STILLWATER, Okla. _ In the last 15 seasons, just one Big 12 team has swept a home-and-home regular-season series from a Bill Self-coached Kansas squad.
That would be Self's alma mater, Oklahoma State, which raced to a 17-point first-half lead en route to an 82-64 rout of No. 6 KU on Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena. The Cowboys (18-13, 8-10) also beat the Jayhawks (24-7, 13-5) 84-79 on Feb. 3 at Allen Fieldhouse.
Kendall Smith scored 25 points, Mitchell Solomon added 16, Tavarius Shine scored 11 and Jeffrey Carroll added 10 as the Cowboys became the first Big 12 team to upend KU twice in the same regular season since Iowa State back in 2000-01. KU entered the game having won 102 straight regular-season conference home-and homes.
Devonte Graham scored 15 for KU, which fell victim to a motivated Oklahoma State team playing on the Senior Day for Carroll, Solomon, Smith and Shine. The blowout was reminiscent of the Cowboys' 86-67 win over KU on Jan. 19, 2016, in Stillwater.
The fans stormed the court after Oklahoma State's victory. No KU players appeared to get caught up in the mob on the court.
KU's worst loss in a Big 12 game in the Self era is by 25 points (80-55) at Texas in 2006.
The Cowboys spoiled the Jayhawks' 120 Years of Basketball Reunion weekend in February.
Oklahoma State led by as many as 17 points in the first half (43-26 at 2:11) and managed a 46-30 lead at the break Saturday.
In the second half, KU trailed by just nine at 56-47 with 11:55 left after a bucket by Silvio De Sousa. However, Oklahoma State rebuilt the lead to 65-51 at 7:10, 68-51 at 6:00 and 71-51 at 5:36. It was 76-53 at 3:58.
Self was hit with a technical with just under 6 minutes left after becoming incensed at a foul call on Svi Mykhailiuk.
Solomon scored 14 points and grabbed five rebounds, while Smith had 10 points and Carroll eight in the first half. Oklahoma State made 56.7 percent of its first-half shots and was 5 of 12 from 3 while forcing KU into 10 turnovers.
Graham had 10 points and five assists for KU in the first half as the Jayhawks made just 3 of 7 3-pointers and 12 of 29 shots total (41.4). Azubuike had eight points and five rebounds, while Marcus Garrett had five points in the half.
KU trailed 17-7 at 13:31, then cut the gap to 17-14 at 11:55. Oklahoma State's 13-0 run made it 30-14 at 8:48. Solomon and Smith had five points each in that run.
The regular season now complete, KU will play at about 2 p.m. Thursday at Sprint Center in a Big 12 tournament quarterfinal against the winner of Wednesday's game between the 8 and 9 seeds.
