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Kansas basketball vs. UNC recap: Jayhawks survive to take victory at Allen Fieldhouse

Kansas basketball vs. UNC recap: Jayhawks survive to take victory at Allen Fieldhouse

(This story has been updated to add new information.)

(This story has been updated to change or add a photo or video.)

LAWRENCE— Kansas basketball survived a furious comeback at home against UNC in a non-conference game on Friday, winning 92-89.

The No. 1 Jayhawks led by as many as 20 points early, but No. 10 North Carolina made it a game again in the second half. This was the first matchup between these two sides since the 2022 national championship game in the NCAA Tournament. Kansas won that game and was able to do so again tonight thanks to the efforts of Hunter Dickinson, Zeke Mayo and more.

This is what happened at Allen Fieldhouse:

How to watch Kansas Basketball play UNC in the rematch of the 2022 national championship game

UPDATE: 8:18 PM (CT): LATEST: Kansas 92, UNC 89

UPDATE: 8:13 PM (CT) Kansas leads 91-89 with 1:06 left in the second half

It remains a close battle, but Kansas has taken back the lead. The Jayhawks lead 91-89 with just over a minute left in the second half. Hunter Dickinson gave Kansas this lead with a bucket on an assist from Zeke Mayo, who led all scorers with 21 points.

UPDATE: 8:04 PM (CT): UNC leads 86-83 with 3:30 left in the second half

It’s by no means time to panic for Kansas, but the Jayhawks are trailing with three and a half minutes left in the second half. UNC outscored Kansas by 18 points in the second half.

Something that should be a cause for concern, however, are two Kansas starters who are in foul trouble. Both Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris Jr. will have to play the remainder of the match with four fouls.

UPDATE: 7:49 PM (CT): Kansas leads 77-75 with 8:49 left in the second half

UNC is on a 9-0 run in the final minute and is now only two points behind. So far tonight, North Carolina is 25-for-27 from the free throw line. Kansas, on the other hand, is just 7-for-11 in that regard.

UPDATE 7:37 PM (CT): Kansas leads 72-63 with 11:46 left in the second half

Kansas is starting to find its form again and is still leading by nine points with just under twelve minutes to go in regulation. The Jayhawks have seen Zeke Mayo shine here lately, and his latest jumper pushed him to 17 points. That leads both Kansas and all scorers so far tonight.

UPDATE: 7:26 PM (CT): Kansas leads 57-48 with 15:58 left in the second half

North Carolina has started the second half as well as the first, and now trails by just nine points. The Jayhawks are really struggling to shoot. Kansas has also been fortunate that, in this lull in the action, UNC has missed a few open 3s.

One statistic to keep an eye on is points on turnovers. So far, Kansas has 10 points fewer than seven North Carolina turnovers. UNC is no points short of three Jayhawks turnovers.

UPDATE: 7:02 PM (CT): HALFTIME: Kansas 53, UNC 38

UPDATE: 6:46 PM (CT): Kansas leads 43-29 with 3:55 left in the first half

Kansas had to deal with Hunter Dickinson making a few mistakes in the first half, but it didn’t hurt them at all. The Jayhawks lead by fourteen points with less than four minutes left in the first half. When Flory Bidunga came on for a few more minutes in place of Dickinson, Bidunga generally played well.

Zeke Mayo hit a few threes that really got him and the crowd going. Rylan Griffen recently made a great block defending a UNC shot. Fans have had plenty to cheer about here during the first half.

UPDATE: 6:22 PM (CT): Kansas leads 27-20 with 11:02 left in the first half

Kansas now has the lead and has the largest lead with seven points. The Jayhawks have been able to get inside many times against UNC and have had quite a few dunks so far. KJ Adams Jr. and AJ Storr both sent the fans into a frenzy at Allen Fieldhouse.

Adams leads all scorers with 10 points. He is 5-for-6 from the field. He, and his Kansas teammates, have generally been very efficient on offense.

UPDATE: 6:10 PM (CT): UNC leads 9-7 with 3:55 left in the first half

UNC got off to a fast start and led as much as 7-2, but the Jayhawks responded. Just over four minutes into the first half, Kansas trails 9-7. RJ Davis leads North Carolina with five points.

On the Kansas side, KJ Adams Jr. ahead with four points. Rylan Griffen hit a critical three-pointer. Hunter Dickinson has missed both of his shots from the field so far.

Foreplay

Here are the starters from Kansas and UNC

Shakeel Moore will not play for Kansas tonight

Kansas basketball vs. UNC game time

What channel is the Kansas Basketball vs UNC game on today?

Kansas’ basketball game against UNC will air on ESPN2. Dan Shulman (play-by-play), Jay Bilas (analyst), Eric Moseley (producer) and Mike Roig (director) will be on hand for the game at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas. Streaming options include ESPN+.

Kansas basketball vs. UNC betting

Opportunities courtesy of BetMGM from Friday November 8

  • Chances: Kansas with 7.5

  • O/U: 159.5

Kansas basketball vs UNC prediction

Kansas will be tested by UNC in this matchup. North Carolina has a lot of talent, especially in the backfield. But the Jayhawks have home field advantage here, as well as star graduate center Hunter Dickinson to take them to a 81-71 victory.

Kansas basketball schedule 2024-2025

Here’s a look at Kansas’ first five games of the regular season. The full schedule is available online.

  • November 4 (home): Howard — Kansas won 87-57

  • November 8 (home): North Carolina

  • November 12 (neutral): State of Michigan

  • November 16 (home): Oakland

  • November 19 (home): UNC Wilmington

2024-25 UNC Basketball Schedule

Here’s a look at UNC’s first five regular-season games. The full schedule is available online.

Kansas basketball vs. UNC score

Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He is the National Sports Media Association Sportswriter of the Year for the state of Kansas for 2022. Contact him at [email protected] or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.

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This article originally appeared in Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball vs. UNC recap: Jayhawks survive, capture victory