Lawson, No. 15 KU top No. 16 K-State 64-49

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Dedric Lawson had 18 points and 14 rebounds to cement his front-runner status for Big 12 player of the year, and No. 15 Kansas pounded No. 16 Kansas State 64-49 on Monday night to keep alive its hopes of a 15th consecutive conference championship.

Devon Dotson added 16 points and fellow freshman Quentin Grimes had 12 for the Jayhawks (21-7, 10-5), who moved within a game of the league-leading Wildcats (21-7, 11-4) with three to play.

Texas Tech, which roughed up the Jayhawks on Saturday, is a half-game back in second place.

The Wildcats shot just 32 percent from the field, struggled with turnovers at key junctures and never seemed as comfortable as they were at Bramlage Coliseum, where they roared past the Jayhawks nearly three weeks ago to seize control of the conference race.

Kamau Stokes led the Wildcats with 12 points, but nobody on coach Bruce Weber’s team got into much of a rhythm.

NO. 18 FLORIDA STATE 68, NOTRE DAME 61

TALLAHASSEE, Fla. (AP) — Freshman Devin Vassell scored 13 points, sparking Florida State’s second-half charge with a dunk and a 3-pointer on consecutive possessions, and the Seminoles held off Notre Dame.

Trent Forrest made 4 of 6 six free-throw attempts in the final minute to help the Seminoles (22-6, 10-5 Atlantic Coast Conference) hang on.

D.J. Harvey scored 18 points and Prentiss Hubb had 17 for Notre Dame (13-15, 3-12), which has dropped four straight games.

The Fighting Irish went scoreless for nearly five minutes late in the game and made just one of their final 10 field-goal attempts.