AUSTIN, Texas -- Perry Ellis scored 20 points and top-ranked Kansas rolled over No. 23 Texas 86-56 on Monday night, an emphatic exclamation point that clinched the outright Big 12 championship for the Jayhawks.
Kansas had already earned at least a share of a 12th consecutive crown and settled the question of whether they would get to claim it as their own in the opening minutes with a barrage of three-pointers, a steady diet of points from Ellis and defense that gave Texas nothing easy.
The Jayhawks (26-4, 14-3) made 11 three-pointers, led by 24 points by halftime and sent Texas' sellout home crowd headed to the exits early. Ellis finished 9 of 11 from the field.
Frank Mason III added 14 points for Kansas.
Javan Felix scored 13 points for Texas (19-11, 10-7), which has never beaten a No. 1-ranked opponent in nine tries.
Kansas, which spent two weeks at No. 1 in early January, looked every bit the part this time. And in a season the Big 12 finally seemed like it could crown a new champion, the Jayhawks stormed through the second half of the league schedule with a nine-game winning streak to take it again.
Kansas has won nine of its past 10 against Texas, but came into this one expecting a much tougher fight than the Longhorns put up.
With four victories already this season over Top 10 opponents, Texas looked like a team ready to grab another. The Longhorns came in brimming with confidence as the league upstart under first-year Coach Shaka Smart. And after its impressive victory two days earlier over Oklahoma, Texas turned out its biggest -- and rowdiest -- crowd of the season.
The Jayhawks greeted it with little more than a shrug and a scoring burst at the start that overwhelmed the Longhorns from the opening tip.
Devonte' Graham and Mason made 3 three-pointers in a 15-0 run as Texas missed its first 14 shots.
Ellis dominated Texas' front line for 15 points in the first half. His three-pointer put the Jayhawks up by 21 points with 4 minutes left.
In other Top 25 men's games Monday, Brice Johnson had 14 points and 10 rebounds to lead No. 8 North Carolina (24-6, 13-4 Atlantic Coast Conference) in its home finale, beating Syracuse (19-11, 9-8) 75-70 in Chapel Hill, N.C. ... Abdel Nader scored 19 points and Georges Niang added 17 with 10 rebounds for No. 21 Iowa State (21-9, 10-7 Big 12) in a 58-50 victory over Oklahoma State (12-18, 3-14) in Ames, Iowa.
TOP 25 WOMEN
No. 1 CONNECTICUT 79,
No. 20 SOUTH FLORIDA 59
STORRS, Conn. -- Breanna Stewart scored 27 points and grabbed 13 rebounds to help top-ranked Connecticut overcome its first halftime deficit in almost a year and beat No. 20 South Florida.
Kia Nurse added 15 points for the Huskies (29-0, 18-0 American Athletic Conference), who were down 25-24 at the half.
UConn completed the program's eighth undefeated regular season, and extended the third-longest winning streak in NCAA and program history to 66 games.
Courtney Williams scored 21 points to lead USF (21-8, 14-4).
The Huskies have won all 60 games they have played since the inception of the AAC, including the first two conference championships.
In another Top 25 women's game Monday, Kristy Wallace scored a season-high 23 points and No. 4 Baylor (30-1, 17-1 Big 12) wrapped up sole possession of the Big 12 regular-season title with a blowout of No. 6 Texas (26-3, 15-3) 74-48 in Waco, Texas.
Sports on 03/01/2016