No. 20 Nevada blocks Kansas’ comeback bid
Nick Fazekas scored 21 of his career-high 35 points in the second half and made a disputed block in the closing seconds, and No. 20 Nevada held off Kansas’ second-half comeback to win 72-70 Thursday night at Lawrence, Kan.
It was the most points scored against the Jayhawks by one player since Missouri’s Arthur Johnson scored 37 on March 27, 2004.
The Jayhawks got within 71-70 on Micah Downs’ 3-pointer with 17.6 seconds left, and got the ball back with time to get down the floor after Mo Charlo hit the second of two foul shots with 6.9 seconds left.
Jeff Hawkins, caught up in traffic near the baseline, dished to C.J. Giles in the lane. But Fazekas knocked the ball away as Giles went up to shoot, and time ran out.
Kansas coach Bill Self stormed onto the court, demanding a foul be called.
“I’m not one to complain about officiating, and I’m not going to tonight,” Self said. “But we did exactly what we wanted to do. We wanted to drive it, because they’re told not to foul. Hawk made a great play to C.J.
“C.J. said he got fouled, but obviously we didn’t get the call.”
Charlo added 12 points for the Wolf Pack (4-0), who made up for their second-half shooting struggles by finishing 21 for 24 from the line.
Kansas fell to 2-3 for the first time since the 1972-73 season despite outscoring Nevada 57-51 from the field.
Sasha Kaun led Kansas with 19 points on 7-for-14 shooting but missed several open looks near the basket. Brandon Rush added 15 points, all but two in the second half.
Kansas shot just 34 percent (12 for 35) in the first half, dropping as low as 30 percent (10 for 33), and trailed 35-27 at the break. But a 16-7 run, capped by Russell Robinson’s basket with just more than 8 1/2 minutes left, put the Jayhawks up 52-50.
They took their biggest lead, 57-54, on two free throws by Rush with 4:42 left. But Fazekas converted a 3-pointer at the other end and Ramon Sessions followed with a pair of free throws to make it 59-57, and the Wolf Pack never trailed again.
Nevada took the lead for good, 61-59, on two free throws by Charlo with 3:44 left.
An intentional foul on Nevada’s Chad Bell helped spark Kansas’ second-half comeback.
Bell shoved Kansas’ Mario Chalmers as Chalmers drove for a layup, and Chalmers was injured and had to leave the game. Hawkins replaced Chalmers and hit both free throws, then scored on a layup on the ensuing inbounds play to get Kansas within 43-42 with just more than 13 1/2 minutes left.