LAWRENCE, Kan. — A rejuvenated Kansas men’s basketball team has rattled off five consecutive victories since losing five of seven games and temporarily dropping out of the AP poll.
David McCormack scored 17 points and grabbed eight rebounds, while Ochai Agbaji added 14 points and Jalen Wilson 11 points and 11 rebounds as No. 23 KU, which exited the rankings on Feb. 8 only to return a week later, clipped No. 15 Texas Tech 67-61 on Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.
Marcus Garrett contributed 10 points, while Christian Braun had 10 points, three off a huge 3-pointer that extended a 64-61 lead to six points with 24 seconds left, as KU (17-7, 11-5) swept the two-game regular-season series against Tech (14-7, 6-6). The Jayhawks also defeated the Red Raiders, 58-57, on Dec. 17 in Lubbock, Texas.
Marcus Santos-Silva had 12 points, Kevin McCullar 12 points and Mac McClung 11 points, five rebounds and four assists for Texas Tech, which entered a bit rusty (in falling behind 10-2) after having its past three games postponed — one against Baylor because of COVID-19 protocols and two versus TCU because of arctic weather conditions in Texas. Prior to Saturday, Tech last played on Feb. 9 against West Virginia. The Red Raiders fell to the Mountaineers, 82-71, in Lubbock.
The Jayhawks hit 41.4% of their shots Saturday including 8 of 26 threes. Tech hit 42.3% and was 5 of 15 from 3.
McCormack scored 12 points on 5-of-5 shooting and grabbed four rebounds the first half as the Jayhawks led, 31-25, at the break.
He was pretty much the entire offense early. McCormack’s teammates hit 6 of 23 shots the initial 20 minutes. Santos-Silva and Micah Peavy had six apiece in the half.
High-scoring McClung was held to five points with five rebounds and three assists the first half, but still may have drilled the biggest shot of the session. His 3 to beat the halftime buzzer answered a late Bryce Thompson three and sliced KU’s lead from 31-22 to 31-25.
KU held a 12-point lead, 42-30, with 15:59 left following a 3 by Jalen Wilson and inside bucket by McCormack. It was 45-34 at 13:41 following a 3 by Agbaji.
Tech cut the gap to six points at 51-45 with nine minutes left. The Jayhawks led 57-51 at 5:24 when Garrett hit a basket and Agbaji a 3 to give KU a 62-51 lead at 3:51. Tech made a game of it late cutting the gap to three before Braun hit the 3 to assure KU victory.
KU currently has its second-longest win streak of the season. The Jayhawks won eight straight in a span from Nov. 27 to Dec. 22.
The Jayhawks entered Saturday’s game riding a four-game winning streak. KU’s defense smothered Kansas State in a 59-41 victory on Wednesday in Manhattan. That game was played four days after another strong defensive showing in a 64-50 victory over Iowa State in Ames, Iowa.
The victory over Texas Tech came in the first game of a challenging three-game set of games to conclude the 2020-21 regular season. KU will play No. 12-ranked Texas at 8 p.m. Tuesday at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas, then return home to meet No. 2 Baylor at 7 p.m. Feb. 27 in Allen.
The Red Raiders fell to 1-20 all time in Allen Fieldhouse.
