LAWRENCE, Kan. — Zeke Mayo scored 24 points, including a pair of clinching free throws with 3.1 seconds left, and No. 11 Kansas rallied to beat UCF 91-87 on Tuesday night to avoid its first back-to-back losses in Allen Fieldhouse in 36 years.
Hunter Dickinson added 24 points and Flory Bidunga had 10 points and 11 boards for the Jayhawks (15-5, 6-3 Big 12), who were coming off a double-overtime loss to sixth-ranked Houston.
The Knights (13-7, 4-5), who got 34 points from Keyshawn Hall and 19 from Darius Johnson, led by nine early in the second half before the Jayhawks used a 12-2 run to take their first lead since midway through the first half.
The Jayhawks were clinging to an 87-86 lead when KJ Adams, back after missing three games to a shoulder injury, made a pair of free throws with 4.6 seconds left. Kansas fouled Johnson at the other end and he made one of two foul shots, and Mayo then went to the line for the clinching free throws.
Kansas has not lost consecutive games at the Phog since dropping four straight under Roy Williams in 1989.
UCF lost to the Jayhawks by 51 points at home a couple of weeks ago. So the fact that the Knights were able to take Kansas to the wire in Allen Fieldhouse speaks volumes about their resiliency.
Kansas played without Dajuan Harris Jr., who hurt his ankle in practice. The Jayhawks could have used his experience, especially when their guards got into foul trouble. He’s played in 159 games and had started the last 98 of them.
Adams only scored 12 points, but his free throws in the final seconds were crucial.
UCF plays BYU on Saturday. Kansas heads to Baylor the same day.
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