Devon Dotson scored 21 points and Udoka Azubuike added 17 as visiting No. 6 Kansas did just enough of the right things at the right times to run past Texas 66-57 on Saturday afternoon in Big 12 Conference play in Austin, Texas.
The Jayhawks, the best 3-point shooting team in the Big 12, were just 2 of 10 from long distance on Saturday, preferring to exploit their size and physical advantage at the basket.
But a 3-pointer by Devon Dotson with 2:50 to play, the final points of a 7-0, two-minute run, might have been the game's most important basket, staking Kansas to a 62-54 lead that held up in the final minutes. Dotson added four free throws in the end game to make the final score more lopsided than the game actually was.
Marcus Garrett added 13 points for Kansas (14-3, 4-1 in Big 12 play), which won its second straight game after a rare home loss to Baylor on Jan. 11. The Jayhawks owned a 40-30 advantage in points in the paint and outrebounded Texas 40-29.
Jericho Sims scored a career-high 20 points for Texas (12-5, 2-3 in Big 12 play), with Matt Coleman adding 10 points in the loss. The Longhorns had a two-game win streak snapped.
Kansas led 17-13 after Dotson's layup with 11:38 to play in the half before the Longhorns reeled off 13 of the ensuing 14 points over the next 6:44 to take a 26-18 advantage. The Jayhawks had three missed shots and five turnovers during that stretch.
Texas carried a 31-26 lead to halftime on the strength of 8 points from Andrew Jones, a 5 of 11 showing from beyond the arc, and a defense that held the Jayhawks to just nine points over the final 12 minutes of the half.
Kansas stepped up its game in the early minutes of the second half, taking a 34-33 lead at the 16:28 mark after an 8-0 run capped by four straight points by Azubuike.
Back-to-back dunks by Sims off keen assists at the rim from Coleman and Gerald Liddell tied the game a 54 with 4:50 remaining.
--Field Level Media
