NORMAN, Okla. — Some call it “Hack-a-Buike,” others refer to it a “Poke-a-Doke.”
Regardless of one’s preference, perhaps it’s time to let Lon Kruger coin it.
The Oklahoma basketball coach deployed the strategy Tuesday night — named for intentionally fouling Kansas center Udoka Azubuike and making him earn it at the free-throw line — and the ploy worked perfectly, with the 7-footer missing all six of his attempts from the stripe en route to the No. 12-ranked Sooners’ 85-80 comeback victory over the No. 5 Jayhawks at Lloyd Noble Center.
KU held a two-point lead, 78-76, with four minutes to play, but the Jayhawks would come away with points on only one possession the rest of the way — a Lagerald Vick put-back dunk. Azubuike ended four possessions himself with misses on the front ends of a pair of one-and-ones and four misses when the Jayhawks were in the double bonus.
OU, meanwhile, got a go-ahead 3-point make from Christian James with 1:09 left and a dagger from Brady Manek with 25 seconds left for the victory. Superstar freshman Trae Young had 26 points on 7-for-9 shooting and a 10-for-12 performance from the free-throw line for OU, which overcame a 10-point second-half deficit.
Svi Mykhailiuk’s 24 points paced the Jayhawks, who also got 20 points from Malik Newman but little else offensively.
The Jayhawks (16-4, 6-2 Big 12) entered the half down two, 43-41, despite playing the majority of the period without Azubuike.
Azubuike was dinged for two fouls in only five first-half minutes, missing the final 10 minutes before the break. The Sooners (15-4, 5-3) went on a 20-13 run after Azubuike exited to take a 10-point lead, 39-29.
But Newman, so effective late in the Jayhawks’ last victory over Baylor, took over again, scoring eight of 10 team points after KU fell into a double-digit hole to make the deficit two. He finished with a game-high 15 points in the opening period on 5-for-6 shooting, while Young — the nation’s leading scorer entering Tuesday at 30.5 points per game — had eight points on 3-for-4 shooting and six assists in the first 20 minutes.
Mitch Lightfoot, who played 14 first-half minutes in relief of Azubuike, had 6 points, 4 rebounds and 2 blocks in the first half, including a point-blank rejection of a Young layup with one second left in the period. Freshman forward Silvio De Sousa, appearing in only his fourth collegiate contest, committed three turnovers in one minute in the opening half.
Azubuike returned with a vengeance to start the second period, connecting on four straight field-goal attempts — two emphatic dunks along the way — and Mykhailiuk’s 3-pointer put the Jayhawks up nine, 58-49. The Sooners, though, clawed back into it with a 5-for-5 field goal streak that made it 58-56, kick-started by Young’s first 3-pointer, a shot from just beyond half court.
The teams traded mini runs until Young hit four consecutive free-throw attempts to pull the Sooners within two, 76-74, with 5:41 to play. But a would-be game-tying layup by Young on a steal and ensuing drive never materialized, as the freshman was called for pushing off on Devonte’ Graham, a call that incensed the Lloyd Noble Center faithful for the rest of the contest.
A Newman driving layup and pair of Rashard Odomes free throws made it 78-76 with four minutes to play, setting up the “Poke-a-Doke”-fueled finish.
KU returns to action with a break in Big 12 play, hosting SEC squad Texas A&M at 3:30 p.m. Saturday.