Field Level Media
Aug 24, 2012
Junior forward Dedric Lawson recorded his 17th double-double, posting 18 points and 14 rebounds Monday as No. 15 Kansas thumped No. 16 Kansas State 64-49 at Lawrence, Kan.
The Jayhawks (21-7, 10-5 Big 12) moved within a game of the Wildcats (21-7, 11-4) in a conference race where Texas Tech is also in contention for the regular-season title with a 10-4 league mark.
The victory was the ninth in the last 10 meetings for Kansas against its in-state rival and avenged a 74-67 loss at Kansas State on Feb. 5.
The Jayhawks are bidding for at least a share of their 15th consecutive Big 12 championship. Kansas last failed to grab at least a piece of the Big 12 crown in 2004 (Oklahoma State).
Kansas State's two leading scorers, seniors Barry Brown Jr. and Dean Wade, were limited to 12 points on 3-for-15 shooting by a suffocating Kansas defense that allowed 91 points two days earlier in a loss at Texas Tech.
The Wildcats, who had won six straight Big 12 road games, shot 31.6 percent. They were led by senior guard Kamau Stokes with 12 points.
Kansas junior forward Mitch Lightfoot provided energetic heroics off the bench, collecting nine points and five rebounds while blocking three shots. The blocks came early in the second half, contributing to a 0-for-10 start by the Wildcats after they trailed by seven at halftime.
Freshman guard Devon Dotson, who guarded Brown primarily, added 16 points for Kansas.
Lawson scored nine first-half points and snagged six rebounds to pace Kansas to a 34-27 halftime lead. Lightfoot went 3-for-3 and added eight points.
The Wildcats got no first-half points from Wade, who sat out the final nine minutes after drawing two fouls. Brown scored a season-low four points. He and junior forward Xavier Sneed were scoreless in the second half.
Sneed scored eight first-half points, including two 3s, for the Wildcats, who jumped to a 10-3 lead but were overtaken when the Jayhawks scored nine unanswered points to grab a 20-15 margin behind two buckets from Lightfoot sandwiched around a 3-pointer from Quentin Grimes.
The game was the 900th played in Allen Fieldhouse, which opened in 1955. Kansas is 787-113 on its venerable home floor, including 19 straight wins and 33 straight Monday wins.
--Field Level Media