BC-BKC–T25-West Virginia-Kansas,1st Ld-Writethru/656
Eds: No. 3 Kansas 84, No. 9 West Virginia 80, OT. Updates. With AP Photos.
No. 3 Kansas rallies to beat No. 9 West Virginia 84-80 in OT
DAVE SKRETTA, AP Sports Writer
Frank Mason III had 24 points, including two free throws to cap a frantic comeback from 14 down in the final three minutes of regulation, and No. 3 Kansas stunned No. 9 West Virginia 84-80 in overtime Monday night in Lawrence, Kan., to assume control of the Big 12 race.
Devonte Graham added 18 points, hitting two of his five 3-pointers in the extra period, and Josh Jackson added 14 points and 11 rebounds as the Jayhawks (23-3, 11-2) avenged a loss in Morgantown while extending their lead over fourth-ranked Baylor to two games in the league standings.
Esa Ahmad scored 20 points and Tarik Phillip had 18 for the Mountaineers (20-6, 8-5), who appeared to have the game locked up when they led 64-50 with 2:58 left in the second half.
(Shannon Ryan)
Kansas answered with some more Allen Fieldhouse magic.
Spurred on by their own version of a full-court defense, the Jayhawks began forcing turnovers and turning them into easy baskets. And by the time Graham curled in a 3-pointer, Phillip threw the ball away and Mason made a pair of free throws, it was 71-all with 21.6 seconds left in regulation.
The Mountaineers called a timeout with 16.1 seconds to go to set up a final play, and they managed to get Phillip isolated on the wing. But his long 3-pointer clanked off the iron as the buzzer sounded.
Graham’s 3-pointers helped Kansas score the first eight points of overtime.
The Jayhawks had their 51-game winning streak at the Phog snapped by Iowa State just more than a week ago, but they still have not lost consecutive home games since February 1989. They also have never been swept in the regular season by a Big 12 foe in 14 years under coach Bill Self.
West Virginia has never beaten the Jayhawks at the Phog in five tries.
The Mountaineers scored the game’s first 10 points to silence a record-breaking crowd, only for the Jayhawks to answer with a 16-0 run spanning nearly five minutes. Lagerald Vick was the instigator, hitting back-to-back 3s when nobody else in a Kansas uniform could hit much of anything.
The Mountaineers soon regained their composure and took a 39-32 lead into the locker room, then kept the Jayhawks at arm’s length throughout much of the second half.
But it wasn’t the Mountaineers’ vaunted Press Virginia defense that caused problems for Kansas. It was some stingy half-court defense, which prevented the Jayhawks’ guards from getting open looks on the perimeter or finding creases to get to the basket.
That is, until the final few minutes of regulation.
Texas Tech 84, No. 4 Baylor 78
Keenan Evans scored 23 points, Niem Stevenson had 21 and Texas Tech toppled fourth-ranked Baylor 84-78 on Monday night in Lubbock, Texas.
The Red Raiders rallied in the second half after blowing an early 12-point lead. Texas Tech opened the game with an 11-0 run and used an identical spurt late in the second half to go ahead to stay.
Devon Thomas converted a tying three-point play with 7:09 left, his only points of the game coming after he was originally whistled for charging while making a layup before officials reviewed the play. The call was overturned after it was determined that Jake Lindsey was in the restricted area when he drew contact, and he instead was given the foul.
Aaron Ross then hit a 3-pointer, and his layup with five minutes left put Texas Tech (17-9, 5-8 Big 12) up 69-61.
No. 8 Louisville 76, Syracuse 72, OT
No. 8 Louisville scored 10 consecutive points in overtime, including five straight by Anas Mahmoud, to outlast Syracuse 76-72 on Monday night in Syracuse, N.Y.
John Gillon sent the game to overtime on a 3-pointer for Syracuse with 40 seconds to go in regulation that tied the score at 58. The Orange took a 63-61 lead on two free throws by Andrew White, but Louisville scored the next 10 points to take control and hold on.
Tyler Roberson went to the line for two shots that would have tied the game at 74 with 2.7 seconds to go in overtime but he missed both.
Donovan Mitchell scored 16 points, including 13 in the second half, and Quentin Snider added 14 to lead Louisville (21-5, 9-4 Atlantic Coast Conference). Mahmoud had 12.
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