The Associated Press

TULSA, Okla. - Kansas got the win it needed to soothe the sting of its slow start. The 20th-ranked Jayhawks finally beat a ranked foe in their fourth attempt, edging No. 17 Tulsa 89-80 Wednesday night

Nick Collison had 26 points and 12 rebounds, and Wayne Simien and Keith Langford each scored 19 points as the Jayhawks handed Tulsa its first loss.

"It's a great feeling," coach Roy Williams said. "We needed a win. The coaches needed one. The players needed one. The announcers needed one."

Williams convinced his team to be more patient and generous on offense, the opposite of traits the Jayhawks displayed in previous losses to Top 25 foes North Carolina, Florida and Oregon.

The result: a 53-point second half in which the Jayhawks (4-3) shot 59 percent from the field to overcome a 40-36 halftime deficit.

"When we share the ball and are more patient than we have been, we'll get some good shots," he said.

Tulsa, meanwhile, found out again that it's capable of playing tough against major conference powers. Kevin Johnson scored 23 points despite missing 13 minutes of the game with foul trouble.

"Hey, we're pretty good, but we're not where we want to be so we don't need to quit working," Tulsa coach John Phillips said.

"We've got plenty of season left to play. If our guys were not disappointed, that would bother me, because I would think they think we just got beat by a team better than us."

Phillips still saw plenty that he didn't like. Kansas outrebounded the Golden Hurricane (4-1) 41-32, including a 19-10 edge off the offensive backboards.

Kansas' defense, which Williams said was the best at the perimeter in years, took Tulsa out of its offensive rhythm in the second half. Kansas forced 22 Tulsa turnovers.

"Their defense in the second half had a lot to do with our team not doing very well," Phillips said. "Sometimes I looked out there and I didn't think those were our guys."

The Jayhawks took advantage of greater depth on the front line to physically dominate the undersized Golden Hurricane. Collison and Simien combined for 45 points and 20 rebounds, and many of Langford's baskets came in the paint.

Johnson's frontcourt mates, Charlie Davis, Marcus Ledoux and Anthony Price added just 12 points and 12 rebounds together to Johnson's contribution. Johnson had six rebounds.

"We wanted to get the ball inside," said Langford, who scored five baskets as Kansas turned a 45-42 Tulsa lead into a 56-50 Jayhawks' lead in the second half.

"Kevin Johnson is good, but he's not as big as our guys," Langford said. "We wanted to take advantage of that."

Kansas won even though Kirk Hinrich, who has been playing through a sore back, shot just 2-11 from the field. He missed both of his 3-point attempts and all three free throw shots.

"Kirk Hinrich didn't shoot the ball worth a darn, but he was sensational on the defensive side of the ball," Williams said. "The key to the game was our perimeter defense by Kirk, Aaron (Miles) and Keith."

Phillips said he expected Kansas to come in hungry after the Jayhawks' three losses cost them the nation's No. 2 ranking.

"They were just more aggressive, hustled, got every loose ball and just beat us in the second half," Phillips said. "They were just tougher than we were tonight."

KANSAS (4-3)-Collison 8-14 8-8 26, Simien 7-12 5-7 19, Langford 8-18 3-8 19, Hinrich 2-11 0-3 4, Miles 4-7 6-6 15, Lee 1-1 2-4 4, Nash 0-0 0-0 0, Graves 1-2 0-0 2. Totals 31-65 24-36 89.

TULSA (4-1)-Davis 2-4 0-2 4, Johnson 10-16 2-3 23, Swanson 4-10 3-4 14, Reed 3-7 0-0 8, Parker 6-13 1-1 15, Glenn 3-6 2-3 8, Collins 0-0 0-0 0, Ledoux 2-2 0-0 4, Price 2-3 0-0 4. Totals 32-61 8-13 80.

Halftime-Tulsa 40, Kansas 36. 3-point goals-Kansas 3-11 (Collison 2-3, Miles 1-3, Hinrich 0-2, Langford 0-3). Tulsa 8-12 (Swanson 3-5, Reed 2-3, Parker 2-3, Johnson 1-1). Fouled out-Simien, Davis, Johnson, Glenn. Rebounds-Kansas 41 (Collison 12), Tulsa 32 (Davis 8). Assists-Kansas 16 (Miles 8), Tulsa 17 (Parker 6). Total fouls-Kansas 14, Tulsa 24. A-8,355.