OKLAHOMA CITY ? Whoever coined the postseason saying “Survive and advance” must have had Kansas University’s basketball team in mind.

For the second straight season, the Jayhawks survived a major scare in the first round of the NCAA Tournament, bagging a 64-61 victory over Utah State Thursday night at Ford Center.

The victory came a year after KU’s shaky 70-59 decision over Holy Cross.

This time, Kansas entered as the West Regional’s No. 2 seed. Utah State was No. 15. Last year, KU was No. 1, and Holy Cross was No. 16.

“It’s a scare, but that’s past tense, just like last year,” KU sophomore Keith Langford said after slashing through Utah State’s zone for a team-leading 22 points. “If history repeats itself, it’ll be just like last year, and we’ll play better the next game and the next game after that.”

The Jayhawks, who reached the Final Four after last year’s first-round clunker, didn’t look like a Final Four club most of the night Thursday.

In fact, KU (26-7) hung on for dear life against Utah State (24-9).

Aggie senior Desmond Penigar missed a three at :07.

The Aggies’ Spencer Nelson rebounded and passed to Cardell Butler, who missed a last-second three from the right wing.

“It was a long possession. It seemed like 20 seconds,” KU sophomore guard Aaron Miles said of the Aggies’ final possession, which started when Miles committed a turnover at :12, USU’s Butler plucking a steal and racing in for a layup.

Kansas University's leading scorer, Keith Langford, celebrates the Jayhawks' 64-61 NCAA Tournament-opening victory over Utah State. Langford had 22 points in the win Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Miles busted up the play by knocking the ball out of bounds with 10.3 ticks left.

“That play by Aaron gave us a chance to get our defense set and at least have a chance to guard them,” KU coach Roy Williams said.

Two chances are what the Aggies netted on the final possession.

“One guy shot, and another guy tipped it out to another dude who missed it at the buzzer. I was not thinking about Holy Cross. I was thinking about hustling on defense and the fact we won the game,” Miles said.

Langford, who hit nine of 19 shots, including a two-pointer and ensuing foul shot at 3:27 that boosted a 55-53 lead to 58-53, insists he wasn’t worried at the end.

“I knew at the worst they’d hit a three-pointer and we go to overtime,” Langford said. “Last year Holy Cross led us at halftime. This time I felt our team was in control of the game. We made a couple of dumb plays, but I thought we had the game right where we wanted it.”

Williams laughed after hearing Langford make that statement.

“If he had told me that,” Williams said, “I would have felt a hell of a lot better. I didn’t feel really good. Needless to say, I think we’re very fortunate.”

KU was fortunate that seniors Nick Collison (18 points, 9-of-12 shooting) and Kirk Hinrich (eight points and just two shots the second half) live to play another day.

“A little bit, just because we’d been in the same situation,” Collison said, asked if it reminded him of last year’s scare against Holy Cross. “It was good we didn’t panic.

“I’m happy with the win. We might not feel as relieved as people think or feel as lucky as people think. We knew they were a physical team, a lot like teams in our league, and we won a lot of ugly games in the league this year.

“We got it done. That’s the bottom line,” Collison noted.

Indeed, KU won and gets to play Arizona State — an 84-71 winner over Memphis — at 7:10 p.m. Saturday, despite scoring just 30 points the second half.

“I’ve seen a lot of teams, including Kansas last year, go far after they struggled in their first games,” Williams said. “You have to get by and get lucky sometimes. We have to play better Saturday. We have no hope, no chance if we don’t play better Saturday.”

It didn’t look like KU would be in for the fight of its life early, leading 6-0 at 18:22 before the Aggies even hoisted a shot, 13-5 at 15:53 and 26-13 at 7:23.

KU's Keith Langford (5) shoots between Utah State's Desmond Penigar, front, and Spencer Nelson. Langford had 22 points and Penigar 25 in the Jayhawks' 64-61 victory Thursday in Oklahoma City.

Things looked rosy with KU leading 30-17 with 6:09 left, but then came a half-ending drought.

Utah State used a 13-4 run in the final 6:09 of the first half to slice a deficit of 13 points to four (34-30) at intermission.

The Aggies’ zone defense pestered KU into 2-of-6 shooting with two turnovers to close the half. USU, meanwhile, went 5-of-8 in that same span. Penigar (25 points total) and Spencer Nelson each scored four points in the surge.

“Their defense was tough,” Collison said. “We’ve got to have a different frame of mind where we attack more. A couple of times Jeff Graves made some nice passes inside. Keith did a good job taking it inside. It’s important he do that to get us some baskets against the zone.”

Langford actually hit one basket while falling down, giving KU a 46-41 lead with 11:04 left.

But by that point the Aggies were in it to stay, Penigar responding immediately with a three.

Langford did start a 7-0 run with his bucket and foul shot to give KU a 62-53 lead at 2:33, but again a 5-0 Aggie spurt in just a minute cut the gap to four setting up a furious last minute.

Langford’s performance reminded some of Drew Gooden’s last year down the stretch against Holy Cross when he saved the day.

“I didn’t feel like Drew. If I felt like Drew I’d be a millionaire,” Langford said. “I just didn’t want to lose. I didn’t want to go home yet. It’s too soon for that.”