Arthur, Rush Lead Kansas Basketball To 84-49 Win Vs. Nebraska
Jan. 26, 2008
<?xml:namespace prefix=”st1″ ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:smarttags”?>LAWRENCE, Kan. – Darrell Arthur scored 18 points and Brandon Rush had 17 to pace second-ranked Kansas to an 84-49 Big 12 Conference basketball win against Nebraska on Saturday afternoon.<?xml:namespace prefix=”o” ns=”urn:schemas-microsoft-com:office:office”?>
With the win, Kansas improved to 20-0 overall and 5-0 in Big 12 Conference play. Nebraska fell to 11-6 and 0-4 in the league.
Two other Jayhawks scored in double figures as Darnell Jackson added 13 points and Sherron Collins scored 10. Nebraska was led by Steve Harley, who scored 16 points. No other Husker scored more than seven points.
Arthur and Rush each scored 14 points in the first half, both nearly outscoring the Huskers, who had 15 at the break. Rush was five of six shooting, including hitting four of five three-pointers in the first period. He also added seven rebounds in the first 20 minutes. Arthur was six of nine shooting and pulled down five boards before halftime.
Rush’s 17 points tied for his second-most this season and his eight rebounds gave him 31 in the last four games. The junior drained five of seven threes on the day and improved to 17-30 from three-point range in the last four games.
Jackson grabbed eight rebounds for the seventh straight game, while Mario Chalmers handed out seven assists, just one shy of his career high.
Kansas dominated the first half outscoring the visitors 44-15. KU shot 57 percent from the field and held Nebraska to just 20 percent shooting. In fact, Nebraska did not score consecutive points in the entire half and went seven and one-half minutes without a field goal, before scoring with :09 left in the period.
For the game Kansas shot 52.5 percent and held Nebraska to just 30 percent shooting. NU’s 30 percent shooting was the second lowest by a Jayhawk opponent this year as Ohio shot just 28.6 percent. It also marked the sixth straight game, KU held the opponent to 40 percent or worse shooting from the field.
Nebraska, which was held to 70 or fewer points for the fourth straight conference game, did not score consecutive points without a Kansas score in between until it was 57-22 and the Huskers scored four straight points.
The Jayhawks swept the season series against Nebraska and have won 10 straight against the Huskers. KU improved to 20-0 for the third time in school history and the first time since opening the 1996-97 season with a 22-0 start.
The win was KU’s 28th straight regular-season victory and improved Kansas to 15-0 at home, including a 14-0 mark in Allen Fieldhouse this year.
Kansas will return to action when it travels to Kansas State on Wednesday for a 7 p.m. tipoff.
