Robert Wright III scored 20 of his 24 points in the second half, and Baylor rallied from a 19-point deficit before the break for an 81-70 victory over No. 11 Kansas on Saturday.
The collapse by the Jayhawks (15-6, 6-4 Big 12), who led 40-21 at halftime, came a week after sixth-ranked Houston pulled off improbable rallies in the final seconds of regulation and the first overtime in a double-OT win at Allen Fieldhouse.
Norchad Omier put the Bears (14-7, 6-4) within 46-45 on two free throws with 13:39 remaining after they trailed 38-17 late in the first half. Baylor’s 21-point comeback was the largest ever by a Kansas opponent.
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Kansas blowing the biggest lead in a loss in the storied program’s history didn’t cost coach Bill Self his sense of humor.
“I honestly believe that the oranges that we ate at halftime that Baylor provided was probably the reason why we (were bad) the second half,” Self said.
The stunning reversal topped the 20-point lead Kansas blew to Arizona, which was No. 1, at famed Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 27, 2003.
Interestingly, both times the Jayhawks have led by at least 20 points and lost, it was a double-digit setback. In a 91-74 victory 22 years ago, the Wildcats stormed back from a 44-24 deficit.
Baylor took the lead for good on a tiebreaking 3-pointer from Jalen Celestine with four minutes to go, and after Kansas had rebuilt its lead to 10.
Hunter Dickinson scored 20 points for Kansas, and Dajuan Harris Jr. had 12.
Omier had 18 points and 16 rebounds, and VJ Edgecombe scored 14 before leaving with an injury early in the second half.
“If you don’t believe in miracles, that second half, such a limited bench and against a Hall of Fame coach and a great team that don’t beat themselves,” Baylor coach Scott Drew said. “I think our crowd deserves a lot of credit. We only had 11 assists, but I think the crowd gets 10 of them.”
Takeaways
Kansas was taken out of its offensive rhythm by Baylor’s full-court pressure to start the second half. The Jayhawks shot 36% in the second half.
Baylor finished the rally without Edgecombe, who entered third in the Big 12 in scoring in league games. He went down early in the second half after missing a driving layup and limped to the locker room.
Key moment
The go-ahead 3 from Celestine, who scored 12 points, changed the game for good. The Bears outscored the Jayhawks 18-7 from that point.
Key stat
The Jayhawks had a 20-0 advantage in bench scoring in the first half. The Bears had a 12-8 edge after the break.
Up next
Kansas plays No. 3 Iowa State at home Monday. Baylor visits 22nd-ranked Texas Tech on Tuesday.
Reporting by The Associated Press.
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