GAMEDAY Mens Basketball

Kansas 87, Texas Southern 55

(AP Photo/Charlie Riedel)

By DAVE SKRETTA
AP Basketball Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Jalen Wilson hit five 3-pointers and scored 22 points, MJ Rice added 19 and ninth-ranked Kansas bounced back from its first loss of the season with a 87-55 rout of Texas Southern.

Grady Dick had 15 points, Josef Yesufu 14 and KJ Adams 10 for the Jayhawks (7-1), who fell to No. 13 Tennessee in the title game of the Battle 4 Atlantis. They improved to 109-16 after a loss under coach Bill Self, who made his first regular-season appearance in Allen Fieldhouse after missing the first three home games to a school-imposed suspension.

Davon Barnes had 22 points and Zytarious Mortle scored 11 for the Tigers (1-7), whose brutal nonconference schedule has taken them to Texas Tech, Houston and Auburn with a trip to Wichita State still to come.

The game was a rematch of a first-round NCAA Tournament game won by the Jayhawks on their way to the national championship last season. And for a stretch in the first half, the Tigers gave the champs all they could handle.

Texas Southern was still within 14-10 midway through the first half when Kansas ripped off a 15-2 run to seize control. But even during the spurt, the Jayhawks at one point missed three straight shots, failed to capitalize on turnovers and couldn't salvage much of an advantage on the boards against a much smaller team.

They even gave up a buzzer-beating 3 that got the preseason SWAC favorites within 40-25 at halftime.

If there was any drama left, it evaporated in the opening minutes of the second half. Texas Southern turned it over four times in its first five possessions, Kansas ripped off a 14-2 run and Self eventually was able to empty his bench.

ONE LAST TIME

TV play-by-play man Dave Armstrong signed off for the last time after a 38-year career broadcasting the NBA, Major League Baseball, college football and college basketball. He's been a staple in the Big 12 since 1988, when it was known as the Big 8, and regularly called games in the Big East, the Big Ten and the ACC.

AILING JAYHAWKS

Kansas forward Kevin McCullar Jr., who is averaging 9.7 points and 7.3 rebounds, watched the game in street clothes with a minor groin injury. Backup guard Bobby Pettiford Jr. was out with a hamstring injury.

BIG PICTURE

Texas Southern couldn't overcome 16 turnovers and a poor night from the 3-point arc, where the Tigers were 4 of 17. They also got just six points off the bench, and their lack of depth was evident as they wore down in the second half.

Kansas was 13 of 29 from the arc, and many of the shots came off open looks courtesy good ball movement. The Jayhawks had 23 assists on 30 made shots, including six assists from Wilson and nine from Dajuan Harris Jr.

November 28, 2022