2 March 2024
WACO, Texas (AP) — RayJ Dennis had 19 points and 10 assists, Jayden Nunn scored 18 points with consecutive fastbreak layups in a key run for No. 15 Baylor and the Bears beat seventh-ranked Kansas 82-74 on Saturday, handing the Jayhawks consecutive losses for the first time this season.
Yves Missi added 17 points and fellow freshman Ja’Kobe Walter had 11 for the Bears (21-8, 10-6 Big 12).
Nunn first drove the length of the court with 13:49 left after grabbing a defensive rebound. Then after 7-foot freshman Missi blocked a Kansas shot, Dennis passed ahead to a breaking Nunn for another layup. Those baskets 25 seconds apart ignited a 13-2 run that pushed Baylor’s lead from one to 12 with 10 minutes left.
Big 12 scoring leader Kevin McCullar Jr., in his return to the lineup after missing four of the previous five games with a bone bruise in his knee, and Hunter Dickinson had 20 points each for Kansas (21-8, 9-7), which was coming off a 76-68 loss at home to Big 12 newcomer BYU. Dajuan Harris had 12 points and nine assists.
The Bears had their largest lead before halftime at 31-24 after Dennis made a 3-pointer with 3 1/2 minutes left, but they needed his jumper with 28 seconds left to lead 35-34 at the break.
Kansas went on a 10-2 spurt in between those baskets by Dennis. The Jayhawks’ streak started with two nifty assists by Harris, including a give-and-go break with McCullar, who had a steal. Harris’ floater put the Jayhawks up 34-33.
BIG PICTURE
Kansas: This is the first time the Jayhawks have had seven conference losses during coach Bill Self’s 21 seasons. They have to win one of their next two games (vs. Kansas State and at No. 1 Houston) to extend their record streak of winning conference records to 35 seasons in a row.
Baylor: The Bears are a national-best 32-15 against AP Top 25 opponents the past five seasons, and have won 13 of their last 18 against top 10 teams.
BIG INSIDE
The Jayhawks scored 46 points in the paint, with 22 of those before halftime. The opening stretch included an emphatic two-handed dunk by Dickinson with just under six minutes left that gave him the last of his 10 points before the break. He scored Kansas’ first six points, including consecutive passes from Adams for a dunk and a layup.
Missi opened the scoring with a powerful dunk even with Adams’ hands in his face, and then did a spin move around Dickinson for a layup for their second basket.
POLL IMPLICATIONS
Kansas’ streak of 55 consecutive AP poll appearances in the top 10 will come to an end Monday, though the Jayhawks still will be ranked. That will leave top-ranked Houston with the longest active streak of top-10 appearances at 36 in a row.
UP NEXT
Kansas is back home at Allen Fieldhouse to play Sunflower State rival Kansas State on Tuesday night. That comes after a week after the Jayhawks’ only home loss, to BYU.
Baylor has two games in a three-day stretch, in its home finale Monday night against Texas.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.