Kansas head coach Bill Self was 39-0 on ESPN's Big Monday in Allen Fieldhouse. No. 1 Arizona was 23-0, the Jayhawks were on a seven-game Big 12 winning streak; something had to give. Tonight in The Phog, the Jayhawks prevailed. Flory Bidunga rose to the moment, and No. 9 Kansas Jayhawks men's basketball delivered one of its biggest wins in recent memory Monday night, knocking off top-ranked and previously unbeaten Arizona Wildcats men's basketball 82-78 inside an electric Allen Fieldhouse.
Playing without freshman star Darryn Peterson who was a late scratch due to flu-like symptoms, Kansas relied on toughness, balance and poise late to erase an 11-point second-half deficit and hand Arizona its first loss of the season. The Wildcats entered 23-0 but were outscored 40-33 after halftime.
Bidunga fueled the rally, finishing with 23 points on 8-of-11 shooting and 10 rebounds. He capped a personal seven-point burst with a layup at the 9:32 mark of the second half, giving Kansas its first lead of the night.
Senior guard Melvin Council Jr. matched Bidunga with 23 points and delivered in crunch time, knocking down 10 of 11 free throws, including three in the final minute. Tre White added two more at the stripe to seal it.
Kansas also got key contributions from Bryson Tiller, who scored 18, and Jamari McDowell, who chipped in 10, along with several timely defensive plays.
Arizona controlled much of the first half, taking a 45-42 lead into the break and stretching its advantage to 55-44 early in the second. Kansas answered with a quick 7-0 run and never let the game slip again.
Freshman Brayden Burries led the Wildcats with 25 points, while center Motiejus Krivas added 14 as Arizona made multiple late pushes.
The final minutes turned into a tense exchange of stops and free throws. Arizona trimmed the margin to one in the closing seconds, but Council’s steady hand and White’s late makes at the free-throw line closed the door as the crowd erupted.
Kansas coach Bill Self credited his team’s resilience and the atmosphere after the Jayhawks improved to 19-5 overall and 9-2 in Big 12 play, extending their winning streak to eight.
Kansas heads back on the road Saturday for another top-10 showdown against the No. 5 Iowa State Cyclones in Ames. The Jayhawks took down the Cyclones earlier this season at home but will now head on the road to Hilton Coliseum. Tipoff is set for noon, and the action will be broadcast on ESPN/ABC.