Can the Jayhawks Bounce Back After Narrow Defeat at Hilton Coliseum?
The Kansas Jayhawks, ranked 7th, faced a challenging contest against the 23rd-ranked Iowa State Cyclones, culminating in a tight scoreline of 79-75. The Jayhawks now stand with an additional loss to their record while the Cyclones notch another victory.
In a game that saw both teams neck and neck, the Kansas Jayhawks displayed commendable effort at James H. Hilton Coliseum. Despite trailing with 26 points to Iowa State's 30 by halftime, they managed to put up an impressive additional 49 points in the second half. However, it was not enough to surpass the Cyclones who matched this with their own surge of 49 points after intermission.
The Jayhawks' offensive efforts were notable as they shot at a solid rate from inside and outside the arc. They made half of their two-point attempts (20 out of 40) and converted seven three-pointers from twenty attempts for a three-point shooting percentage of thirty-five percent. Their overall field goal percentage stood at forty-five percent with twenty-seven successful shots out of sixty attempts.
On defense and on the boards, Kansas showed tenacity as well. They grabbed forty rebounds in total; eleven were on offense which contributed to eleven second-chance points. The defensive end saw them pull down twenty-seven rebounds but they managed only one block throughout the game compared to Iowa State's five blocks.
Free throws often play a critical role in close games and for Kansas, hitting fourteen out of nineteen free throws was crucial; this accounted for seventy-four percent success rate from the line.
Ball handling was relatively stable for Kansas despite some challenges; they turned over possession twelve times but also dished out eighteen assists leading to an assists turnover ratio of one point five.
Looking ahead after this hard-fought battle, fans can mark their calendars for an exciting matchup as The Kansas Jayhawks will host Oklahoma State Cowboys at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence on January 30th at 8:00 PM local time (Central Time). This encounter will be broadcast nationally on ESPN channel two hundred six where supporters can tune in to follow all live action from home or wherever they may be.