Feb. 21, 2006

Box Score

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) - Freshman Julian Wright had a career-high 20 points on 10-for-11 shooting and No. 16 Kansas won its 10th in a row with a sometimes-sluggish 76-61 victory over Baylor on Tuesday night.

Wright, a 6-foot-8 swingman often overlooked among a talented freshman class that also includes Mario Chalmers and Brandon Rush, hit his usual variety of inside and outside shots and also had five rebounds.

The Bears (2-10), not allowed to play a non-conference schedule because of NCAA sanctions, avoided an embarrassing rout by shooting 9-for-14 on 3-pointers in the second half.

The Jayhawks (20-6, 11-2 Big 12) took a half-game lead in the league race ahead of No. 7 Texas, which plays at Kansas State on Wednesday night. The Longhorns will host the Jayhawks on Saturday in what will probably decide the regular-season championship.

Kansas was without senior reserve guard Jeff Hawkins, who was suspended for the game following his citation on Sunday morning for leaving the scene of a minor traffic accident.

Baylor lost its 22nd straight against a ranked opponent, and 30 of the last 33 away from home

Playing a ranked team on the road for the third time in four games, Baylor shot 40 percent against a Kansas team that came in leading the nation with a 36.1-percent field-goal defense.

After hitting their first three shots, the Bears missed 14 of 16 and Kansas went on a 10-0 spree that opened a 31-13 lead when Rush made a 3-pointer from the right wing.

But then Tommy Swanson hit a 3 for Baylor with 7:05 to go in the half and the Bears went on a 10-0 run of their own against the Jayhawks, who were coming off a mentally and physically draining 79-46 rout of their archrival Missouri Tigers.

Kevin Rogers' basket sent the Bears into the break trailing only 33-25. But Wright hit a 15-foot jumper and dunked a pass from Chalmers to help Kansas quickly regain all the momentum.

Freshman Curtis Jerrels had 17 points for Baylor while Aaron Bruce and Tommy Swanson each had 13.

The Jayhawks shot 52 percent and had 32 points in the paint, with Rush and Darnell Jackson each getting 11. C.J. Giles scored 10 and Russell Robinson nine.