Longhorns end Jayhawks' home winning streak at 69
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}J'Covan Brown scored 23 points and keyed a second-half run that erased a 15-point deficit and led No. 10 Texas past No. 2 Kansas 74-63 on Saturday, snapping the Jayhawks' 69-game home winning streak.
Kansas scored the game's first 10 points and led by as many as 15 in the early going. But Texas (16-3, 4-0 Big 12) outscored the Jayhawks 36-13 while turning a 12-point halftime deficit into a 59-48 lead on a 3-pointer by Cory Joseph.
The Jayhawks (18-1, 3-1) had not lost at home since Feb. 3, 2007, the longest current streak in the nation, and were 7-0 at home against Texas since the inception of the Big 12 in 1996.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Jordan Hamilton had 17 points for the Longhorns and Tristan Thompson added 10 in a bruising game that included two technical fouls against both teams.
Tyrel Reed had 17 points and Marcus Morris 16 for Kansas, which went 8 of 30 from the field in the second half.
With the loss, No. 1 Ohio State and No. 6 San Diego State are the only remaining unbeaten teams in the nation.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Brown's second 3-pointer in a 13-2 run finally wiped out the big deficit and gave the Longhorns their first lead, 45-44, with 10:39 to go.
Kansas tied it with Markieff Morris' free throw, then Tristan Thompson and Brown scored for a 49-45 Texas lead.
Tyshawn Taylor's runner in the lane brought Kansas to 49-47 before Brown made two free throws and Joseph drilled a momentum-turning 3-pointer, giving the Longhorns a 54-47 lead at the 7:32 mark.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}With a stunned crowd that hadn't seen the home team lose in almost four years growing silent, the Longhorns built the lead to 59-48 on a basket by Joseph and then, just ahead of the buzzer, another 3-pointer by the freshman guard, who had 11 points.
The Jayhawks were unable to get a good look against Texas' pressure defense for almost the entire second half. When they did, they usually missed. They committed five turnovers while missing eight of their first 10 shots in the second half as Texas slowly chipped away at a 35-23 halftime deficit.
The Jayhawks, who came in leading the Big 12 with a shooting percentage of 52.4, hit only 36 percent for the game, while Texas shot 46 percent and outrebounded the Jayhawks 42-33.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}There was a moment of silence before the game for the mother of Kansas sophomore Thomas Robinson, who died unexpectedly on Friday night. Robinson stood stoically during the tribute while Marcus Morris stood next to him and wiped away tears. Robinson scored two points, got five rebounds and committed four fouls.
As Texas inched closer, Hamilton dropped in two free throws, making him 6 for 6 from the line, Kansas' Mario Little turned it over and Gary Johnson moved in for another easy Texas bucket that got the Longhorns to within five at 42-37.
Marcus Morris was then called for a technical foul and Brown made one foul shot.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}Earlier, a technical on Hamilton sent Reed to the foul line, where he made both shots. But Hamilton had scored and been fouled and made the free throw after Reed hit his two, leaving Kansas with a 42-33 lead.
From that point, it was all Texas, with Brown hitting two 3-pointers in a flurry that finally put Texas in the lead 45-44.
Reed and Markieff Morris each hit 3s as Kansas scored the first 10 points of the game and quickly seized an 18-3 lead on Brady Morningstar's bucket.
{{#rendered}} {{/rendered}}The capacity crowd roared when Robinson rebounded Marcus Morris' miss and dropped the ball through the net, giving the Jayhawks a 22-9 lead.