Sophomore guard Ochai Agbaji posted a double-double with 20 points and 12 rebounds Saturday as No. 2 Kansas returned from its Maui Invitational championship and downed No. 20 Colorado 72-58 at Lawrence, Kan.
The Jayhawks (7-1) claimed their 25th consecutive home win by also beating the Buffaloes (7-1) for the 30th straight time in Allen Fieldhouse, a streak that started in 1984 when both teams were in the Big Eight.
The nation's most accurate shooter, senior center Udoka Azubuike, added 12 points. The 7-footer went 6 of 7 after entering with a .797 percentage. Sophomore point guard Devon Dotson added 18 points and six assists.
Colorado, which shot just 30 percent, became the eighth consecutive ranked visitor to lose at Kansas, which led by as many as 23 points.
Although the Jayhawks struggled at times to find a rhythm while committing 21 turnovers, they made 6 of 7 from behind the arc in the second half. The Buffs never recovered from a 12-point halftime deficit, going 7 of 34 from 3-point territory.
Junior forward Tyler Bey, Colorado's top scorer and rebounder, did not attempt a shot until missing a 3-pointer with 1:28 left in the first half. Bey suffered an injury with 5:55 remaining and did not return, scoring just five points but grabbing a team-high nine rebounds.
Sophomore forward Evan Battey scored 14 points as the only Buffalo to net double figures.
Agbaji and Azubuike scored eight apiece to lead Kansas to a 34-22 halftime margin, which included a 26-6 advantage in the paint.
Dotson added seven first-half points as the Jayhawks led by as many as 12, 30-18, after a jumper by Agbaji with 1:55 remaining.
Senior forward Lucas Siewert came off the bench to hit back-to-back 3-pointers in a 37-second span to lead Colorado with six first-half points. The Buffs shot just 27 percent in the half while committing nine turnovers.
The Buffs came into the game as the Pac-12's last undefeated team.
--Field Level Media
Colorado | Kansas | |
Evan Battey 14 | Scoring | Ochai Agbaji 20 |
McKinley Wright IV 2 | Assists | Devon Dotson 6 |
Tyler Bey 9 | Rebounds | Ochai Agbaji 12 |
Evan Battey 4 | Free Throws Made | Devon Dotson 10 |
Tyler Bey 4 | Steals | Marcus Garrett 4 |
N/A | Blocks | Udoka Azubuike 3 |