Despite 29 points from Travis, Stanford downed by Kansas

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LAWRENCE -- Frank Mason III scored 20 points, Devonte Graham delivered an early 3-point barrage and finished with 15, and fourth-ranked Kansas pulled away late for an 89-74 victory over Stanford on Saturday.

Josh Jackson and Svi Mykhailiuk added 15 points apiece for the Jayhawks (7-1), who overcame a monster game from the Cardinal's Reid Travis to win their 44th straight at Allen Fieldhouse.

Travis had a career-best 29 points and nine rebounds for Stanford (6-3), doing most of his damage at the free throw line. The career 54 percent free throw shooter was 19 of 22, breaking the school record for makes set by Todd Lichti against UC Santa Barbara during the 1987-88 season.

Travis also set records for makes and attempts in a game against Kansas. Rayford Young of Texas Tech hit 18 foul shots in February 1999 and Iowa State's Craig Brackins attempted 21 in January 2009.

He couldn't do it alone, though, and the Jayhawks' superior depth paid off.

After falling into an early deficit, coach Bill Self began going with a bigger lineup to deal with Travis in the paint, and that seemed to open up Graham on the perimeter. He knocked down all five of his 3-pointers in the first half, helping the Jayhawks to a 43-35 lead.

Stanford kept going to Travis inside, and the 6-foot-8 brute kept going to the free throw line. During two separate stretches of the second half, he made four free throws in less than a minute.

But the Jayhawks showcased their versatility down the stretch with Jackson scoring on a nifty dunk off an alley-oop pass, Mason getting a tilting runner to go while crashing to the floor, and Mykhailiuk knocking down 3-pointers from the wing that sent the lead ballooning toward 20 late in the game.

BIG PICTURE

Stanford coach Jerod Haase was hoping for a better return to the Phog. He played three seasons for the Jayhawks under Roy Williams, and later served as their director of basketball operations. Haase would follow Williams to North Carolina, but he was fondly received on Saturday, getting a massive ovation from an appreciative crowd during pregame introductions.

Kansas snapped a two-game skid against the Cardinal that included an NCAA Tournament loss in 2014, when Andrew Wiggins and Co. couldn't slow down Stanford in St. Louis. The Jayhawks were even able to get their benchwarmers some action for the third straight game.

UP NEXT

Stanford gets nearly two weeks off before playing Cal State East Bay on Dec. 16.

Kansas continues its six-game home stand against Missouri-Kansas City on Tuesday night.

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