Kansas Falls on the Road to Baylor 80-70
College basketball is so fun to watch, and games can sway quickly when a team gets on a run. The Kansas Jayhawks were clicking on all cylinders from the opening tip-off, but that fire would smolder as KU fell to the Baylor Bears, 80-70.
There was no question that this was a big game for both teams as Baylor was playing to keep up with the Jayhawks in the Big 12 standings, and Kansas was playing to guarantee at least a share of the Big 12 conference regular season title. The fans came prepared to cheer on their Baylor Bears, who started as cold as ice but would turn up the heat themselves.
The Jayhawks showed great movement with the basketball, and they controlled the majority of the first half, but the tides would turn with 5:21 remaining. Baylor shrunk the KU lead down to one going into the half with momentum.
The Ferrell Center turned on the noise as their team fought back into a game that looked out of hand. Baylor left Agbaji wide open from deep, but he could only 4 of the 14 (28%) of his shots from beyond the arc. Bill Self rotated through numerous players trying to find the right lineup, but nothing ever seemed to click for the Jayhawks.
Both teams exchanged buckets for most of the second half, but Baylor started pulling away with about four minutes left in the game. With the score tied at 63, James Akinjo and Adam Flagler sparked a 17-7 to end the game for Baylor and earn the victory.
Kansas shot 34.3% (24-70) from the floor and 25% (7-28) from the 3-point line. Ochai Agbaji led the Jayhawks with 27 points shooting 8-22 from the floor and 4-14 from the 3-point line. Christian Braun also scored in double digits, getting 17 points shooting 6-13 from the floor and 2-5 from the 3-point line. McCormack showed off his strength in the post, leading Kansas with 13 rebounds.
In addition, a couple players made appearances that Kansas fans should take as a positive sign. Even though it was clear he was a bit rusty, the return of Remy Martin was a bright spot in this game. Martin logged 11 minutes, scoring five points. Also, KJ Adams scored four points in only 3 minutes, playing in a pinch with McCormack and Mitch Lightfoot in foul trouble in the first half.
In total, the Jayhawks had three players who scored double digits, but that just was not enough to hold off an aggressive Baylor Bears.
With the loss, Kansas moves to 23-5 on the season and 12-3 in the Big 12. The Jayhawks remain a half-game up on Baylor, who improved to 24-5 and 12-4 in the Big 12. On Tuesday, Kansas will head back on the road to take on the TCU Horned Frogs, who upset the Texas Tech Red Raiders, 69-66, and are fighting to make the March Madness Tournament.
