LAWRENCE, Kan. _ Kansas, the preseason pick of Big 12 men's basketball coaches to win its 15th consecutive regular-season title, is off to a 1-0 start in conference play for the 28th consecutive year.
The No. 5-ranked Jayhawks (12-1) upended No. 23 Oklahoma (11-2), 70-63, on Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Devon Dotson scored 16 points, Quentin Grimes 14, Dedric Lawson 13 points (plus 15 rebounds) and Lagerald Vick 12 for KU, which hit 41.3 percent of its shots to OU's 40.3. KU was 4 of 21 from 3-point range; OU 5 of 22.
KU shrugged off an early 9-2 deficit and raced to a 40-25 lead at the break.
Quentin Grimes scored 11 first-half points, while Lagerald Vick had nine points and Udoka Azubuike eight points and six rebounds the first half as KU led the Sooners, 40-25, at the break.
Lawson scored five points and grabbed seven rebounds while playing a team-high 17 minutes the first half.
The Jayhawks hit 18 of 39 shots for 46.2 percent, while Oklahoma hit 11 of 31 shots for 35.5 percent.
Brady Manek scored nine points and grabbed six rebounds, while Christian James and Aaron Calixte had five points apiece the first half.
The Sooners and Jayhawks each hit 2 of 12 3s in the initial half. Free throws were at a minimum; KU making 2 of 3 and OU making 1 of 2. KU outrebounded OU, 23-20, in the half.
Dotson had three steals to go with his five first-half points.
KU had just seven assists in the half, Marcus Garrett totaling three. OU had three assists to nine turnovers. KU had just five turnovers.
Oklahoma jumped out to a 7-0 start, forcing KU coach Bill Self to call timeout just 2:33 into the game. Manek hit a 3, while Miles Reynolds and Kristian Doolittle had buckets. Doolittle broke free and charged toward the goal untouched for his early hoop.
KU missed its first five shots while OU was 3 of 5 at that point. Vick hit a shot in the lane at 17:14 for KU's first bucket.
Down 9-2 at 16:11, KU went on a 19-2 run to lead, 21-11, at 11:41. Azubuike, who muscled in a bucket earlier to make it 9-4, had six points in the stretch. Grimes had seven points, Vick two, Dotson two and Garrett a resounding dunk in that run. Also to be noted, KU scored 15 straight in that run when down 11-6.
OU immediately countered with a 7-0 run to cut the gap to 21-18 at 6:59. Calixte hit a 3 and had a bucket, while Manek also converted a bucket for OU.
Up 23-20 at 5:41, KU surged, 10-2 to make it 33-22 at 2:51 and increased the run to 14-4 to make it 37-24 at 1:10. The run expanded to 17-5 and KU led, 40-25, at the break.
Lawson and Vick scored five points, Dotson three, Azubuike two and Grimes two in the 17-5 run.
One of the biggest plays in the half-ending run was the last. Lawson hit a bucket and foul shot to make it 40-35. He also had scored KU's 37th points on a bucket that followed a hoop by Vick.
KU missed its first seven shots of the second half and OU outscored KU 11-1 to immediately cut the gap to 41-36 at 13:21. At that point, KU regained an 11-point lead at 47-36 by outscoring OU, 6-0. Lawson had a bucket, Grimes a free throw and Vick a three. However OU's Jamal Bieniemy responded with a 3 and it was 47-39 KU at 11:59.Garrett hit two free throws to make it 49-39. However, James hit a three and Bieniemy a two and OU had the gap sliced to 49-44 at 10:52.
Lawson scored four straight to make it 53-44 KU at 9:55. Manek made one free throw and it was 53-45 at 9:32. However, Dotson hit a 3 off a pass from Garrett and Lawson scored inside and KU led, 58-45, at 8:37. KU led 60-47 at 7:56.
KU led 62-50 on a bucket by Grimes at 5:25. Doolittle scored and was fouled by Azubuike to make it 62-53 at 4:44.
Azubuike missed a free throw at 4:32, then KU fouled Doolittle who hit one free throw to make it 62-54 at 4:22.
Manek scored to make it 62-56 at 3:04. Grimes got the ball back after a turnover and Dotson scored a bucket at 2:35 and free throw to make it 67-56.
At that point, Dotson had 13 points as did Lawson who at that point of the game had 14 rebounds. It was 67-58 KU when OU's James made it 67-60 at 1:42. It was 67-61 at 1:19.
Doolittle missed an inside shot at :45 that could have cut the gap to three. Moore missed two free throws at :37.9 and Calixte scored at :30.9 to make it 67-63.
Dotson at :29.8 hit one of two free throws and KU led, 68-63. Doolittle missed two inside shots at 15.6 seconds and fouled Dotson, who hit two free throws to make it 70-63.
KU and OU both entered the contest with 11-1 records after playing schedules rated Nos. 1 (KU) and 2 (OU) in the country by various services including the new NCAA NET ratings.
KU will next meet Iowa State at 4 p.m. Saturday at Hilton Coliseum in Ames, Iowa.
