LAWRENCE, Kan. _ Oklahoma State's basketball players spoiled a heck of a party on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Cowboys stunned No. 7-ranked Kansas, 84-79, before a crowd of 16,300 that included about 200 former KU players, coaches and staff members on hand for the Jayhawks' 120 years of basketball reunion weekend.
Kendall Smith scored a career-high 24 points with five rebounds and five assists, while Cameron McGriff had a career best 20 points with nine rebounds for the Cowboys. Jeffrey Carroll added 15 points and Lindy Waters 11 for an OSU team that hit 12 of 27 3s to KU's 8 of 22.
OSU (14-9, 4-6 Big 12) handed KU (18-5, 7-3) its third loss at Allen in the 2017-18 season. Last time KU lost three games in a single season at Allen was 1998-99, when the Jayhawks went 10-3. KU has dropped two conference games at home in a single campaign for the first time since '98-99 as well.
KU's Udoka Azubuike scored 20 points and grabbed five rebounds (he hit 4 of 7 free throws). Svi Mykhailiuk and Devonte Graham had 17 points apiece and Malik Newman 16 for the Jayhawks.
KU, which trailed by 11 points with 3:15 left, sliced the gap to five at 82-77 on a Graham 3 with 42.3 seconds left but had a Mykhailiuk turnover on the next possession. After a Smith free throw that missed, Graham hit two free throws to cut it to 82-79 at 14.2 seconds. Smith returned to the line at 10.2 seconds. He hit two free throws to make it 84-79.
Those on hand for the reunion who were introduced at halftime included Luke Axtell, Scooter Barry, Nick Bradford, Jeff Carey, John Crider, Jeff Dishman, Tony Guy, Jeff Hawkins, Jeff Gueldner, David Johanning, Elijah Johnson, Monte Johnson, Ron Kellogg, Matt Kleinmann, Keith Langford, Bill Lienhard, Al Lopes, David Magley, Brian Martin, Roger Morningstar, Tyke Peacock, T.J. Pugh, Tyrel Reed, Patrick Richey, Tyler Self, Wayne Simien, Conner Teahan, Billy Thomas, Jerry Waugh, Chris Zerbe and of course many others.
OSU outrebounded KU 27-17 during the first half and led 46-33 at the break. The Cowboys held their biggest first-half lead at 46-28 with 3:11 left in the half. Smith and McGriff had 12 points apiece while Carroll had nine the first half. OSU hit 16 of 37 shots for 43.2 percent (8 of 18 3s) the first half while holding KU to 37.5 percent shooting (1 of 8 from 3).
Azubuike had 12 points the first half. He made 4 of 6 free throws. Mykhailiuk had seven points on 3 of 10 shooting.
