LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Top-ranked Kansas avoided any chance of a letdown after its high-profile win over Baylor by blowing out Oklahoma State 83-58. Udoka Azubuike led Kansas with 19 points and 16 rebounds. Ochai Agbaji scored 15 points, Devon Dotson added 11 points and Christian Braun and David McCormack had 10 apiece for the Jayhawks. Kansas regained the top spot in the AP poll earlier in the day thanks to its victory over now-No. 2 Baylor. Cameron McGriff led the Cowboys with 16 points, though most came with the game well out of reach. Isaac Likekele and Lindy Waters added 11 apiece.
AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Andrew Jones scored 22 points to lead Texas past No. 20 West Virginia 67-57 as the injury-depleted Longhorns continued a late-season surge. Courtney Ramey added 21 points for Texas. The Longhorns have won three in a row. The Mountaineers have lost six straight on the road in the Big 12. West Virginia dominated the first matchup, a 38-point victory back on Jan. 20. But Texas was anything but the timid team that got pushed around in Morgantown. Oscar Tshiebwe scored 14 points to lead West Virginia.
LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas is back on top of the college basketball world after knocking off Baylor. And the Bears dropped to No. 2 in The Associated Press men's poll following the close loss. The Jayhawks took over the No. 1 ranking for the second time this season following a week there in December. The Bears fell to second after their 23-game winning streak ended. Gonzaga was No. 3 after a loss to BYU. And Dayton leapfrogged San Diego State for No. 4 following the Aztecs' first loss of the season. They were followed by Florida State, Duke, Kentucky, Maryland and Creighton in rounding out the top 10. Every team in the top 10 found itself in a new position from last week.
National Headlines
LOS ANGELES (AP) — Vanessa Bryant offered a poignant portrait of her NBA superstar husband and their daughter at a sold-out memorial service for the two today, one month after Kobe and Gianna Bryant were among nine people killed in a helicopter crash near Los Angeles. Speaking at times through tears, Vanessa Bryant praised her husband's devotion as she addressed thousands of fans gathered at Staples Center. The ceremony began with performances by Beyonce and Alicia Keys, and the mourners included Lakers greats such as Kareem Abdul-Jabbar and Magic Johnson, plus other celebrities.
GREEN BAY, Wis. (AP) — The Green Bay Packers have signed longtime placekicker Mason Crosby to a three-year contract extension. The 35-year-old Crosby has appeared in all 208 Packers game since being selected in the sixth round of the 2007 draft. He’s the team’s all-time leader with 1,575 points, 588 extra points, 329 field goals and 35 field goals of 50 yards or more.
WASHINGTON (AP) — Khris Middleton scored the Milwaukee Bucks’ final nine points in a 137-134 triumph over the Wizards in Washington. Middleton dropped in 40 points, including a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 30.2 seconds left to give Milwaukee a 135-132 lead. Bucks forward Giannis Antetokounmpo had 22 points and 14 rebounds before fouling out with 1:33 remaining in regulation. Bradley Beal poured in a career-high 55 points, one night after scoring 53 in a loss at Chicago.
HOUSTON (AP) — James Harden’s 37 points, nine assists and six rebounds carried the Houston Rockets to a 123-112 decision over the New York Knicks. Harden got to the arena just over an hour before the game after attending the memorial service for Kobe and Gianna Bryant in Los Angeles hours earlier. Ben McLemore finished with 17 points and Eric Gordon had 16 in Houston’s fourth straight win, which puts them a half-game behind the third-place Clippers in the West.
PHILADELPHIA (AP) — Joel Embiid poured in a career-high 49 points and grabbed 14 rebounds as the Philadelphia 76ers dumped the Atlanta Hawks, 129-112. Furkan Kormaz chipped in 15 points for Philadelphia, which wasted a 21-point lead before improving to a league-best 27-2 at home. Trae Young led Atlanta with 28 points despite missing nine of 11 from 3-point range.
TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Trent Forrest scored 14 of his 16 points after halftime to rally sixth-ranked Florida State from a double-digit deficit in an 82-67 victory over No. 11 Louisville. FSU outscored Louisville, 50-27 in the second half, including a 15-0 run that was capped by Patrick Williams’ emphatic slam. Devin Vassell and M.J. Walker each scored 12 points for the Seminoles, who improved to 14-3 in the conference and set a school record for ACC victories with three games remaining.
Monday Scores
TOP-25 COLLEGE BASKETBALL
Final (1)Kansas 83 Oklahoma St. 58
Final (6)Florida St. 82 (11)Louisville 67
Final Texas 67 (20)West Virginia 57
NATIONAL BASKETBALL ASSOCIATION
Final Philadelphia 129 Atlanta 112
Final Orlando 115 Brooklyn 113
Final OT Milwaukee 137 Washington 134
Final OT Cleveland 125 Miami 119
Final Houston 123 New York 112
Final Dallas 139 Minnesota 123
Final Phoenix 131 Utah 111
Final L.A. Clippers 124 Memphis 97