LAWRENCE, Kan. — Flory Bidunga delivered a dominant double-double as No. 9 Kansas knocked off top-ranked and previously unbeaten Arizona 82-78 on Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
Arizona (23-1, 10-1 Big 12) entered the matchup riding the second-longest winning streak in Division I men’s basketball and appeared in control early. The Wildcats led by three at halftime and pushed their advantage to as many as 11 points before Kansas mounted its second-half rally.
The Jayhawks did not take their first lead of the game until the 9:32 mark of the second half. Bidunga sparked that surge, capping a personal seven-point run with a layup that put Kansas in front for good. He finished with 23 points on an efficient 8-of-11 shooting and pulled down 10 rebounds.
Arizona made a late push and closed within one point with 34 seconds remaining, but Kansas sealed the win at the free-throw line. Senior guard Melvin Council Jr. was steady down the stretch, hitting 3 of 4 free throws in the final minute and finishing 10 of 11 at the line. Council matched Bidunga with 23 points, while Tre White added a pair of late free throws to secure the victory.
Kansas placed four players in double figures. Bryson Tiller scored 18 points, and Jamari McDowell contributed 10 to round out the balanced effort.
For Arizona, freshman guard Brayden Burries led all scorers with 25 points. Motiejus Krivas added 14 points, and Ivan Kharchenkov chipped in 13.
Kansas will look to build on the statement win when it travels to Iowa State on Saturday.
