Baylor vs. Kansas: Score and Reaction from 2017 Regular Season

Kansas has won 12 straight regular-season Big 12 championships because of games like Wednesday's.

The No. 3 Jayhawks outlasted the No. 2 Baylor Bears in a thriller at Allen Fieldhouse, 73-68. The two teams were tied atop the conference standings coming in to the contest, but Kansas seized pole position by capitalizing on home-court advantage.

Kansas is now 20-2 overall and 8-1 in the Big 12, while Baylor dropped to 20-2 overall and 7-2. 

Matt Galloway of the Topeka Capital-Journal noted Baylor has never won at Allen Fieldhouse, but ESPN College Basketball pointed out nobody really does:

"

What a game!

No. 3 Kansas hangs on to take down No. 2 Baylor to make it 51 straight at Allen Fieldhouse! pic.twitter.com/o90fUxXCJB

— ESPN College BBall (@ESPNCBB) February 2, 2017"

The combination of freshman Josh Jackson and senior Frank Mason III led the way for the Jayhawks. Jackson finished with 23 points and 10 rebounds, while Mason added 19 points, six assists, four rebounds and three steals despite shooting just 3-of-12 from the field.

The pair scored four straight points in the closing minutes when the game was tied, which gave the Jayhawks the lead for good. Rob Dauster of NBC Sports commented on the impressive showing from the duo:

Manu Lecomte and Johnathan Motley each scored 16 points for the Bears. Motley also grabbed 10 rebounds, but Kansas made the plays down the stretch. The Bears had an opportunity to tie the game in the closing seconds, but their 15th turnover ended any chance at overtime.

Neither team built a significant lead in the early going, foreshadowing the tight contest. Motley gave Baylor a 20-19 advantage and kicked off a 8-2 run with a jumper. Jo Lual-Acuil Jr. capped the spurt with a three, which made it 28-21.

The two sides traded momentum for the rest of the half, and the Bears took a 34-28 lead into intermission after forcing eight Kansas turnovers in the opening 20 minutes.

Baylor's zone defense did more than just force Jayhawks turnovers. It held the home team to 34.6 percent shooting from the field in the first half, and only Jackson (13 points) scored in double figures. Mason had just one field goal to that point and couldn't match Motley's 14 points and six rebounds.

That advantage didn't last long for Baylor.

Sviatoslav Mykhailiuk gave the Jayhawks a 38-36 lead less than three minutes into the second half as part of a 14-0 Kansas burst. Mason's jumper made it 42-36 before Terry Maston stopped the bleeding for Baylor.

Sam Vecenie of Sporting News credited the Jayhawks' uptempo pace for altering the momentum:

Baylor didn't fade and retook the lead with a Maston jumper, but Kansas had the crowd firmly in the game at that point. Devonte' Graham made it 49-45 in the Jayhawks' favor as the home team bounced right back.

The Bears answered with a small 5-0 run after they fell behind by six to make it 53-52, but they lost some momentum when Mason attacked Jake Lindsey in a one-on-one situation and forced the guard's fifth foul.

The pattern of Baylor refusing to go away continued even after Lindsey fouled out, and a three from Ishmail Wainright and free throw from Lual-Acuil Jr. gave the visitors the advantage again. The back-and-forth continued from there, as Kansas took the lead before Lecomte tied it with a three.

Mason then hit a three for the Jayhawks, but Wainright answered from deep on the ensuing possession to tie things at 64 by the under-four-minute timeout.

Vahe Gregorian of the Kansas City Star illustrated just how close the second half was in the high-stakes showdown:

That's when Jackson and Mason took control in the game's most critical sequence. The freshman attacked the rim for a dunk, and the senior followed with two free throws to open up a two-score lead with less than two minutes remaining.

The teams traded baskets on the next three possessions, with Lecomte banking in a long two to make it 70-68. Baylor then forced a turnover and had a chance to take the lead in the final minute with a Wainright three, but Landen Lucas altered the shot and forced the miss.

The Bears had one final chance to tie it in the closing seconds but turned it over, clinching the victory for Kansas.

Postgame Reaction

Kansas head coach Bill Self discussed the road to the conference title, per the Associated Press (h/t ESPN.com): "We know it's going to be hard, and if we hadn't won tonight, we're not out of the race. But it would be even more of an uphill climb."

Baylor head coach Scott Drew told the AP, "One day we'll win up here, just not this year." 

Mason looked forward to the next matchup: "They're a great team, their coach is a great coach, and I think he does a great job of using their athletic abilities. I think when we go down to Waco, it'll be a great game."

What's Next?

Kansas gets something of a break after playing West Virginia, Kentucky and Baylor in three straight games. Its next three contests come against unranked foes in Iowa State, Kansas State and Texas Tech before back-to-back showdowns with the Mountaineers and Bears.

Baylor's next four games are against unranked teams in Kansas State, Oklahoma State, TCU and Texas Tech before that rematch with the Jayhawks. It has to take care of business in the winnable contests to ensure the rematch has a significant impact on the Big 12 race and for a potential No. 1 seed in the NCAA tournament.