WACO, Texas – No. 3 Kansas never seems to be too far behind to rally for victories.
After another comeback win against a fellow top-10 team, the Jayhawks are probably too far ahead in the standings for anyone to keep them from winning their 13th consecutive Big 12 title.
Landen Lucas made two free throws with 11 seconds left, and Kansas didn't allow No. 4 Baylor to get the ball to Johnathan Motley on the last possession, as the Jayhawks grabbed a stranglehold on the Big 12 race with a 67-65 victory Saturday.
"As far as a mental toughness team, I would take this team and go to the house and let it ride however it goes," Kansas coach Bill Self said.
Five days after overcoming a 14-point deficit in the final 2:43 of regulation and then winning in overtime at home vs. No. 9 West Virginia, the Jayhawks only had to come back from six points down in the final 3 ½ minutes this time.
"We were down by more than that last game," said Frank Mason III, who led Kansas with 23 points. "We just showed toughness and leadership as far as the older guys, and I think the younger guys did a great job of following."
The Jayhawks (24-3, 12-2) have a three-game lead in the Big 12 standings with four games to play. With one more win, Kansas will match the UCLA teams of the 1960s and '70s by winning 13 consecutive conference titles, though Self still isn't ready to talk about that.
"We put ourselves in a great position," Self said. "We're not going to take it for granted. ... Certainly with a different outcome, you're up one [game] with four to play, so I'm really proud of our guys and how hard they compete."
