Print edition: 
COLLEGE STATION, Texas — Kansas ended one Big 12 rivalry with a triumph. One more will give the Jayhawks a huge advantage in pursuit of a conference championship.
KU held off Texas A&M 66-58 in one of those can’t-stand-prosperity games. The Jayhawks saw a 21-point second-half lead melt to four.
But Kansas held on and took and will take a one-game lead into Saturday’s Border War contest with Missouri.
With the fourth-ranked Jayhawks at 13-2 in league play and 23-5 overall, the final game between the programs as Big 12 members will put the winner in the driver’s seat for the conference championship. Third-ranked Missouri, which like Texas A&M is moving to the Southeastern Conference next season, stands 12-3 in the Big 12.
Given the stakes and the status of the series, the atmosphere, Kansas Coach Bill Self said, “will be as good as it’s ever been, in the history of the building. That’s a pretty long time.”
Allen Fieldhouse opened in 1955.
Self said he viewed Missouri’s loss to Kansas State that broke the tie in the loss column as an opportunity for his team.
“The way I tried to sell it to our guys is we caught a break,” Self said. “Not that often in sports or life do you get one handed to you, so you have to take advantage.”
For about 34 minutes, the Jayhawks did just that. With guard Elijah Johnson leading the way with 18 first-half points, Kansas took a 10-point lead at halftime and stretched to 21 with 13:25 remaining.
When Thomas Robinson sank two free throws at the 6:58 mark, the KU lead was 55-37.
But a field-goal drought had already started for the Jayhawks, who would go nearly seven minutes between baskets.
Meanwhile, Texas A&M, a team that has struggled with injuries throughout a disappointing season, gained more confidence as the lead chipped away. Guard Khris Middleton led the charge, scoring 18 of his 23 in the second half.
When Dash Harris, playing for the first time in eight games with an injured foot, buried a three-pointer with 1:46 remaining, the Kansas advantage was stunningly down to 60-56.
“We fell apart for a little bit and they executed,” Kansas guard Elijah Johnson said. “They capitalized on our mistakes.”
There were plenty of them — including a technical foul on Thomas Robinson with 44 seconds remaining for shoving a Texas A&M player on a rebound scrum — just enough time to keep the game suspenseful.
“Inexcusable,” Self said. “As bad a play as I’ve seen. He was never engaged in the game.”
Jeff Withey ended Texas A&M’s upset hopes by hitting two free throws with 27 seconds to play to restore a six point lead.
Those shot followed a missed open three-point attempt by Zack Kinsley that would have cut it to one. The Aggies came out of a timeout, and the ball went to Kinsley in the corner, which wasn’t the first option.
“We were trying to drive the ball,” Aggies Coach Billy Kennedy said. “We had a small lineup in the game and we wanted to drive or shoot the three, which we thought we had an opportunity to make.”
Johnson was the key throughout the night. He finished with 21 points and was the offensive focal point from the outset, scoring the Jayhawks’ first five points.
Later in the first half, Johnson made eight straight points to start a 12-0 run, and he later buried a three-pointer late in the half to give him 18 first-half points. He finished with 21, his best Big 12 performance.
“He was huge,” Taylor said. “He got us off to a good start and shot the ball well. We had been kind of waiting for him to get going.”
Now, thoughts turn to Missouri, and Self seemed thankful for the chance to take his mind off the game he just watched.
“If you had told me coming in here we’d have won by eight I’d have been ecstatic,” Self said. “But we were up 21, and you saw what happened down the stretch.
“But it’s a good win. We’re happy we won, but I don’t feel great about anything. I don’t think anybody in our locker room is.”
