Box Score No. 14 Kansas had five different players reach double figures to defeat undermanned West Virginia 78-53 at Allen Fieldhouse this afternoon.
 
Devon Dotson and K.J. Lawson scored 15 points each, and Dedric Lawson added 14 to help the Jayhawks move to within one game of Kansas State in first place in the Big 12 standings after today's victory and K-State's home loss to Iowa State.
 
David McCormack and Ochai Agbaji scored 10 each as Kansas shot 52.8 percent from the floor for the game.
 
KU (20-6, 9-4)  held West Virginia to just 16 first-half points in building a commanding 27-point halftime lead.
 
"Our effort was good until we got down late in the first half and we started to feel sorry for ourselves," West Virginia coach Bob Huggins said. 
 
The Mountaineers, losers of three straight after beating Oklahoma 79-71 at the Coliseum back on Feb. 2, were playing with just nine scholarship players today following the dismissals of Esa Ahmad and Wesley Harris earlier this week. Meanwhile, juniors Beetle Bolden and Sagaba Konate continue to sit out with injuries.
 
There were some small victories today for West Virginia, now 10-15 and 2-10. The Mountaineers outscored the Jayhawks 37-35 in the second half and also had a 36-31 edge on the glass.
 
"I thought in the second half we came out with some intensity and made some good plays – and made them turn it over some as well," Huggins said.
 
Freshman Derek Culver was one point shy of recording his sixth double-double of the season with nine points and 12 rebounds. It's the seventh time the Youngstown, Ohio, resident has grabbed 10 or more rebounds in a game.
 
He also matched Jermaine Haley for the team lead in assists today with four.
 
"We just can't jump on Derek's back and ride Derek," Huggins said.
 
WVU got a team-high 11 points from Lamont West and Chase Harler, who came off the bench to make five of his nine field goal attempts this afternoon.
 
"I wish Chase would shoot the ball with confidence and looseness," Huggins said. "I think he puts too much pressure on himself because he's our best shooter. Lamont was at one time but I think the wrist injury hurt him way more than we suspected it would."
 
The starting lineup Huggins used today included three freshmen – Culver, Brandon Knapper and Emmitt Matthews Jr., making his first career start. He finished with seven points and five rebounds, but also had four turnovers.
 
Haley, who had 13 points and hit the go-ahead shot with 8.5 seconds left in West Virginia's 65-64 victory over Kansas last month, did not score today.
 
West Virginia was just three-of-23 from behind the arc and turned the ball over 24 times, two areas that have plagued the Mountaineers all season long. It's the seventh time this year West Virginia has turned the ball over 20 times or more and the ninth time it has failed to make at least 40 percent of its field goal attempts in a game.
 
"From day one we've talked about we can't turn the ball over and 24 times is excessive, to say the least," Huggins said. "We shot 13 percent from 3. They shot 40. When you don't make shots you have to rebound the ball and you have to take care of the ball.
 
"If you take care of the ball that helps how many possessions you have and if you rebound the ball that gives you extra possessions. We didn't do either one," Huggins said. 
 
WVU also lost for the seventh time in Allen Fieldhouse, although three of the last four losses were by eight points or less.
 
"We haven't competed and I want them to compete," Huggins said. "If we compete we are going to win our share. Competing means we've got two guys rebounding the ball every single time – not once in five, not once in three – every single time because we don't make shots."
 
West Virginia has a quick turnaround with a Monday night game against league leader Kansas State at the Coliseum. The Wildcats were stunned at home earlier today by 23^rd-ranked Iowa State 78-64.
 
Tipoff is 9 p.m.