LAWRENCE, Kan. — The fourth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks dominated the Baylor Bears on Monday night, and cruised to a 61-44 victory at Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas (15-1, 3-0 Big 12) went on a 10-0 run in the first half, and took a 22-9 lead on a layup by freshman forward Perry Ellis at the 10:33 mark.
Baylor (11-5, 3-1 Big 12) cut the deficit to 23-18 on a three-pointer by freshman center Isaiah Austin with 5:39 left in the half, but that’s as close as they would get for the rest of the night.
The Jayhawks led 33-20 at the break. An 8-2 run by the Bears narrowed the gap to 49-36 with 10:02 to play, but the Hawks had the answer. An alley-oop to redshirt freshman Ben McLemore gave KU a 61-42 lead with 3:37 to play. McLemore left the game with an ankle injury shortly thereafter.
McLemore finished with 17 points, 8 rebounds, three steals, and two blocks. KU shot 38% from the field, and 21% from three-point range. The Hawks outrebounded the Bears 41-37.
Austin led the Bears with 15 points, 11 rebounds, and two blocks. Baylor shot 23% from the field, and 29% from beyond the arc.
Kansas hits the road for a showdown with the Texas Longhorns on Saturday afternoon.