LAWRENCE, Kan. — Kansas alums Tad Boyle and especially Danny Manning received warm welcomes from the Jayhawks faithful.
Kansas treated the Buffaloes much more rudely.
The Buffs battled and refused to go away quietly, but ultimately No. 17 Kansas gradually pulled away while continuing the Big 12 Conference misery for CU, handing the Buffs a 71-59 defeat on Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.
The defeat kept CU winless in Big 12 play and extended the longest losing streak in 15 seasons under Boyle to 13 games, breaking a tie for the second-longest losing streak within a single season in team history.
The Jayhawks led 40-26 at halftime after CU missed nine of its final 10 shots of the first half, but Andrej Jakimovski got hot after the break to briefly keep the Buffs in the fight. Jakimovski made three consecutive 3-pointers early in the second half, and the Buffs used a 10-2 run to get within six points.
Behind the best Big 12 games this season from freshman Sebastian Rancik and graduate transfer Elijah Malone, the Buffs stayed close the rest of the way, getting within five on back-to-back inside buckets by Malone with just under 14 minutes to play.
CU remained within six after a three-point play from Rancik with 10:50 remaining, but KU steadily pulled away from there. A Rancik putback basket kept the Buffs within eight, but KU’s Zeke Mayo drained a 3-pointer off a Jayhawks offensive rebound to extend CU’s deficit to 11 points with about two and a half minutes remaining.
Rancik finished with 19 points and nine rebounds, both season-highs, while Malone went 5-for-7 with 10 points, matching his scoring total from the previous five games combined.
This story will be updated.
No. 17 Kansas 71, Colorado 59
COLORADO (9-15, 0-13 Big 12)
Dak 4-9 3-4 11, Jakimovski 3-9 0-0 9, Rancik 7-13 4-6 19, Hammond 1-7 0-0 2, Ruffin 0-4 0-0 0, Smith 1-3 0-0 2, Malone 5-7 0-0 10, Diop 1-4 0-0 2, Baskin 0-1 2-2 2, Carrington 0-0 2-2 2, Kossaras 0-0 0-2 0. Totals 22-57 11-16 59.
KANSAS (17-7, 8-5)
Adams 5-7 0-1 10, Dickinson 8-11 3-6 19, Griffen 0-5 3-3 3, Harris 4-11 2-2 10, Mayo 4-12 2-2 13, Bidunga 2-3 0-0 4, Coit 3-6 0-0 8, Moore 0-1 0-0 0, Storr 1-1 1-2 4, Passmore 0-1 0-0 0. Totals 27-58 11-16 71.
Halftime: Kansas 40-26; 3-Point Goals: Colorado 4-23 (Jakimovski 3-7, Rancik 1-5, Dak 0-2, Diop 0-2, Hammond 0-2, Smith 0-2, Ruffin 0-3), Kansas 6-21 (Mayo 3-7, Coit 2-3, Storr 1-1, Dickinson 0-1, Moore 0-1, Passmore 0-1, Harris 0-3, Griffen 0-4); Rebounds: Colorado 33 (Rancik 9), Kansas 39 (Dickinson, Mayo 9); Assists: Colorado 9 (Hammond 3), Kansas 18 (Adams, Harris, Mayo 5); Total Fouls: Colorado 14, Kansas 12.
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