Field Level Media
Jan 9, 2019
Junior forward Dedric Lawson posted his 11th double-double of the season, recording a season-high 31 points while adding 14 rebounds as No. 7 Kansas downed No. 25 TCU 77-68 in Lawrence, Kan.
Lawson, who moved into the low post as part of a four-guard lineup the Jayhawks employed following a season-ending wrist injury sustained by junior center Udoka Azubuike, notched his first 20-point performance in four games.
Kansas (13-2, 2-1 Big 12) recovered from a 17-point loss Saturday at Iowa State, though TCU (12-2, 1-1) never withered. The Horned Frogs trailed by 11 after a 3-pointer by Lawson with 8:06 left but rallied to within 71-68 on a 3-pointer by senior guard Alex Robinson with 1:49 left.
Those would be TCU's final points, however, as the Horned Frogs saw their nine-game win streak end.
The Jayhawks countered behind guards Devon Dotson and Marcus Garrett, who combined for the game's final six points.
Senior guard Lagerald Vick was the only Jayhawk other than Lawson to score in double figures, finishing with 12 points. He also handed out four assists but committed six turnovers.
The Horned Frogs were even more careless handling the ball, committing 20 turnovers.
Their balanced attack was led by freshman guard RJ Nembhard with 14 points. Junior guard Desmond Bane added 13, and sophomore forward Kouat Noi had 10. Freshman center Kevin Samuel posted 12 points and eight rebounds, while Robinson also scored 12.
Kansas closed the first half with an 11-3 run to gain a 40-31 lead at the break. Lawson, a Memphis transfer, scored six points during that flurry and finished with 13 in the first half.
Depth concerns created by the loss of Azubuike prompted Kansas to pull the redshirt off freshman guard Ochai Agbaji.
Agbaji entered the game at the first media timeout, converted a lob into a dunk on his first offensive play and logged 25 minutes, finishing with seven points and four rebounds.
TCU played without senior guard Jaylen Fisher, who averages 12.1 points but also missed the Horned Frogs' Big 12 opener with a sore knee.
--Field Level Media