LAWRENCE, Kan. _ Kansas has completed its regular-season basketball schedule with a perfect record in Allen Fieldhouse for the seventh time in coach Bill Self's 16 seasons at KU and 20th time in the history of the 64-year-old building.
The No. 13-ranked Jayhawks improved to 16-0 overall at home _ 9-0 in Big 12 home games _ by besting Baylor, 78-70, Saturday in the league finale for both teams.
Dedric Lawson scored 23 points and grabbed 14 rebounds, Devon Dotson had 15 points and David McCormack contributed 12 points with five boards as KU (23-8, 12-6) won its 20th straight game in the fieldhouse. That ranks as fourth-longest active home-court winning streak in the country. KU's current streak trails only Buffalo and Tennessee (26 in a row) and Gonzaga (22).
Jared Butler scored a career-high 31 points for the Bears (19-12, 10-8), who fell to 0-16 all-time in the fieldhouse. Baylor fired up 31 3s, hitting six to KU's 6 of 16 mark from 3.
The Jayhawks, who won their 36th straight regular-season home finale, on Saturday improved to 250-13 at home in the Self era.
Baylor was without senior guard Makai Mason, who sat on the bench with a walking boot on his left foot.
McCormack scored 10 points on 5-of-7 shooting in helping KU to a 32-29 lead at halftime.
The Jayhawks opened the second half on an 8-0 run to grasp an 11-point advantage, 40-29, at 17:10. McCormack opened with a basket, a blocked shot and rebound. Lawson had four points and Dotson two in the run.
Baylor used a 6-0 run to cut the 11-point deficit to 40-35 at 15:25.
The Jayhawks used a 14-5 run to grab a 54-40 lead at 11:12. Lawson had eight points and Quentin Grimes six in the run off two threes.
Baylor used a 9-3 run to slice the gap to 57-49 at 9:31.
However, Ochai Agbaji, who finished with eight rebounds and six points, scored a basket and Dotson one free throw and KU led, 60-49, at 8:50. Baylor cut the gap to 60-52 at 8:18. Then Lawson scored to bring the lead back to 10, 62-52, at 7:43.
KU led, 68-54, with 5:11 left, Baylor creeping to within eight points at 70-62 at 3:37. BU cut the gap to 72-66 at 2:35.
At that point, Dotson made one of two free throws and KU led by seven, 73-66, at 2:07. Lawson scored at 1:29 to move the lead back up to nine, 75-66.
Lawson missed 7 of 9 shots and had six points in the first half. KU hit 12 of 29 shots for 41.4 percent. The Jayhawks, who made 3 of 7 3s, led by just three points despite Baylor's 2 of 15 3-point shooting.
The Bears were led by Butler, who had eight points on 4 of 7 shooting. Grimes and Agbaji had three assists apiece in the half.
The biggest lead in the half was KU's five-point margin (32-27) with 1:11 to play.
KU used an 8-3 run to turn a 24-24 deadlock into the 32-27 lead. Marcus Garrett and Devon Dotson each made 3s followed by a bucket by McCormack.
KU, the No. 3 seed in the upcoming Big 12 Tournament, will meet No. 6 seed Texas around 8:30 p.m. Thursday in the quarterfinals at the Sprint Center.
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