KANSAS 66, TEXAS A&M 58: Elijah Johnson scored 18 of his 21 points in the first half and the No. 5 Jayhawks withstood a late charge from the host Aggies to move into sole possession of first place in the Big 12.

Kansas (23-5, 13-2 Big 12) is one game ahead of No. 3 Missouri, which lost at home to Kansas State on Tuesday. Kansas hosts the Tigers in a highly anticipated showdown at Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday.

Texas A&M (13-14, 4-11) trailed 31-21 at halftime and by as many as 21 in the second half, but Khris Middleton led a furious comeback with 11 points in a four-minute stretch. Middleton’s 3-pointer with 6:48 left sparked a 19-5 run that cut the lead to 60-56 with just less than two minutes left.

Kansas missed enough free throws down the stretch to keep giving Texas A&M extra chances, but Zach Kinsley and Elston Turner both missed corner 3-pointers that would’ve pulled the Aggies within one possession.

Middleton finished with 23 points for Texas A&M, while Thomas Robinson chipped in 10 points and 13 rebounds for Kansas before fouling out.

GAME NOTEBOOK: Robinson notched his 19th double-double of the season, which ranks second in the country. … Johnson had never scored more than 15 points in a Big 12 game during his three-year career. … The Jayhawks are in good position to earn at least a share their eighth straight conference title.