Baylor mounted a stunning comeback from a 19-point first-half deficit to defeat No. 11 Kansas 81-70 on Saturday. Robert Wright III led the charge, scoring 20 of his 24 points in the second half.
The Bears chipped away at the lead, with Norchad Omier’s free throws bringing them within one point (46-45) with 13:39 remaining. Jalen Celestine’s three-pointer with four minutes left gave Baylor the lead for good, after Kansas had briefly extended their advantage back to 10.
“I never felt like we had momentum in the second half,” admitted Kansas coach Bill Self.
Hunter Dickinson led Kansas with 20 points, while Dajuan Harris Jr. scored 12 and added eight assists, moving him into second place on the Big 12’s all-time career assist list with 794. He now trails only Aaron Miles (954 assists).
Omier also had a big game for Baylor with 18 points and 16 rebounds. VJ Edgecombe contributed 14 points before leaving the game with an injury early in the second half.
Baylor’s full-court pressure disrupted Kansas’s offensive flow in the second half, holding them to just 36% shooting. The Bears completed their comeback despite losing Edgecombe, who was a top scorer in the Big 12.
Celestine’s go-ahead three-pointer proved to be the decisive moment, sparking an 18-7 run for Baylor to close out the game. While Kansas dominated bench scoring in the first half (20-0), Baylor held the advantage after halftime (12-8).
Kansas aims to rebound from their recent loss when they host No. 3 Iowa State on Monday. Fans can tune in to pregame coverage starting at 7:30 p.m. on 95.5 KNDY, Z-96.3 The Lake, and SuperStar Country 102.5, with tipoff scheduled for 8:00 p.m. at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence.
