, who continue to struggle on the road. They have lost all three league contests away from Bramlage Coliseum after going 7-2 in those games a year ago, when they tied Texas Tech for the Big 12 title - ending the Jayhawks' record-setting run of 14 consecutive championships.The Jayhawks built a comfortable 39-23 lead by the break, and all of it - and then some - came during that soul-crushing 19-2 run midway through the first half that torpedoed just about any chance of an upset.It began when Braun hit the first of what would become three 3-pointers by the freshman during the charge. It continued when the Jayhawks forced the Wildcats into a series of blown layups and easy misses, a pair of missed free throws, a shot clock violation and five turnovers that left coach Bruce Weber stamping his feet in frustration.The run ended - fittingly - with Braun hitting another 3, giving the Jayhawks a 26-9 lead with less than 10 minutes left.Braun, who played a mere 4 minutes last weekend at Texas, hit another from beyond the arc as the shot clock wound down to star the second half, and Kansas more than doubled up its biggest rival at 47-23 before the Wildcats showed some life.Sloan started their own run with an easy basket, then he followed one by Sneed with two more. Cartier Diarra answered the fans that'd been heckling him all night from an early air-ball by adding a layup, and Gordon's 3-pointer capped a 13-2 run that got Kansas State withing 49-36 with about 14 minutes left in the game.Braun answered with another 3 during another big run that allowed the Jayhawks to put the game away.BIG PICTUREKansas State was playing its third consecutive ranked opponent, and should have come in with some momentum after an easy win over then-No. 12 West Virginia. But after hanging with the Jayhawks the first few minutes, sloppy play and their inability to convert layups at the rim allowed Kansas to go on the run that defined the game.Kansas didn't shoot the ball particularly well, but the Jayhawks dominated the glass, kept turnovers to a minimum and played one of their better defensive games all season.UP NEXTKansas State heads to Alabama on Saturday for the Big 12-SEC Challenge.Kansas welcomes back ex-Texas coach Rick Barnes with Tennessee on Saturday.---More college basketball: http://collegebasketball.ap.org and http://www.twitter.com/-Top25)
Jan 20, 2020The prospect for low-scoring Big 12 games was established during nonconference play when impressive wins were crafted by conference teams smothering opponents with stifling defense.No. 3 Kansas (14-3, 4-1 Big 12) was the preseason favorite to win the league title, and entered conference play as the top-scoring team, but has been limited to 65.2 points per game during a solid start against their regional rivals.The difference in scoring average between nonconference and league play amounts to a 16-point dip and prompted Kansas coach Bill Self to joke that "we were really on fire" when the Jayhawks traveled to Oklahoma and Texas last week and recorded 66 points in each win.On Tuesday, Kansas will once again try to do whatever it takes when it plays host to Kansas State (8-9, 1-4)."It could be a first one to 60 type league," Self said. "I know that's not exciting for a lot of people, but the spin on the positive is those are more like NCAA Tournament games. So, you learn to grind out games like that and play low-possession games, which may translate to the way games are in the NCAA Tournament." Self is not altogether averse to his teams playing in that fashion.Although Kansas annually recruits at a high level and has landed a decent share of one-and-done prospects, Self is adamant that players buy in defensively.That facet has sometimes kept one of the Jayhawks' top 3-point threats, Iowa transfer guard Isaiah Moss, from logging extended minutes. Moss drained six 3-pointers last week in a win at Oklahoma, but on Saturday the Jayhawks attempted just 10 3-pointers at Texas and made only two.When 3-point production lacks consistency, opponents are sagging defensively on senior center Udoka Azubuike."It just puts too much pressure on the defense to get stops when you can't stretch the floor," Self said.Kansas is, however, capable of responding to such challenges. It is allowing 56.2 points and 35.6 percent shooting in Big 12 play to stack up with conference leaders.Cracking that resistance in Allen Fieldhouse will be a stiff challenge for Kansas State. The Wildcats rank eighth in field goal percentage (.396) in Big 12 play.By surprising West Virginia 84-68 with 59.2 percent shooting on Saturday, Kansas State halted its worst start in the Big 12 since 2015."We shot over 50 percent and they usually hold teams to 30-something on field goals," said junior guard Cartier Diarra, who matched a career-best with 25 points and led Kansas State in scoring for the ninth time."That just shows the offensive part in how we executed. Just being ready, that's the biggest thing. The (West Virginia) game has helped get us ready for Tuesday." The Wildcats are tied for eighth in the Big 12 and sitting below .500 after sharing the league title with Texas Tech last season. That run ended the 14-year stronghold Kansas enjoyed as Big 12 champion.Kansas State has lost 13 straight in Lawrence, where the Jayhawks carried a 26-game winning streak before falling on Jan. 11 to Baylor.--Field Level Media
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