Jayhawks Use Second Half Surge to Pull Away From Colorado State
Dec. 11, 2010
Taylor Feels Right at Home in Sprint Center
KANSAS CITY, Mo. –
The Kansas basketball team used a balanced scoring attack on its way to a 76-55 win over Colorado State in the M&I Bank Kansas City Shootout at the Sprint Center. Junior Markieff Morris recorded his fifth career double-double with 12 points and 11 rebounds, including a career-high six offensive boards.
The win makes KU 9-0 on the season for the second straight season and the fourth time in the Bill Self era. KU is now 10-2 all-time at the Sprint Center. Colorado State dropped to 4-3 on the year and 0-2 all-time versus Kansas.
Junior Tyshawn Taylor also scored 12 points to lead the team, while adding recording a team-high six assists. Senior Tyrel Reed was the third Jayhawk to finish in double figures with 11 points. In all, 10 different Jayhawks scored in the game.
Senior Brady Morningstar tied a career-high with four steals. The Jayhawks received another strong performance from sophomore Thomas Robinson as he finished with seven points, eight rebounds and three blocks in only 17 minutes of play.
Colorado State scored the first five points of the game before Taylor scored four straight to put KU on the board. The Jayhawks then got the lead on a put-back dunk by Markieff Morris. KU would never trail in the game after that.
Kansas had to go a majority of the first half without junior Marcus Morris. Morris left early in the game with a leg injury and would only play a total of six minutes in the first half, but returned with less than four minutes to play until halftime.
Colorado State was able to keep it close for a majority of the first half as KU led 41-34 at the halfway mark. Markieff Morris led all Jayhawks with nine first half points. Taylor chipped in eight points and three assists.
Colorado State cut the lead down to five just three minutes into the second half. Sophomore Elijah Johnson hit the first of two three-point baskets with 16:15 left extending the lead back to eight, 47-39. The basket sparked a 12-0 Jayhawk run, which was capped by a Marcus Morris break-away dunk with 10:52 remaining.
The Jayhawks used a 17-4 run halfway through the second half to extend the lead to 61-43. From there KU would never look back as they cruised to a 76-55 victory.
The Jayhawks tied a season-high with 10 blocks in the game. KU struggled again from the free throw line shooting just 58 percent for the game, including 42 percent in the second half. KU dominated the glass as they out-rebounded the Rams 50-30. Seven different Jayhawks recorded at least four rebounds in the game.
Andy Ogide led the Rams with 12 points, while Lawrence-native Dorian Green chipped in with 10. Travis Franklin also pitched in 10 points and a team-high six rebounds.
Kansas will be back in action next Saturday Dec. 18 at 11 a.m. when Kansas hosts USC in Allen Fieldhouse on ESPN2. It marks the long-awaited debut of freshman Josh Selby.
