MENS BASKETBALL

Kansas 64, Baylor 61

DAVID SMALE
ASSOCIATED PRESS

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Hunter Dickinson scored 15 points to lead a balanced attack as No. 4 Kansas extended its home winning streak to 18 games with a 64-61 win over No. 13 Baylor.

Baylor got the ball with 14.2 seconds left and a chance to tie it, but Jayden Nunn’s 3-point try from the corner was short. After Nicolas Timberlake missed the front end of a one-and-one, Ja’Kobe Walter’s 3-point attempt caromed off the rim.

Kansas, 13-0 at home this season, played without guard Kevin McCullar, who is out with a knee injury. Timberlake made his first start with the Jayhawks.

Baylor coach Scott Drew is now 1-15 in Allen Fieldhouse.

Kansas (19-5, 7-4 Big 12) got 14 points from Dajuan Harris, 13 from KJ Adams and 11 from Johnny Furphy.

Baylor (17-6, 6-4) was led by Yves Missi with 21 points and Walter with 17.

Kansas kept Baylor at arm’s length for most of the second half. After Baylor trimmed the deficit to 37-36 early in the half, the Jayhawks responded with a 6-0 run. Baylor again trimmed it to a one-possession game at 44-41, but a 9-1 Kansas run opened a double-digit lead.

Baylor kept the game within reach, getting within 3 points but couldn’t get over the hump.

Dickinson was the story in the first half. He scored 13, more than half his team’s first 25 points. Kansas jumped out quickly, racing to an 18-6 lead by the second media timeout. In that opening stretch, the Jayhawks hit seven of their first 10 shots.

Dickinson picked up his second foul with 2:59 left in the first half and sat the rest of the half.

Kansas led by as many as 13 points in the first half before Baylor trimmed it to 34-28 at halftime.

THE TAKEAWAY

Houston: The Bears did not let the big, early deficit take them out of their game. They answered nearly every Kansas run.

Kansas: The Jayhawks need McCullar to get healthy moving forward. He leads the team with 19.5 points per game.

Kansas athletics press release

February 10, 2024