LAWRENCE, Kan. _ A short-handed Kansas basketball team, which faced some big-time adversity on Friday, rallied to defeat No. 16 Texas Tech, 79-63, on Saturday afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks _ who lost Marcus Garrett to a sprained ankle for at least one game at practice Friday afternoon (They already were without the injured Udoka Azubuike) and also learned Silvio De Sousa would remain ineligible to play in games the rest of this season and all of next season _ certainly appeared energized in running and gunning en route to building a 20-point halftime lead.
Dedric Lawson scored 25 points (with 10 rebounds) and Devon Dotson added a career-best 20 points (with four assists, three steals and three rebounds) for No. 11 KU (17-5, 6-3), which snapped a two-game losing streak and ended Texas Tech's two-game winning streak, won with a starting lineup of Lagerald Vick, Dotson, Ochai Agbaji, Quentin Grimes and Lawson.
Vick contributed 13 points and six rebounds and Agbaji 10 points and a career-best 10 boards. KU avenged last season's 12-point loss to Texas Tech (17-5, 5-4) at Allen Fieldhouse. That coincidentally stands as the worst home loss in the Bill Self era.
For the game, KU hit 13 of 29 3s and 46.6 percent of its shots overall. Texas Tech hit 34.4 percent of its shots, going 6 of 28 on 3-pointers.
Texas Tech was led by Davide Moretti who had 14 points. Tariq Owens had 12 points and 10 boards for the Red Raiders.
The Jayhawks hit nine 3s in the first half in 15 attempts and blazed to a 46-26 halftime lead.
Lawson hit three 3s and finished the half with 16 points and seven boards, while Vick also cashed three 3-pointers and had 11 points. Lawson also had seven first-half rebounds and two blocks.
Agbaji had seven points and five boards, while Charlie Moore dished six assists in 11 minutes off the bench. Dotson had four points and four assists in the half.
Overall, KU hit 55.2 percent (16 of 29) of its first-half shots. Texas Tech, meanwhile hit 3 of 14 3s the first half and 30.3 percent (10 of 33) of its shots overall. Jarrett Culver scored eight points, while Matt Mooney and Moretti had seven apiece in the half.
KU grabbed a 10-2 lead and stretched it to margins of 13-4, 21-9, 30-18 and 34-20.
KU had some highlight-reel plays in the first half including a slam dunk lob from Moore to Agbaji that answered an Owens slam off a pass from Culver. Also, Agbaji took a charge from a driving Culver, who had a slam dunk wiped out on the play. Agbaji could be seen smiling widely on the video board as he was greeted by teammates after taking that charge with 11:39 left in the half, KU up 21-9.
Vick had 11 points on 3-of-3 3-point shooting, Lawson nine points and Agbaji five at 7:14 when KU led 30-18.
Agbaji had another highlight-reel dunk the second half. Moore again lobbed to the freshman who put down a vicious slam to give KU a 59-41 lead at 11:49. Texas Tech crept no closer than 13 points the final half.
