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The Topeka Capital Journal
Kansas basketball coasts to finish, routs Big 12-foe Baylor for win
- Story byThe Topeka Capital Journal
- Kansas basketball coasts to finish, routs Big 12-foe Baylor for win
LAWRENCE — Kansas basketball captured an 80-62 win on Friday, Jan. 16, at home against Baylor inside Allen Fieldhouse.
The No. 25 Jayhawks (13-5, 3-2 in Big 12) now have two-straight wins in Big 12 Conference play, both coming in Lawrence. The Bears (11-6, 1-4) bounced back from trailing by as many as 15 points in the first half to make this a game going into halftime, but Kansas reestablished control quickly in the second half and never let it slip away.
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KU freshman guard Darryn Peterson led the way for the Jayhawks with 26 points, despite not playing much in the second half.
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"I thought we played with great intensity, but I thought our execution was better tonight than it was against Iowa State ," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "I really thought we moved the ball. What did we have, four turnovers? And the ball moved, for the most part. When we didn't score there in the first half, we got the ball to the cup and (No.) 44 did a great job of altering, but I actually thought we got the ball where it needed to go for the most part most possessions."
Kansas had some momentum after it captured an upset win against No. 2 Iowa State on Tuesday, but this victory helped reinforce that the Jayhawks are moving away from looking like the team they did earlier in Big 12 play. The wins against Iowa State and Baylor each saw KU be able to coast to the finish after weathering comeback attempts from each opponent.
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As Kansas looks ahead to back-to-back road games, Jan. 20 at Colorado and Jan. 24 at rival-Kansas State, there'll be an added level of confidence the Jayhawks will be able to play with.
Much of that confidence, too, likely resides with sophomore forward Flory Bidunga . Bidunga stepped up and delivered a 23-point and 11-rebound double-double, dominating inside on both ends as he also collected five blocks. Considering how much senior guard Tre White struggled to shoot the ball, finishing with six points but shooting 1-for-8 from the field, that Bidunga was able to put that performance together mattered that much more.
Kansas basketball guard Darryn Peterson (22) shoots the ball against Baylor during the game inside Allen Fieldhouse on Jan. 16, 2026.
Jordan Guskey covers University of Kansas Athletics at The Topeka Capital-Journal. He was the 2022 National Sports Media Association's sportswriter of the year for the state of Kansas. Contact him at jmguskey@gannett.com or on Twitter at @JordanGuskey.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas basketball, Flory Bidunga, Darryn Peterson rout Baylor for win
