Collins Leads KU Basketball To 71-59 Win Against Temple
Dec. 20, 2008
Box Score 
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Sherron Collins scored 19 points to lead Kansas to a 71-59 victory against Temple in men’s basketball action on Saturday afternoon. It marked the eighth time in 10 games this year that Collins led the team in scoring.
Kansas improved to 8-2 on the year while winning its 30th consecutive game in Allen Fieldhouse. Temple fell to 5-4 overall and dropped to 3-2 on the road this season.
Cole Aldrich recorded his sixth double-double of the season for the Jayhawks with 13 points and 11 rebounds. The sophomore center made six of eight shots and added two blocks.
Two other Jayhawks reached double-figure points, as guards Brady Morningstar and Tyshawn Taylor each added 11 points. Marcus Morris came off the bench to score nine, while his brother Markieff scored eight in a starting role. No other Jayhawk scored in the game.
Taylor recorded eight assists and four steals, while Collins added six assists and made three three-pointers.
Temple was led by Dionte Christmas, who scored 18 of his game-high 21 points in the second half. The shooting guard drilled six of 12 three-pointers to keep the Owls in the game. Lavoy Allen added 10 for the visitors.
The game was close throughout the first 30 minutes and Temple trailed 48-46 with 11:44 after a Christmas three-pointer. However, Kansas went on a 15-2 run to gain a 63-48 advantage with 6:19 remaining and cruised to the victory.
Kansas came out shooting the ball well and finished the first half at 64 percent. The Jayhawks finished the game at 52.7 percent, nearly a season best, after coming off the team’s worst shooting night of the year in its last game against UMass when KU shot just 33.9 percent.
KU out-rebounded Temple 34-26 and after committing nine turnovers in the first half, turned it over just three times in the second half. Temple shot just 40 percent from the floor, but hit 10 of 20 three-pointers to stay close to the Jayhawks.
Kansas jumped out to a quick 13-2 lead to begin the game as Aldrich scored six of KU’s first 13 points. The Jayhawks pushed the lead to 17-5 after four straight points from Collins. However, Temple scored 16 of the gmae’s next 21 points to pull within 22-21. The visitors could not get closer than one point the rest of the half.
KU scored the final seven points of the half to take a 38-30 lead into the break. KU shot 64 percent from the field, including four of six from three-point range. Temple shot just 44 percent in the first 20 minutes.
Kansas will play its first true road game of the season when it plays at Arizona on Tuesday, Dec. 23. The game will be televised on FSN at 9:30 p.m. Central time. The Jayhawks are 1-2 away from Allen Fieldhouse this year with a win vs. Washington and losses against Syracuse and Massachusetts, all at Sprint Center in Kansas City.
