No. 2 Kansas Swamps No. 23 Baylor With Big Run In 102-74 Win
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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Wayne Selden scored 24 points, Perry Ellis added 17 and No. 2 Kansas used a big run over the first 10 minutes to swamp No. 23 Baylor 102-74 on Saturday in their Big 12 opener.
Devonte Graham added 15 points and Frank Mason III had 11 for the Jayhawks (12-1, 1-0), who charged out to a 22-4 lead, then turned back every attempt by the Bears (10-3, 0-1) to make it a game.
It was the Jayhawks' sixth straight win over Baylor — which has never won in 14 trips to Lawrence — and 25th consecutive conference-opening win. It was also their 31st straight win at Allen Fieldhouse, where No. 3 ranked Oklahoma will visit for another high-profile showdown Monday night.
Taurean Prince had 13 of his 17 points in the second half for Baylor. Lester Medford added 15, all but three after the break, while Rico Gathers finished with 12 points and nine rebounds.
Offense wasn't the issue for Baylor, though. It was its zone defense, which typically befuddles opponents. But the Jayhawks' long, lanky shooters hit five of their first six 3-point attempts, then started to slash to the basket when lanes opened, forcing the Bears into man-to-man.
After the Bears scored the opening point on a free throw, the Jayhawks ripped off a 24-3 run over the next 10 minutes that forced Baylor coach Scott Drew to burn two timeouts.
Selden did most of the damage, hitting three 3-pointers, but in truth just about everybody got into the act. Graham's 3-pointer led it off. Ellis had a put-back and 3 of his own. Mason added his own basket along with a couple of nifty feeds that set up more easy looks.
The lead quickly stretched to 20 points, and was still 28-8 with about 10 minutes to go.
What eventually slowed down the Jayhawks were fouls, which consequently turned into the Bears' best offense. Baylor scored 19 points from the field and 13 from the line in the first 20 minutes.
The Jayhawks went through a short shooting slump early in the second half, and a basket by Gathers in the paint made it 52-40 with just under 17 minutes to go. But Graham answered with a deep jumper at the other end, and Ellis scored on consecutive possessions to help Kansas regain control.
The lead never approached single digits again as the Jayhawks drew away.
TIP-INS
Baylor: Al Freeman, averaging more than 13 points, was 2 of 10 from the field and had six points. ... The Bears entered the game leading the nation in assists at more than 22 per game. They had eight. ... Baylor was 25 of 31 from the free-throw line.
Kansas: Selden matched a career-best with five 3-pointers. ... Jayhawks coach Bill Self improved to 197-9 at the Phog. He is 17-4 against Baylor overall. ... The Jayhawks have shot better than 40 percent from beyond the arc in 10 of their last 11 games. They were 11 of 19 in this one.
UP NEXT
Baylor hosts Oklahoma State on Tuesday night.
Kansas hosts No. 3 Oklahoma on Monday night.
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