🏀 Jayhawks Take Down North Texas in ESPN Events Invitational

ORLANDO, Fla. — Behind strong performances from senior Ochai Agbaji, junior Christian Braun and super-senior Remy Martin, Kansas defeated North Texas by a score of 71-59 in its first game of the ESPN Events Invitational inside the HP Field House at the ESPN Wide World of Sports Complex on Thanksgiving Day.

Agbaji scored the first points of the game with a three-point field goal at the 17:28 mark of the first half, surpassing 1,000 points in his career. Agbaji is the 63rd player in KU history to reach the 1,000-point plateau and the 17th under Bill Self. Agbaji would finish with 18 points in the contest.

A game which Kansas never trailed, the Jayhawks used a 15-2 run in the first half to build an 18-5 lead. North Texas would chip away at that margin, cutting the score to 35-27 at halftime. Agbaji led KU with 10 points in the first half.

After the break, super-senior Remy Martin knocked down back-to-back three pointers, followed by a 7-0 Kansas run. That combination put KU in control for the remainder of the game. Martin had one of his best games statistically as a Jayhawk, finishing with a season-high-tying 15 points on 6-of-9 shooting, including a season-high three three-point field goals, and season highs of eight rebounds and four assists.

Braun finished with a season-high 16 points on 6-of-8 shooting and five rebounds. Braun reached a milestone of 500 career points when he hit a three-point basket with 16:11 remaining in the first half.

Kansas shot 51.0% (26-of-51) from the field, its third straight game shooting at least 50%. The last time the Jayhawks shot 50% or better in three consecutive games was during the 2019 season.

The Jayhawks will return to action on Friday, Nov. 26 at 12:30 p.m. CT when they take on Dayton. The game will be broadcast on ESPN and can be heard on the Jayhawks Sports Network.