KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – Devonte Graham matched a career-high with 27 points, Wayne Selden Jr. added 21 and top-ranked Kansas overcame a remarkable performance by West Virginia’s Devin Williams for an 81-71 victory over the ninth-ranked Mountaineers in the Big 12 Tournament title game Saturday night.
Perry Ellis added 17 points for the Jayhawks (30-4), who almost certainly locked up the No. 1 overall seed for the NCAA Tournament by winning their 10th Big 12 Tournament championship.
Kansas trailed the Mountaineers (26-8) at the break before taking control behind Graham, their sophomore guard. He hit five 3-pointers, was 10 of 10 from the foul line and had a career-high four steals, effortlessly dealing with West Virginia’s trademark pressure all night.
Williams finished with a career-best 31 points and 10 rebounds, but the junior forward was forced to carry the load by himself. Jevon Carter was held to four points after scoring 26 in a semifinal win over No. 6 Oklahoma, and leading scorer Jaysean Paige managed just six points while committing four turnovers.