I agree that Hightower didn't do us any favors (Manning most definitely should've fouled out), but I couldn't disagree more with the bolded. KU got out & even though it wasn't their game, ran step for step with OU in the first half, which ended tied at 50, a very OU-ish development to say the least. Although KU was having good success against the press, the one thing it did accomplish was that it kept the game at OU's pace/comfort zone. KU's success against it psyched Tubbs (& I've heard him admit this) into calling it off for the large part of the 2nd half, which allowed KU to take the air out of the ball. That resulted in a 33-29 2nd half. Think that type of game favors a team that averaged 103 PPG? I certainly don't.
We'll never know for sure, but as for me, I'll go to my grave believing that there's no way KU would've won that night had the tempo of the 2nd half been the same as the first.