LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas has white-knuckled its way to the top of the Big 12.
It took hopping out of conference play to finally breeze to a comfortable win.
kAm$G: |J<92:=:F< A@FC65 :? ac A@:?ED[ |2=:< }6H>2? 25565 `d 2?5 E96 7:7E9\C2?<65 y2J92H<D 3F:=E 2 3:8 =625 @? %6I2D pU2>Aj| :? E96 7:CDE 92=7 367@C6 DFDE2:?:?8 :E >@DE @7 E96 H2J :? 2 fh\eg G:4E@CJ $2EFC52J]k^Am
kAm{286C2=5 ':4< 25565 `_ A@:?ED[ 2?5 &5@<2 pKF3F:<6 925 2 4@FA=6 @7 C:>\C2EE=:?8 5F?<D[ 2D E96 y2J92H<D W`f\cX — D@ 244FDE@>65 E@ DH62E:?8 @FE 5@H?\E@\E96\H:C6 82>6D E9:D D62D@? — H@? E96:C 7@FCE9 DEC2:89E :? E96 q:8 `a^$tr r92==6?86 2?5 `_E9 :? 2 C@H @G6C E96 p88:6D]k^Am
kAmQ~9[ H6 DH62E65[Q |J<92:=:F< D2:5[ D>:=:?8]k^Am
kAmyFDE ?@E 2 H9@=6 =@E] %96 y2J92H<D 3F:=E 2 cd\af 92=7E:>6 25G2?E286[ <6AE E96 82A ?62C=J E92E H:56 :? E96 D64@?5 92=7 2?5 >2?2865 E@ 3C62E96 62DJ :? E96 7:?2= >:?FE6 7@C 2 492?86]k^Am
kAmQxE H2D?VE 2D 62DJ[Q y2J92H<D 4@249 q:== $6=7 D2:5[ Q2D x H@F=5 92G6 9@A65]Qk^Am
kAm%J=6C s2G:D 925 `g A@:?ED 2?5 ?:?6 C63@F?5D E@ =625 %6I2D pU2>Aj| W`b\gX[ H9:49 3682? E96 D62D@? ``\` H:E9 H:?D @G6C q:8 `a 7@6D (6DE ':C8:?:2 2?5 ~<=29@>2 $E2E6] qFE 27E6C 2D46?5:?8 E@ }@] d :? E96 p! A@==[ 4@249 q:==J z6??65JVD 4=F3 92D =@DE D6G6? @7 :ED =2DE ?:?6 :? 2 42=2>:E@FD 7C6672==]k^Am
kAmQx C62==J E9:?< z2?D2D A=2J65 2D H6== 2D 2?J E62> H6VG6 A=2J65 2== J62C[ E96 H2J E96J D92C65 E96 32==[Q z6??65J D2:5] Qx E9:?< E96 |J<92:=:F< <:5[ 96 >256 D@>6 DA64:2= bD[ 2?5 8:G:?8 FA `_ bD :? E96 7:CDE 92=7 H2D C62==J 92C5 E@ @G6C4@>6 282:?DE 2 8@@5 E62>]Qk^Am
kAm#@36CE (:==:2>D 25565 `` A@:?ED[ ?:?6 3@2C5D 2?5 7@FC 3=@4<D 7@C E96 p88:6D[ H9@D6 @?=J H:? @G6C z2?D2D :? aa EC:6D 42>6 :? a__f[ 367@C6 E96J 3@=E65 E96 q:8 `a 7@C E96 $@FE962DE6C? r@?76C6?46]k^Am
kAm%96 y2J92H<D E@@< 4@?EC@= H:E9 2 `_\_ CF? >:5H2J E9C@F89 E96 7:CDE 92=7[ DEC6E49:?8 2 a_\`g =625 :?E@ 2 b_\`g 25G2?E286 369:?5 E96 <:?5 @7 b\A@:?E 32CC286 E92E 92D 364@>6 D@ 4@>>@? E9:D D62D@?]k^Am
kAmpE @?6 A@:?E[ E96J 925 9:E ?:?6 @7 E96:C 7:CDE `b 7C@> 36J@?5 E96 2C4]k^Am
kAm|J<92:=:F< 925 E9C66 :? E96 7:CDE 92=7[ A2CE @7 9:D `f A@:?ED :? `f >:?FE6D[ 2D E96 y2J92H<D D9@E db A6C46?E 7C@> E96 7:6=5 2?5 E@@< 2 cd\af =625 :?E@ E96 3C62< 282:?DE @?6 @7 E96 ?2E:@?VD 36DE 5676?D6D]k^Am
kAmQxE D66>65 =:<6 6G6CJ 324<\3C62<:?8 A=2J[ H6V5 86E 2 325 3@F?46 2?5 E96JV5 9:E 2 b[Q z6??65J D2:5] QtG6CJ 3@F?46[ 6G6CJ A=2J[ E96J >256 :E[ 2?5 E92EVD E96 >2C< @7 2 8@@5 E62>]Qk^Am
kAmz2?D2D <6AE E96 A246 9@E :? E96 D64@?5 92=7[ 4C62E:?8 CF?\@FED 6G6CJ E:>6 E96 p88:6D >:DD65 2 D9@E — 2?5 E96C6 H6C6 A=6?EJ @7 E96>] p?5 6G6? H96? E96J H6C6 7@C465 E@ D6E FA @776?D6[ E96 y2J92H<D >2?2865 E@ 86E 9:89 A6C46?E286 D9@ED[ :?4=F5:?8 2 C:>\D92<:?8 5F?< 3J pKF3F:<6 62C=J @?]k^Am
kAmpKF3F:<6 925 32CC6=65 E9C@F89 s2G:D 367@C6 D=2>>:?8 :E 9@>6[ E96? DEC255=65 E96 p88:6DV 3:8 >2? 2D 96 5C@AA65 324< E@ E96 7=@@C] w6 82G6 9:> 2 >62? >F8[ E@@[ E92E 62C?65 9:> 2 E649?:42= 7@F=]k^Am
kAm%96 p88:6D 7:?2==J 4=2H65 H:E9:? fa\ea @? 7C66 E9C@HD 3J s2G:D H:E9 cic_ E@ 8@[ 3FE |2C4FD v2CC6EE D4@C65 @? 2 5C:G:?8 =2JFA 2?5 pKF3F:<6 25565 2 323J 9@@< E@ C6DE@C6 E96 y2J92H<DV 25G2?E286]k^Am
kAm%96 p88:6D ?6G6C >2?2865 E@ 86E H:E9:? D:?8=6\5:8:ED 5@H? E96 DEC6E49]k^Am
kAms~ztV$ %trw}xrp{k^Am
kAm$6=7 H2D ?@E 92AAJ H:E9 pKF3F:<6VD E649?:42= 7@F=[ H9:49 96 42==65 QD6=7:D9]Q %96 A=2J 2=D@ E@@< D@>6 @7 E96 7:C6 @FE @7 E96 3:8 8FJ[ H9@ 925 2 3:8 7:CDE 92=7 3FE H2D BF:6E :? E96 D64@?5] pKF3F:<6 6?565 FA H:E9 6:89E A@:?ED[ D:I 3@2C5D 2?5 7@FC 3=@4<D :? aa >:?FE6D]k^Am
kAmqxv !xr%&#tk^Am
kAm%6I2D pU2>Aj| EC:65 E@ 6DE23=:D9 :ED D:K6 :? E96 A2:?E[ 3FE E96 y2J92H<D >256 FA 7@C E96:C =24< @7 D:K6 H:E9 D4C2AA:?6DD] %96 p88:6DV 8F2C5D H6C6 @FE9FDE=65 E@ D66>:?8=J 6G6CJ =@@D6 32==[ 2?5 E92E AFE E@@ >F49 AC6DDFC6 @? s2G:D 2?5 (:==:2>D E@ >2<6 E9:?8D 92AA6? :? 2 82>6 E92E 92C5=J DF:E65 E96:C DEJ=6]k^Am
kAmz2?D2D 3@F?465 324< ?:46=J 7C@> 2 =2E6 4@==2AD6 2E ~<=29@>2[ D9@H:?8 2 3:E >@C6 >@I:6 E92? E96 y2J92H<D 92G6 :? C646?E H66<D] %96J 925 2 `d\a 6586 @? 72DE\3C62< A@:?ED[ 2?5 E96J 9F?8 H:E9 E96 3:886C p88:6D @? E96 3@2C5D :? 2 A@D:E:G6 D:8? 7@C 2 E62> E92E 92D DECF88=65 E@ C63@F?5]k^Am
kAm&! }t)%k^Am
kAm%6I2D pU2>Aj| A=2JD pC<2?D2D @? %F6D52J ?:89E]k^Am
kAmz2?D2D G:D:ED z2?D2D $E2E6 @? |@?52J ?:89E]k^Am
kAm———k^Am
kAm|@C6 p! 4@==686 32D<6E32==i k2 E2C86ElQU>52D9j3=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEAi^^HHH]4@==68632D<6E32==]2A]@C8QmHHH]4@==68632D<6E32==]2A]@C8k^2m 2?5 k2 E2C86ElQU>52D9j3=2?<Q 9C67lQ9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^p!TtaTg_Thc%@AadQm9EEADi^^EH:EE6C]4@>^p!—%@Aadk^2mk^Am
Copyright 2018 The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.