WACO, Tex. (AP) – Robert Wright III scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half, and Baylor rallied from a 19-point deficit before the break for an 81-70 victory over No. 11 Kansas on Saturday.
Norchad Omier put the Bears (14-7, 6-4) within 46-45 on two free throws with 13:39 remaining after they trailed 38-17 late in the first half.
Baylor took the lead for good on a tiebreaking 3-pointer from Jalen Celestine with four minutes to go, and after Kansas had rebuilt its lead to 10.
“I never felt like we had momentum in the second half,” said Kansas head coach Bill Self.
Hunter Dickinson scored 20 points for Kansas, and Dajuan Harris Jr. had 12. Harris also added eight assists for the contest, moving him into No. 2 on the all-time Big 12 Career Assist list with 794. Harris trails only Aaron Miles (KU, 2002-05; 954 assists) after passing Doug Gottlieb (OSU, 1996-2000; 793 assists) on the list.
Omier had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and VJ Edgecombe scored 14 before leaving with an injury early in the second half.
Takeaway
Kansas was taken out of its offensive rhythm by Baylor’s full-court pressure to start the second half. The Jayhawks shot 36% in the second half.
Baylor finished the rally without Edgecombe, who entered third in the Big 12 in scoring in league games. He went down early in the second half after missing a driving layup and limped to the locker room.
Key Moment
The go-ahead 3 from Celestine, who scored 12 points, changed the game for good. The Bears outscored the Jayhawks 18-7 from that point.
Key Stat
The Jayhawks had a 20-0 advantage in bench scoring in the first half. The Bears had a 12-8 edge after the break.
Up Next
Kansas plays No. 3 Iowa State at home Monday. Baylor visits 22nd-ranked Texas Tech on Tuesday.
