LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas got the lift it needed against Oklahoma State on Saturday from a pair of guys that would have been just about the longest of long shots to provide it just a couple of months ago.

Ochai Agbaji was still redshirting back then. Mitch Lightfoot was buried deep on the bench.

Yet it was Agbaji who was pouring in five 3-pointers and 23 points against the Cowboys, and it was Lightfoot playing above the rim at both ends of the floor. And along with Dedric Lawson, who had a game-high 25 points, the No. 13 Jayhawks shrugged off a slow start for an 84-72 victory.

“It’s about taking your opportunities and making the best of them,” said Lightfoot, who finished with six points and nine rebounds. “That could be two minutes or it could be 20.”

Devon Dotson added 18 points for the short-handed Jayhawks (18-6, 7-4 Big 12), who were playing their first game without Lagerald Vick. He left the team this week to deal with a personal issue.

Vick’s departure came at a tough time for the Jayhawks, who lost earlier in the week to rival Kansas State to leave them two games back in the race for a 15th consecutive conference title.

Oklahoma State (9-14, 2-8) played Kansas to a draw in the first half before Lawson, Agbaji and the rest of the Jayhawks caught fire. The Cowboys’ own depth issues surfaced when Cameron McGriff got into foul trouble, allowing Kansas to slowly draw away late.

McGriff finished with 22 points before fouling out. Lindy Waters added 13 for Oklahoma State.

“We competed. We just didn’t have enough to stave off the run they made in the second half,” Cowboys coach Mike Boynton said. “Those things can come pretty quickly.”

Even before Vick left, the Jayhawks were playing without three guys they thought would be big parts of the program. Silvio De Sousa is ineligible, big man Udoka Azubuike is out after season-ending wrist surgery and defensive stopper Marcus Garrett is recovering from an ankle sprain.

The result was a discombobulated first 20 minutes Saturday.

Freshman forward David McCormack got his first career start but still seemed lost on the floor, struggling to adapt to high-level college basketball. Fellow freshman starter Quentin Grimes was shut out in the first half, and nobody on coach Bill Self’s crippled bench provided much energy.

Oklahoma State took advantage with a late run to make it 36-all at the break.

It was Lightfoot who finally sparked the Jayhawks coming out of the locker room. The backup forward soared for a couple crucial rebounds, stuffed a putback dunk and added a couple of energizing blocks to earn a standing ovation from a home crowd on edge.

Waters and McGriff answered for the Cowboys, who were trying to become the first team since 2001 to win back-to-back games in Allen Fieldhouse — they swept Kansas last season. But they failed to stop a 12-0 charge that finally gave the Jayhawks control.

Agbaji began it with a 3-pointer, Grimes added back-to-back 3s and Agbaji drained his fifth 3 to make it 65-51 and ultimately force Boynton into burning a timeout.

“That was just on us,” Cowboys guard Isaac Likekele said. “We caved in a little bit.”

The Jayhawks’ lead eventually reached 19 points as they cruised to the finish, winning a game that they desperately needed to keep pace in the Big 12 title chase.

“I know people around here are freaking out because they lost four games in the league,” Boynton said, “but they still have a Hall of Fame coach, still have a first-team All-America player and they still have one of the best home courts in all of America.”

STATS AND STREAKS

The Cowboys have lost three straight and six of seven. … The Jayhawks improved to 17-0 at home and on neutral floors. They are 1-6 in true road games. … Kansas committed 23 turnovers in its loss to the Wildcats. It had eight against the Cowboys.

BIG PICTURE

Oklahoma State entered the game leading the Big 12 in 3-point percentage and number made, and the Cowboys needed to shoot well from the perimeter to hang with Kansas. They were 4 of 7 from the arc in the first half but 5 of 13 in the second, when the Jayhawks pulled away.

Kansas can’t get Garrett back from his sprained ankle soon enough. Its game against Oklahoma State was the first of two in 48 hours, testing what little depth it has available.

UP NEXT

Oklahoma State plays Texas Tech on Wednesday night.

Kansas travels to TCU on Monday night.

HAYS – The TMP boys and girls basketball teams played host to the Phillipsburg Panthers Friday night at Al Billiger Fieldhouse as the Lady Monarchs looked to run their win streak to five in-a-row while the boys looked for the second straight win,

Girls: TMP 54, Phillipsburg 34

Emilee Lane recorded her first career double-double and Megan Hamel scored in double figures for the first time in her career lifting the Lady Monarchs to a 54-34 win over Phillipsburg.

Jillian Lowe postgame interview

Lane scored the first eight point of the game for the Monarchs as they build a 10-3 first quarter lead.

Phillipsburg’s Alexie Beach hit her second of six three pointers to open the second quarter and cut the TMP lead to just five at 11-6 but TMP’s Kyleigh Allen, Emily Schippers and Hamel hit three straight threes to put the Monarchs up 20-8 midway through the first half.

Their largest lead of the first half came at 12 after back-to-back fast break buckets from Allen put TMP 26-14. A Beach three pointer at the end of the first half cut TMP’s lead to just 26-17 at the break.

In the third quarter the Monarchs got back-to-back threes from Adell Riedel and Hamel to again lead by 12 and they continued to extend their lead on their way to the 54-34 win.

Game highlights

Lane finished with a team-high 14 points and 12 rebounds and Hamel and Allen each finished with 10 points as the Monarchs improved to 12-4 and 7-0 in the MCL.

Phillipsburg’s Alexi Beach scored a new season-high 24 to lead all scorers. The Panthers drop to 10-8 and 4-4 in the MCL.

Boys – Phillipsburg 61, TMP 50

In a rematch of the MCL tournament championship game Phillipsburg’s Trey and Ty Sides led the Panthers past the TMP Monarchs in a touch fought battle Friday 61-50.

Bill Meagher postgame interview

The Panthers opened the game on a 5-0 run and built a six point lead two different times in the first quarter before TMP closed within two at 14-12 before the Panthers hit back-to-back threes, including a Trey Sides three as time expired to put Phillipsburg up 20-12.

A little more than midway through the second quarter Phillipsburg built a 14-point lead at 29-15. But the Monarchs were able to close within five after Jared Mayers scored five straight points but Sides again scored as time expired, this time on an offense rebound and put-back to give Phillipsburg a 31-24 halftime lead.

In the second half Ryan Karlin and Lucas Lang hit back-to-back three pointers that pulled the Monarchs within one of Phillipsburg at 33-32 but that was as close of they would get as the Panthers built a 10-point lead after three quarters.

In the fourth quarter Phillipsburg built a 17-point lead before the Monarchs closed within 11 in the 61-50 loss.

Game highlights

The Monarchs had three players score in double figures led by Mayers and Karlin. Mayers also finished with a career-high seven blocks.

Trey Sides scored a game-high 18 points.

Phillipsburg improves to 15-2 and 8-0 in the MCL while TMP drops to 9-8 and 4-3 im the MCL.

The Monarchs travel to Great Bend on Tuesday.

FHSU Athletics

The fifth-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team looks for its sixth-straight win Saturday (Feb. 9) when the Tigers take on Missouri Southern. First tip is set for 1:30 p.m. from the Leggett & Platt Athletic Center in Joplin, Mo.

The Tigers (20-1, 11-1 MIAA) are coming off a 25-point win at Pittsburg State, while the Lions dropped their last contest to Nebraska-Kearney, 50-44.

Fort Hays State owns a 31-18 advantage in the all-time series with Missouri Southern, including wins in 10 of the last 12 matchups. The Lions have had the majority of their success in the series at home, as they hold a 14-8 edge in games played in Joplin. The Tigers are 12-6 against MSSU under Tony Hobson, including a 2-5 mark on the road.

Missouri Southern enters Saturday 12-11 overall and 4-9 in MIAA play, currently clinging to the 10th and final spot in the MIAA Championship Tournament. The Lions put up 66.5 points per contest, ranking 11th in the league, while they sit second to last in the conference with 68.1 points allowed each night. They are one of the top rebounding teams in the MIAA, ranking just behind FHSU in second with 40.7 boards per outing. Chelsey Henry paces the Lions and ranks second in the MIAA with an average of 16.9 points each game.

Madison Mittie averages 14.5 points in two career games against the Lions. Kacey Kennett puts up 10.7 ppg in three meetings with MSSU, including 18 points last year.

FHSU Athletics

Fort Hays State passed its first difficult test on the road this week Thursday night with a 77-75 win at Pittsburg State. The Tigers now prepare for another big conference matchup with Missouri Southern on Saturday (Feb. 9) at 3:30 pm in Joplin. FHSU enters at 14-7 overall, 8-4 in the MIAA, while MSSU is 18-5 overall, 9-4 in the MIAA.

This will be a battle between fourth and fifth place teams in the conference standings, but both are breathing down the necks of Washburn and Lincoln, which sit in a tie for second. Washburn and Lincoln are both 9-3 entering Saturday, while MSSU is a half game back at 9-4, and FHSU is one game back at 8-4. This will be the first meeting between FHSU and MSSU this year. The teams will meet again in Hays on February 28.

Brady Werth gave FHSU his third double-double performance of the season on Thursday night in the win at Pittsburg State, finishing with 25 points and 13 rebounds. He dominated in the post, scoring 24 of his 25 points on a career-high 12 field goals. Trey O’Neil added 12 points, all on three-point field goals, and Aaron Nicholson provided the game-winning shot to finish with 11 points.

Missouri Southern is coming off a 72-67 win over Nebraska-Kearney on Thursday night in Joplin. Sophomore Cam Martin averages 21.7 points and 8.9 rebounds per game to lead the Lions.

Fort Hays State won the last two meetings with Missouri Southern, both occurring last season with a win in Hays and a win at the MIAA Tournament in Kansas City. In 2016-17, Missouri Southern won both meetings with FHSU, claiming a win in Joplin and then a win at the MIAA Tournament. The Tigers have won six of the last eight meetings overall in the series.

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Kansas guard Lagerald Vick is taking a leave of absence from the basketball program, leaving the No. 13 Jayhawks even more short-handed as they face an uphill climb to a 15th straight Big 12 title.

Jayhawks coach Bill Self said in a statement Thursday night that Vick has “some personal matters that require his immediate attention.” Self said there is no timetable for his return.

The Jayhawks are 17-6 and 6-4 in the Big 12, leaving them 1 1/2 games behind Kansas State.

“He has some things going on that (aren’t) public things,” Self said during his weekly radio show Thursday night, “so I think that he hasn’t been his best because of those things.”

Kansas, the nation’s preseason No. 1, is already playing without three players that Self expected to be key pieces of a march to a second consecutive Final Four. Star center Udoka Azubuike was lost for the season to wrist surgery, power forward Silvio De Sousa was declared ineligible by the NCAA and top defensive stopper Marcus Garrett is out with a sprained ankle.

The depth problems, even before Garrett’s injury and Vick’s departure, led Self to lift freshman guard Ochai Agbaji’s redshirt midway through the season. He’s been one of their best players since.

“Not being totally negative at all, he has some things going on that (aren’t) public things, so I think that he hasn’t been his best because of those things,” Self said on Hawk Talk, not revealing anything that possibly is wrong with Vick or his family members.

The mercurial Vick, who has appeared in 117 games for the Jayhawks, turned pro last season before returning to Kansas for his senior year. He’s started 20 of 23 games this season, averaging 14.1 points and four rebounds while providing a young backcourt with veteran leadership.

But he’s been at odds with Self throughout his career, his on-and-off performance often mirroring his leadership and teamwork. At his best, Vick is a high-energy 3-point threat who poured in 29 points in a win over Villanova this year. At his worst, he is a defensive liability.

That was the case Tuesday night at Kansas State.

Vick go the start but was caught up in issues with switching on defense that led to a pair of easy 3-pointers for the Wildcats. After one by Kamau Stokes, Vick and freshman guard Devon Dotson got into a pointing contest trying to assign blame, and it soon became clear who Self placed it upon.

Vick was benched for the rest of the first half. Dotson played nearly the entire game.

“You could tell right when the game started, there were two easy switches that we’ve practiced the whole time that they get wide-open shots, then guys want to blame other people,” Self said after their 74-67 defeat in Manhattan. “That’s not how you win.”

The Jayhawks return to the floor against Oklahoma State on Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse, while Vick is expected to be with family in Memphis. When he’ll return to the Jayhawks is unclear.

“I don’t think it’s anything you go into, some of the things he’s had going on,” Self said. “But it’d be nice to have our full complement. That’s not the case.”

A person familiar with the deal tells The Associated Press the Kansas City Royals have agreed to a $2.2 million, one-year deal with reliever Brad Boxberger.

The person spoke on condition of anonymity Wednesday because the agreement was pending a successful physical.

MLB Network was first to report a deal was in place.

Royals general manager Dayton Moore said last week he was open to adding help in the bullpen ahead of spring training. The 30-year-old Boxberger, a former All-Star with the Tampa Bay Rays, had a 4.89 ERA and 32 saves with the Diamondbacks last season.

The right-hander became a free agent when Arizona failed to offer a 2019 contract by the Nov. 30 deadline.

FHSU Athletics

The fifth-ranked Fort Hays State women’s basketball team continues a three-game road trip Thursday (Feb. 7) when the Tigers take on Pittsburg State. The Tigers carry a 19-1 record into the contest, including a conference-best 10-1 MIAA mark, while the Gorillas are 17-4 overall and 9-3 in league play.

The Tigers defeated Pittsburg State twice last season, winning at home early in the season before knocking out the Gorillas in the semifinals of the MIAA Championships in Kansas City.

Fort Hays State’s two wins over PSU last season evened up the all-time series at 27-27. The Gorillas have controlled the series in Pittsburg, holding a 17-10 advantage including eight-straight home wins over FHSU. The Tigers are 6-13 against PSU under Hobson, including a 1-8 record in Pittsburg.

While Tatyana Legette has led the team in scoring average for much of the year, the senior has taken things to another level over the last few weeks. Legette is averaging 16 points over the last seven games, including matching her career-high in Saturday’s thrilling come-from-behind win at Nebraska-Kearney.

Pittsburg State currently ranks third in the MIAA, 1.5 games behind FHSU. The Gorillas boast the second-best offense in the league behind FHSU, totaling 75.2 points per contest. They are the top three-point shooting team in the conference, knocking down 37.9 percent from behind the arc. Shelby Lopez is one of three Gorillas averaging in double figures, recording 12.3 points each night. Athena Alvarado averages 6.9 rebounds per game, ranking ninth in the MIAA. Freshman Kaylee DaMitz leads the league and ranks 36th in the country with 4.8 assists per outing.