LAWRENCE, Kan. – BYU coach Mark Pope had just been given a technical foul late in the game, and the volume was quickly ramping up inside Allen Fieldhouse, where so many opponents over the years have wilted down the stretch against mighty Kansas.
Pope walked back to his huddle and realized something special about his players.
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“They were the ones composed,” he said. “They were like, ‘Hey, we’re OK. Let's keep working.' And they did.”
Led by 18 points apiece from unflappable Dallin Hall and Jaxson Robinson, the Cougars wiped away a 12-point deficit and then held on for a 76-68 victory Tuesday night, ending the seventh-ranked Jayhawks' 19-game home winning streak.
“All of us are lifelong college basketball fans,” Pope said, “and this arena, this team, this coach, these players — you know, it's an all-time mecca. I think that's what makes this special. We talk about faith in our program, and certainly it is an important part of our university, and watching our guys' faith in each other tonight and faith in the process was special to watch.”
The Cougars (20-8, 8-7 Big 12) trailed 58-57 with 4:50 to go when Hall made two free throws for their first lead. A few minutes later, Noah Waterman hit a 3 to give BYU a 66-63 lead. And when Hunter Dickinson answered with a 3 for Kansas, Robinson hit two free throws and Hall made another 3 to send the Cougars to a win in their first trip to the Phog since 1971.
"They play hard and they challenged us on every front," Hall said, "but we responded and executed our game plan."
Dickinson had 17 points and 11 rebounds to lead the Jayhawks (21-7, 9-6), who were just 3 of 15 from 3-point range and 19 for 31 at the foul line. Dajuan Harris Jr. added 12 points, KJ Adams Jr. scored 11 and Johnny Furphy finished with 10.
BYU won despite heavy foul trouble in part by going 13 of 34 from behind the 3-point arc.
“We played pitifully tonight, but when I say we played pitifully, I don't want to take something away from BYU,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “BYU was better than us. After we go up 12, the second half — they controlled it. We hoped to score. They actually ran offense to score. So give them credit. They caused us to look bad.”
Already playing without Kevin McCullar Jr., who missed his fifth game with a bruised knee, the Jayhawks experienced another scare when Nick Timberlake landed hard after going up for a rebound early in the game. The thud echoed through the fieldhouse, and Timberlake spent a couple of minutes in the locker room before eventually returning to the game.
Foul trouble hit BYU in the second half, when Hall picked up his fourth with 17:39 to go and Trevin Knell got his fourth — after a double-technical with Dickinson — just minutes later. But the Jayhawks were unable to take advantage at the offensive end, and that allowed the Cougars to stay within striking distance.
That's when Pope got called for his technical foul and the entire complexion of the game changed.
The poised Cougars suddenly began to rain 3-pointers, erasing a 56-50 deficit and taking their first lead at 59-58 on two free throws by Hall with 4:50 to play. Hall added two 3s of his own over the next few minutes, including one from the top of the key that gave the Big 12 newcomers a 71-66 lead with 1:31 remaining.
The Cougars were able to hold on the rest of the way for another signature win in their first season in the league.
“I've never seen an atmosphere quite like this,” Pope said afterward. “We're just really grateful we had an opportunity to come compete here. This is one of the meccas and we're just really fortunate to come away with a win.”
UP NEXT
BYU returns home to play TCU on Saturday night.
Kansas visits No. 15 Baylor on Saturday.
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AP college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/college-basketball