Kansas vs. Kentucky: Score, Highlights and Reaction from 2016 Regular Season

The Kansas Jayhawks have been nearly unbeatable at home since Bill Self took over as head coach in 2003, and that trend continued Saturday night as the No. 4 Jayhawks outlasted the No. 20 Kentucky Wildcats, 90-84, in an overtime classic at Allen Fieldhouse. 

Self's squad has now won 35 straight games at home and shook off some cobwebs in a big way after entering the cross-conference clash having dropped three of its last five contests. 

Categorizing Saturday's showdown as a thriller doesn't do it justice.

In a matchup that included figurative punches and counterpunches galore, Kansas and Kentucky traded buckets at a ridiculous rate. Whether it was Wayne Selden Jr. knocking down go-ahead three-pointers, Skal Labissiere knocking down smooth mid-range jumpers or Tyler Ulis blowing by defenders and finishing dribble drives at the rim, clutch moments abounded.

Selden finished with a career-high 33 points on 12-of-20 shooting (3-of-5 from three-point range) to help the Jayhawks overcome a shaky 30-of-47 shooting performance from the free-throw line. In overtime, he romped down the lane for a momentum-swinging jam, per the Big 12: 

While Kansas leaned on Selden throughout the extra session, Kentucky's offense stalled to the tune of eight overtime points as the Jayhawks embraced a paint-packing defensive strategy that forced the Wildcats into several ugly looks.

CBS Sports' Doug Gottlieb broke down the tactics that allowed Kansas to stave off the upset: 

"

Triangle and 2 won the game. #Kentucky had no plan. Also Willis fouling out/foul trouble made it possible

— Doug Gottlieb (@GottliebShow) January 31, 2016"

However, Kentucky couldn't have dreamed of overtime had it not been for Ulis—who played every minute and finished with a team-high 26 points to go with eight assists and three steals. Head coach John Calipari's side also remained competitive despite facing a 38-29 rebounding deficit, including a 12-5 discrepancy on the offensive glass.

As ESPN.com's Jeff Goodman noted, the Wildcats' resilient display provided plenty of reason for optimism: 

Kentucky received strong efforts from Jamal Murray (15 points), Isaiah Briscoe (12 points) and Alex Poythress (13 points, eight rebounds), each of whom acquitted himself nicely on a night when foul trouble dogged the Wildcats bigs.

But in the first half, the magnitude of the moment didn't faze Kentucky.

Despite entering a hostile environment, the Wildcats maintained composure and received strong scoring contributions across the board, with Ulis leading the charge.

The sophomore knifed into the lane at will—as College GameDay documented on Twitter—and he repeatedly shredded Kansas by swishing and dishing in the pick-and-roll to give Kentucky a six-point lead entering halftime.

CBS Sports' Sam Vecenie took note of the exceptional play that led to a 17-6 Wildcats run at the end of the first half:

The initial frame amounted to a back-and-forth affair that featured little in the way of defense, and Kansas was able to remain competitive thanks to its dominance on the glass, Selden's scoring and a couple of key bench contributors. 

Not only was Selden stellar in the early going, but the Jayhawks also received surprising efforts from Cheick Diallo (two points, three rebounds) and Carlton Bragg Jr. (six points, two rebounds) off the bench to keep things close, as CBS Sports' Matt Norlander observed: 

Kansas was able to muddy things in the second half with Perry Ellis back in the fold following a first half marred by foul trouble, and Kentucky's lead had evaporated by the time there were six minutes left in regulation.

Poor free-throw shooting nearly sent Kansas tumbling to consecutive losses, but Self's defense stood tall and helped anchor the Jayhawks as they went on to outscore Kentucky by six in the second frame and six in overtime.

However, things aren't going to get easier as Kansas continues its quest for a No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament. The Jayhawks will receive a brief two-game reprieve against a pair of unranked foes (Kansas State and TCU), but back-to-back showdowns against No. 9 West Virginia and top-ranked Oklahoma are looming in the second week of February. 

The Wildcats, on the other hand, have a softer upcoming schedule. Calipari's club won't face a ranked opponent again until it travels to College Station for a showdown with No. 5 Texas A&M on Feb. 20, and its only other daunting challenge is a pair of games against Florida. 

Saturday's loss was undoubtedly deflating for the Wildcats since they looked like the superior team for the game's first 30 minutes, but channeling those positive vibes into a strong close to the regular season could propel Kentucky into title contention in March.

Postgame Reaction

"You probably watch the game and say it's a hell of a game," Calipari said, according to Norlander. "I'm sick to my stomach."

Calipari also lamented his team's sluggishness when it had a chance to close things out, per Kentucky Basketball on Twitter: 

Selden, meanwhile, exuded plenty of confidence: "They were ahead for a lot of the game but we all knew deep down we were gonna come back," Selden said, per KAKE-TV's Shane Ewing. 

"We've taken some shots. We've taken some hard losses," Selden said, according to the Associated Press (via ESPN.com). "We've been battle-tested for a couple of years now, this season especially, and I feel like this is going to make us better."

"Wayne was extreme tonight, he did what I knew he could do," Kansas guard Frank Mason added, per the team's official Twitter account.