‘Awful’ Kansas loses by 34, connected for Self’s worst
Feb 18, 2025, 11:57 PM ET
PROVO, Utah– Richie Saunders scored 22 points to lead BYU, and the Cougars handed No. 23 Kansas a monumental 91-57 defeat on Tuesday night.At 34 points in margin, according to ESPN Research study, Tuesday’s loss connected for the worst under Jayhawks coach Expense Self, and was the third-worst defeat in the storied program’s history. In 2021, Self’s team also lost by 34, that time to USC in the NCAA tournament.The defeat likewise implied
the Jayhawks suffered back-to-back losses for the first time this season in conference play, and this one could be quickly explained. They devoted 15 turnovers and enabled 52%shooting en route to the result.Trevin Knell added 15 points and Mawot Mag had 13 to assist the Cougars(
18-8, 9-6 Big 12 )register their 3rd straight win. Saunders, Knell, and Mag combined to link on 11 3-pointers.”I thought we were horrible, and I believed they were excellent, “Self said after the loss.”I think that BYU could have beaten anyone tonight. They were great. And we didn’t do anything to make them play less terrific. … Our offense stunk, but that wasn’t it. It wasn’t our offense. It was we couldn’t stop them or getting momentum to stop them.”Hunter Dickinson led the Jayhawks with 12 points. Kansas (17-9, 8-7 )trailed by as many as 38 points in the 2nd half.Efficient shooting and ruthless protective pressure powered the Cougars. Mag and Keba Keita each scored a pair of baskets to sustain a 14-2 run
that gave BYU a 22-7 lead simply 7 minutes into the game, much to the delight of the fans.”We were so poor, “Self said, “that I do not believe we felt the complete energy of a building than if it had been a tight game.
“Editor’s Picks 2 Associated Kansas had a possibility to close the space after BYU went six minutes without scoring a basket. The Jayhawks cut the deficit in half, pulling
to 25-17 on a 3-pointer from Rylan Griffen.The Cougars regained a double-digit lead behind a flurry of 3-pointers. BYU made five 3s over the final 6:15 before halftime, highlighted by back-to-back outdoors baskets from Saunders and Knell, to extend its cause 46-26 at the break.For the Jayhawks, the losses are ending up being more and more confounding. According to ESPN Research, this is the seventh loss of the season for Kansas as a ranked team playing an unranked challenger.
That is connected for the program’s most such losses in a single season in Associated Press poll era, which started in 1948-49. The Jayhawks also suffered that number of losses, in that credentials, in the 1998-99 and 1986-87 seasons.”We require to regroup. We need to get away from each other for a day, go home, and hopefully be able to,”Self said.”A lot of times with groups, there needs to be something that occurs that pulls everyone together that is us against the outside. And we’re going to have an opportunity to do that for sure.”The Associated Press added to this report.