:44 | Danny Wolf misses two point layup | |||
7:42 | Jack Molloy offensive rebound | |||
7:39 | +2 | Jack Molloy makes two point layup | 19-14 | |
7:20 | KJ Adams Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
7:18 | Bez Mbeng defensive rebound | |||
7:13 | +3 | John Poulakidas makes three point jump shot (Bez Mbeng assists) | 22-14 | |
6:44 | Hunter Dickinson turnover (lost ball) (Jack Molloy steals) | |||
6:21 | +3 | Danny Wolf makes three point jump shot (John Poulakidas assists) | 25-14 | |
6:21 | Jayhawks 30 second timeout | |||
6:07 | Kevin McCullar Jr. misses two point layup | |||
6:05 | Jayhawks offensive rebound | |||
5:57 | +2 | Hunter Dickinson makes two point layup (Kevin McCullar Jr. assists) | 25-16 | |
5:38 | Yussif Basa-Ama misses two point jump shot | |||
5:36 | Hunter Dickinson defensive rebound | |||
5:27 | Dajuan Harris Jr. turnover (bad pass) (Yussif Basa-Ama steals) | |||
5:14 | Jack Molloy turnover (Kevin McCullar Jr. steals) | |||
5:09 | +2 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes two point layup | 25-18 | |
5:09 | Jack Molloy shooting foul (Kevin McCullar Jr. draws the foul) | |||
5:09 | +1 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 1 | 25-19 | |
4:45 | +2 | Matt Knowling makes two point jump shot | 27-19 | |
4:35 | KJ Adams Jr. turnover (bad pass) | |||
4:23 | Bez Mbeng turnover (bad pass) (KJ Adams Jr. steals) | |||
4:19 | KJ Adams Jr. misses two point layup | |||
4:17 | Kevin McCullar Jr. offensive rebound | |||
4:17 | +2 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes two point layup | 27-21 | |
4:17 | Bulldogs 30 second timeout | |||
4:17 | TV timeout | |||
3:47 | Danny Wolf misses three point jump shot | |||
3:45 | Hunter Dickinson defensive rebound | |||
3:45 | Nick Townsend shooting foul (Kevin McCullar Jr. draws the foul) | |||
3:45 | +1 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 27-22 | |
3:45 | +1 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 27-23 | |
3:18 | +3 | John Poulakidas makes three point jump shot (Bez Mbeng assists) | 30-23 | |
3:00 | Kevin McCullar Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
2:58 | Danny Wolf defensive rebound | |||
2:42 | Danny Wolf turnover (lost ball) | |||
2:27 | +2 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes two point layup | 30-25 | |
2:03 | +3 | August Mahoney makes three point jump shot | 33-25 | |
1:46 | +3 | Dajuan Harris Jr. makes three point jump shot (Kevin McCullar Jr. assists) | 33-28 | |
1:27 | Bez Mbeng misses three point jump shot | |||
1:25 | Hunter Dickinson defensive rebound | |||
1:04 | Kevin McCullar Jr. misses three point jump shot | |||
1:02 | Jayhawks offensive rebound | |||
0:50 | +2 | KJ Adams Jr. makes two point jump shot (Dajuan Harris Jr. assists) | 33-30 | |
0:28 | Nick Townsend turnover (bad pass) (KJ Adams Jr. steals) | |||
0:26 | Danny Wolf shooting foul (Kevin McCullar Jr. draws the foul) | |||
0:26 | +1 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes regular free throw 1 of 2 | 33-31 | |
0:26 | +1 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes regular free throw 2 of 2 | 33-32 | |
0:20 | KJ Adams Jr. personal foul | |||
0:04 | Danny Wolf misses three point jump shot | |||
0:02 | Kevin McCullar Jr. defensive rebound | |||
0:00 | End of period |
Time | Team | Play | Score | |
---|---|---|---|---|
19:34 | Danny Wolf misses two point jump shot | |||
19:32 | Hunter Dickinson defensive rebound | |||
19:02 | Kevin McCullar Jr. turnover (Bez Mbeng steals) | |||
18:59 | +2 | Matt Knowling makes two point layup (Bez Mbeng assists) | 35-32 | |
18:43 | Dajuan Harris Jr. misses two point jump shot | |||
18:41 | Bulldogs defensive rebound | |||
18:39 | John Poulakidas turnover (traveling) | |||
18:23 | +2 | Kevin McCullar Jr. makes two point jump shot | 35-34 | |