WACO, Texas — Defending national champion Baylor, which lost by 24 points to Kansas back on Feb. 5 at Allen Fieldhouse, gained revenge by toppling the Jayhawks, 80-70, on Saturday night at Ferrell Center.
Flo Thamba scored 18 points and grabbed nine rebounds and Jeremy Sochan added 17 points with five boards as Baylor, which trailed by 13 points with 5:48 left in the first half, attained a split in the regular-season series between the teams for the third straight season.
Adam Flagler had 13 points and James Akinjo added 12 points for the No. 10-ranked Bears, who by winning prevented KU from sealing at least a tie for the Big 12 regular-season title.
The Jayhawks entered the day needing Texas Tech (22-7, 11-5) and Baylor (24-5, 12-4) to lose in order to stake a claim to at least a share of the crown with three games to play.
TCU defeated Tech, 69-66, in a game that started at 5 p.m., Saturday. KU’s started at 7 p.m. Instead of clinching a tie Saturday night, the Jayhawks, who were led by the 27-point performance of Ochai Agbaji, fell to 23-5, 12-3.
Kansas super senior point guard Remy Martin, who had missed the last seven games because of a bone bruise in his right knee, returned to action for the Jayhawks.
He hit a 3-point shot and scored five points the first half while playing seven minutes. He also took a charge late in the half, standing his ground as Sochan plowed into him. Martin finished with five points in 11 minutes. Christian Braun had 17 points and 10 boards for KU.
Thamba scored 12 points on 6-of-9 shooting with four rebounds in the half for Baylor, which trailed 32-31 at the break. Braun had 10 points and five boards and Agbaji nine points and four boards in the first half.
KU dominated in the early going and held that comfortable 28-15 lead when Baylor answered with a 10-0 run.
KU coach Bill Self, whose team had not yet shot a free throw in the game, picked up a technical foul after a no-call on a shot by Braun. Akinjo hit two free throws and Baylor led, 35-32.
The ’T’ seemed to fire up the Jayhawks who immediately went on a 7-0 run to lead 39-35 at 17:25 Agbaji hit KU’s first two free throws of the game, had a dunk and a 3 in a personal 7-0 surge.
Baylor’s Kendall Brown scored four straight points and the Bears led, 59-55, at 7:54. After KU cut the gap to 59-58, Brown scored a layup and it was 61-58 Baylor at 6:31.
A critical juncture came after Agbaji hit a 3 at 4:40 to tie the game at 63-63. Thamba scored on Baylor’s next possession and after an Agbaji miss, Sochan was fouled by David McCormack on an inside bucket to make it 67-63 at 3:45. He made the free throw as the Bears took a five-point lead, 68-63.
Agbaji hit two free throws to cut the gap to three. Matthew Mayer’s 3 made it 71-65 Baylor at 3:01. It was 71-68 when BU’s Flagler and Akinjo scored baskets (Akinjo adding a free throw) and it was 76-68 with Baylor in command.
