Senior forward Perry Ellis scored 13 of his 14 points in the second half, leading No. 2 Kansas to a 78-53 victory over UC Irvine on Tuesday night at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kan.

Ellis contributed to a second-half run that helped Kansas pull away. He used a spin move for a three-point play nine seconds after intermission, then a minute later added a 3-pointer in helping the Jayhawks to a 16-2 surge and a 16-point lead.

UC Irvine hung close early thanks to a strong defensive effort in the first half.

The Anteaters (10-5), anchored by 7-foot-6 junior center Mamadou Ndiaye, held the Jayhawks without a field goal for a six-minute stretch while grabbing an early 13-9 lead.

Kansas (11-1) scrapped its way to a 28-26 halftime lead, thanks in part to point guard Frank Mason. The junior accounted for eight of his team's 10 first-half field goals, going 3-for-6 from the floor with five assists. He finished with 13 points.

Ellis tied a season high with nine rebounds, while Ndiaye paced UC Irvine with 12 points, eight rebounds and two blocks in 26 minutes.

Kansas, which potentially could move to No. 1 next week following Michigan State's 83-70 loss Tuesday to Iowa, won its 10th consecutive game.