Vick leads No. 2 Jayhawks past Louisiana, 89-76
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Coming off his historic performance against Vermont, senior Lagerald Vick showed no signs of slowing down as he recorded a new career high and his second-straight 30-point game of the season to help the No. 2 Kansas Jayhawks shoot past the Ragin Cajuns, 89-76, Friday night inside Allen Fieldhouse. Vick was 11-of-18 from the field and connected on seven 3-pointers, making him the first player in program history to tally seven or more threes in consecutive games.
A scrappy Louisiana team tested the Jayhawks from the opening tip, as junior forward Justin Miller kept KU from gaining any momentum with his 22 points in the first half. A 24-5 run from the visiting team prompted the Jayhawks to reset after the Cajuns led 32-20 with under 10 minutes left in the half. From there, the Jayhawks rattled off 10-straight points to bring themselves within two.
Vick took matters into his own hands as he closed the half with back-to-back threes, including a deep shot from inside half court to put the Jayhawks up three at the break, 44-41.
KU chalked up a quick eight-point lead to start the second half but it was quickly squandered as Louisiana showed no signs of going away, using a 13-4 run to pull within a point of the Jayhawks with eight minutes remaining. However, from that point on, the Jayhawks would close out the game with 24 more points to seal the victory.
After recording only four points in the first half, junior forward Dedric Lawson showed his efficiency and aggressiveness in the second half as he scored 15 points to help KU pull away. He finished with 19 points and six rebounds.
Junior center Udoka Azubuike used six dunks and four blocks to nearly record a double-double with 17 points and eight rebounds on the night, with three-consecutive dunks sealing the victory for KU in the final three minutes. His teammates used accurate passes in the post to find the big man who posted his second-straight game in double digits.
Coming off his perfect 8-of-8 performance from 3-point range on Monday versus Vermont, Vick became the first Jayhawk in Kansas men’s basketball program history to record back-to-back games with seven-plus 3-pointers as he fired a mark of 7-of-12 from behind the arc tonight.
QUOTES – Full Quotes
Kansas head coach Bill Self
Opening statement:
“They (Louisiana) were obviously a lot better than us and we didn’t do a very good job in playing the scouting report at all with the big fella (Justin Miller) in the first half. He had 22 (points) at half and I don’t know if he has had 22 in a game ever and he gets that in 13 minutes. Thank goodness for David McCormack because (when) David got in the game, even though he didn’t do a whole lot, he just guarded his man and tried really hard and we went from down eight or nine points to up like three or four (points) at halftime. I thought Doke played really well the second half and I thought David was good the first half. Then we’ve got the hottest player in America in Lagerald (Vick). He was unbelievable again.”
On Lagerald Vick’s back-to-back career-high games and if he’s ever seen anything like it before:
“I’d have to think about, it but I don’t think so. I’ve had guys go make seven 3s in a game, but I don’t think I’ve had anyone go 8-for-8 or 7-for-12 back-to-back. I don’t think I’ve ever had a guy go get 30-plus (points on) back-to-back nights. Remember how good Devonte’ was against Syracuse last year and he gets 35? Or (when) Frank had a couple games where he got 30, I think maybe against Indiana early on and a couple games after that. Well this dude (Vick) is matching those numbers right now so I’m happy for him. I think his attitude has been terrific and certainly he is a really talented kid. We (have) just got to get everyone else (to his playing level) and he’s trying to get everyone else up.”
Kansas senior guard Lagerald Vick
On his play over the last three games:
“I have had a whole lot of energy and people have found me open. I’m having a lot of fun and leaving it all out there.”
On his confidence right now:
“It’s crazy. The coaches’ motivation, the stuff they are telling me, it keeps me in the ballgame.”
On being compared to Devonte’ Graham:
“I’ve got to be a leader for the team. (It’s my) Last time going through this and I want to leave it all out there for the team.”
NOTABLES – Full Notes
- Kansas used a 16-3 run in the first half to erase a 12-point Louisiana lead, the largest deficit KU had faced all season.
- Kansas outrebounded Louisiana 42-27, marking the first time KU has outrebounded its opponent by 15+ since Duke in 2018.
- Head coach Bill Self picked up his first technical foul of the season at the 9:18 mark in the first half. Following the impending LU free-throws, the Jayhawks closed the half on a 24-9 run to take a 44-41 lead into the break.
- Louisiana forward Justin Miller gashed the Jayhawks for 22 points (7-12 from the field) in 13 minutes of action in the first half. Kansas locked down on Miller in the second holding him scoreless and 0 – of – for in the second half.
- With his 7-of-12 outing from three-point range, paired with his 8-of-8 outing against Vermont (11/12), Lagerald Vick became the first player in Kansas history to hit seven or more threes in back-to-back games.
- Tallying 33 points, Vick became the first KU player since Devonte’ Graham (Toledo, Syracuse, 2017) to record back-to-back games with 30+ points.
- Vick became the ninth Jayhawk to post multiple 30-point outings in a career since Bill Self took over in 2003-04.
- On the season, Vick is now 15-of-24 (62.5 percent) from beyond the arc, while the rest of the Jayhawks are a combined 15-of-40 (37.5 percent) through the first three contests of 2018-19.
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Kansas will face Marquette in the semifinals of the NIT Season Tip-Off, Wednesday, Nov. 21, at 6 p.m. (CT) inside the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, N.Y. The game will be televised on ESPN2. Kansas is 6-1 all-time versus Marquette with the last meeting on April 5, 2003, in the Final Four in New Orleans, a 94-61 KU win.
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