No. 1 Kansas bounces back to beat TCU
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Wayne Selden Jr. scored 11 points, Carlton Bragg and Cheick Diallo provided a lift off the bench, and No. 1 Kansas slogged its way to a 70-63 victory against TCU on Saturday.
Bragg had 10 points, as did Perry Ellis and Devonte Graham, while Diallo had nine points and nine rebounds to help the Jayhawks (15-2, 4-1 Big 12) bounce back from a loss at West Virginia.
It was the 33rd consecutive win at Allen Fieldhouse for Kansas, matching the fourth-best streak in school history. It was also the Jayhawks' seven straight win over the Horned Frogs.
Michael Williams had 13 points and Brandon Parrish and Chauncey Collins scored 11 apiece for TCU (9-8, 1-4), which remained close for a while thanks to a flurry of early 3-pointers.
The Jayhawks eventually took the perimeter away, and their size and depth in the post made it nearly impossible for TCU to score. Diallo finished with five blocks in just 21 minutes.
Malique Trent missed TCU’s second straight game because of a violation of team rules. The talented transfer from New Mexico Junior College was tied for the team lead at 11.7 points per game.
His loss has been sorely felt for a team short on depth. The Horned Frogs were able to hang around with the Jayhawks for the first half, but their weary legs got the best of them late.
In fact, TCU built a 19-15 lead fueled almost entirely by 3-pointers before Kansas answered with a 16-2 run. But even after the Jayhawks took a 31-21 lead with about 4 minutes left before the break, the Horned Frogs were able to keep the game within striking distance.
It was still a 10-point game midway through the second half when the Jayhawks peeled off six quick points, first on a dunk by Ellis and then consecutive layups by Frank Mason III. And while TCU never truly went away, Kansas had enough depth and athleticism to prevent one more comeback.
Not to mention give Bill Self another opportunity to tinker.
The Jayhawks’ coach is still experimenting with lineups, trying to find the best five guys — and the top guys off the bench — despite approaching the midpoint of the season. Bragg and Diallo made their case for more minutes, while Jamari Traylor and Landen Lucas seemed to backpedal just a bit.
Bragg soared past his career-best of nine points while providing some energy on the defensive end and the glass, while Diallo provided a jolt with a series of crowd-thrilling rejections.
ALARMING DEVELOPMENT
Fire alarms sounded in Allen Fieldhouse with just over a minute left in the game. True to form at Kansas, the 16,300 seats were never empty — despite the bleating horn and flashing lights.
TIP-INS
TCU: Chris Washburn started for the third time after missing the early portion of the season with a broken finger. He finished with eight points. … TCU was 7 of 17 from beyond the arc.
Kansas: Ellis had nine rebounds. … Kansas was 5 of 20 from beyond the arc. … The Jayhawks had just 10 turnovers after piling up 22 in their loss to the Mountaineers.
UP NEXT
TCU plays Texas Tech on Monday night.
Kansas visits Oklahoma State on Tuesday night.
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