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Second-half surge gets Kansas past Texas

Associated Press

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Mario Chalmers had 21 points and No. 3 Kansas fought back from a 16-point deficit and beat the No. 15 Longhorns 90-86 Saturday, claiming its fifth Big 12 championship.

Texas' freshman sensation Kevin Durant, a top candidate for national player of the year, hit all but four of his first 14 shots and scored 25 points in the first half and the Longhorns seized a 54-42 halftime lead.

But Durant, who leads the Big 12 in scoring, rebounding and blocked shots, injured his ankle with about 11 minutes left in the second half and was not the same after he returned from the locker room a few minutes later.

Hitting only 3-of-8 from the field in the second half, Durant finished with 32 points for Texas (22-8, 12-4).

Kansas (27-4, 14-2) trailed 51-35 late in the first half and the normally deafening Allen Fieldhouse crowd fell silent. But then Chalmers, Julian Wright and Russell Robinson sparked a 24-7 run, capped by Wright's putback with 16:01 left for a 59-58 Kansas lead.

With a minute to play, Robinson's two free throws put Kansas on top 88-80. But then Durant and A.J. Abrams drained quick 3-pointers and it was only 88-86.

Wright's free throw stretched the lead to 89-86, and then the 6-8 sophomore made the defensive play of the game.

Seeming to come out of nowhere, he blocked D.J. Augustin's 3-point attempt with 5 seconds to go and Kansas raced back down the court with the ball.