Forwards Reid Travis and PJ Washington and guard Keldon Johnson each contributed double-doubles Saturday as No. 8 Kentucky toppled No. 9 Kansas 71-63 in a clash of basketball bluebloods in Lexington, Ky., that highlighted the Big 12/SEC Challenge.
Travis, a graduate senior, posted 41 points and 13 rebounds in two previous matchups against Kansas while playing for Stanford. He collected 18 points and 12 boards Saturday.
Washington, a sophomore, added 20 points and 13 boards and was instrumental in the second half as Kentucky (16-3) won its sixth straight despite trailing at halftime. Johnson, a freshman, added 15 points and 10 rebounds. Freshman point guard Ashton Hagans had 12 points and seven assists.
The win extended the Wildcats' home-court streak to 16 games and snapped a three-game losing streak in the series against Kansas. Kentucky and Kansas rank first and second, respectively, in all-time wins for Division I programs.
The loss ended a 13-game streak the Jayhawks enjoyed in regular-season games against top 10 opponents.
Coach Bill Self also suffered his 100th defeat at Kansas. He is in his 16th season.
Junior forward Dedric Lawson posted his 14th double-double, leading the Jayhawks (16-4) with 20 points and 15 rebounds. Kansas shot just 36.5 percent, had only nine assists on 23 makes and was outrebounded 49-36 while falling for the fourth time in five road games.
Sophomore guard Quentin Grimes added 13 points.
Lawson notched a double-double in the first half for the Jayhawks, posting 11 points and 11 boards to help produce a 33-30 halftime lead. Kansas led the last 15 minutes of the half.
The Jayhawks shot just 36.1 percent, but the Wildcats countered with 33.3 percent shooting and went 0-for-8 from 3-point range. Each team made 13 shots and four free throws. The difference was three treys for Kansas.
Travis scored 12 points on 5-for-8 shooting, keying a 26-14 first-half scoring advantage in the paint. Washington snared nine first-half boards.
More matchups between the elite rivals will likely be part of the Big 12/SEC Challenge in the future after it was announced the midseason conference duel has been extended another six years.
--Field Level Media
Kansas | Kentucky | |
Dedric Lawson 20 | Scoring | PJ Washington 20 |
Devon Dotson 4 | Assists | Ashton Hagans 8 |
Dedric Lawson 15 | Rebounds | PJ Washington 13 |
Dedric Lawson 4 | Free Throws Made | PJ Washington 6 |
Marcus Garrett 2 | Steals | Ashton Hagans 3 |
Marcus Garrett 1 | Blocks | Nick Richards 5 |