WACO, Texas — They do everything together.

Freshman forwards Marcus and Markieff Morris wear the same clothes, eat at the same places and take the same classes. So it’s only appropriate that the Morris twins both compiled breakout games in a 75-65 Kansas victory against Baylor at the Ferrell Center.

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Kansas Basketball vs. Baylor

The Jayhawks eeked out another victory Monday night, beating the Baylor Bears 75-65 in Waco.

“Coach always groups us together and says if one of us plays good, the other plays good and if one of us plays bad that means we both played bad,” Marcus said. “Today, he told us we played awesome.”

Marcus scored 13 points and had six rebounds. Markieff added nine points, nine rebounds and two blocks. More importantly, they combined for 11 points during a 16-7 run at the beginning of the second half that separated the Jayhawks from the Bears.

Markieff made the third three-pointer of his career from the top of the key to cap off the run and put Kansas ahead 43-33. When Baylor coach Scott Drew called a timeout immediately afterward, Marcus ran out on the court to congratulate his brother with a chest bump.

“When they’re getting hyped,” junior guard Sherron Collins said, “there isn’t any limit to what we can do.”

At least, there wasn’t Monday. The game was never the same after the twins’ energetic start to the second half. Although Baylor went on a 9-0 run over the next three minutes to cut the lead to three, it never got any closer than that to beating Kansas for only the second time in 15 all-time games.

The victory improved Kansas to 7-0 in the Big 12 Conference and 18-4 overall, but this was about more than that. This was about the Jayhawks playing their best game of the season.

And it all started the way Kansas coach Bill Self wanted it to — with defense. The Jayhawks held Baylor’s leading scorer, senior guard Curtis Jerrells, to four points on 0-for-7 shooting from the field.

“We challenged all of our guys to give up yourself and guard first,” Self said. “When you focus in on that, other things happen more naturally.”

While Jerrells went scoreless for the first 32 minutes of the game and never took control, Kansas’ leader did the opposite. Collins meant everything to the Jayhawks.

He scored 17 points with six assists in 39 minutes. He defended Jerrells for most of the night. With Baylor rallying and attempting to cut it to a two-possession game with three minutes remaining, Collins stole the ball from Baylor guard Henry Dugat.

The Collins steal translated into two points for the Jayhawks and the game was effectively over. Self said despite the team effort, Collins — who also made his 35th consecutive free-throw to set the Kansas record — played one of his greatest individual games.

“Those guys played great, everyone contributed and all that stuff,” Self said. “But Sherron was fabulous.”

The Jayhawks ran to the locker room clapping after the first half. Of course they did. Despite trailing for most of the half, Collins tossed in a floater at the buzzer to give Kansas a 30-28 lead.

All five Jayhawk starters scored at least four points in the opening half. But their most impressive accomplishment came on — where else? — the defensive end.

Baylor isn’t used to getting off to slow starts. The Bears rank third in the Big 12 Conference in scoring and prefer to push the pace early. Kansas wouldn’t allow it.

The Morris twins were key. Despite Baylor’s lineup of speedy guards, Marcus and Markieff were able to hold their own and contribute to the Jayhawks’ defensive effort.

Then came the second half where Marcus and Markieff pulled Kansas away from Baylor. Together.

“If he’s doing good, I’m going to try to match his intensity,” Markieff said. “I’ll pick up his slack and he’ll pick up my slack. We talk about that.”

— — Edited by Casey Miles