LAWRENCE, Kan. _ First-place Kansas won its fifth straight Big 12 basketball game on Saturday, the same day it lost freshman McDonald's All-American Billy Preston to a pro league in Bosnia.
The Jayhawks bested Baylor, 70-67, and improved to 15-0 all-time versus Baylor at Allen Fieldhouse. On the season, KU improved to 16-3 overall and 6-1 in conference.
The game was contested several hours after BC Ikogea officials announced the signing of the 6-10 Preston to a contract for the rest of this season. Preston had not played in a game for KU this season as KU compliance and the NCAA looked into the financial picture surrounding a car he's been driving this school year.
In Saturday's game, Malik Newman scored 24 points, including seven down the stretch, and had seven rebounds for KU, which holds a one-game lead over West Virginia and two-game advantage over Texas Tech, Oklahoma and Kansas State in the league race.
Devonte Graham had 15 points, eight rebounds and seven assists as KU erased a late six-point deficit with 2:51 left for the win. KU had a 9-0 run to finish the game.
Newman scored 12 points, while Graham had eight points, five rebounds and four assists against two turnovers as KU led 38-27 at halftime.
Down double-digits (38-27), Baylor was not finished at the break.
The Bears cut the gap to 47-45 with 11:16 left on a dunk by Mark Vital (nine points, nine rebounds). However, KU scored five straight points and led 52-45 at 9:42. Udoka Azubuike (14 points, seven rebounds) had a basket, while Marcus Garrett had one free throw and Graham two in the 5-0 run.
Baylor was down 54-53 at 5:56 when Svi Mykhailiuk fouled Nuni Omot on a 3-pointer. Omot hit all three free throws and Baylor finally led 56-54 at 5:35. Graham tied it on a goal-tend at 56-56.
However, King McClure hit a 3-pointer at 4:59, followed by a Graham miss and a Jo Lual-Acuil bucket at 4:39 to give Baylor a 61-56 lead.
KU was down 67-61 with 2:51 left in the game when Newman scored a bucket and hit a free throw and a driving bucket to cut the gap to one, 67-66, at 1:31. Newman scored again after a block, and KU led 68-67 at 1:05.
Azubuike missed two free throws at 17.7 seconds and Baylor had a possession. Manu Lecomte (10 points) had a possible game-winning layup altered by Azubuike at 3.4 seconds. Graham went to the line and hit two free throws at 3.4 seconds to make KU's lead 70-67.
Baylor took the ball out at halfcourt with 2.9 seconds left after a deflection on an inbounds from the end line. Jake Lindsey threw inbounds to Tristan Clark and the ball bounded away and the clock ran out for a KU victory.
Baylor coach Scott Drew called timeout at 18:56 after Lagerald Vick and Mykhailiuk opened the game by hitting 3s. Newman's 3 at 18:27 gave KU a 9-0 lead.
Mykhailiuk completed a left-handed dunk off a drive and KU led 16-3 at 15:47. At that point, the Jayhawks were 6 of 6 from the field and 4 of 4 on 3-pointers. Baylor was 1 of 4 overall and 1 of 2 from 3.
Lual-Acuil had four points in a 12-4 run that cut KU's 13-point lead to 20-15 at 9:31. Terry Maston, Lecomte, Vital and Jake Lindsey also scored two apiece in the run.
KU used an 8-2 run to go up 28-17 at 7:31. Mykhailiuk and Graham hit 3s, and Vick had a two in the surge.
Baylor cut the gap to 28-21 when Tyson Jolly grabbed Newman's shorts and was whistled with an intentional foul. Two Newman free throws gave KU a 30-21 lead at 4:35. KU maintained an 11-point edge at the half.
