Backups, Ellis come up big as KU wins at Texas

Kansas guard Brannen Greene (14) tries to quiet the Texas crowd after a three during the first half, Saturday, Jan. 24, 2015 at Frank Erwin Center in Austin, Texas.

KANSAS 75, TEXAS 62

Box score

Facing a Texas team with the type of length and defense that has given Kansas trouble this season, the Jayhawks won 75-62 in Austin, Texas, by riding a couple of backups and a veteran starter.

Freshman big man Cliff Alexander saw his shots denied inside often, but stuck with his assertive approach to finish with a team-best 15 points off the bench. Sophomore guard Brannen Greene, meanwhile, added 14 as a substitute on 4-for-5 shooting from three-point range.

Junior forward Perry Ellis showed he had learned from previous trips to the paint against UT and scored 14 points while showing solid shot selection.

The Jayhawks shot 44 percent against the Big 12’s top defensive team. Kansas held Texas to 40-percent shooting and edged the Longhorns 37-36 on the glass.

What’s more, the Jayhawks only turned the ball over three times, all coming in the first half.

KU improved to 16-3 overall and 5-1 in the Big 12.

Texas, led by point guard Isaiah Taylor’s 23 points, fell to 14-5 and 3-3 in conference play.

Kansas has another road test in Texas Wednesday night at TCU.

— See what people were saying about the game during the KUsports.com live blog.


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