'Hawks Bounce Wildcats, 87-71

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Sherron Collins scored 24 points, while freshman Tyshawn Taylor recorded 20 points to lead Kansas to an 87-71 victory against in-state rival Kansas State in Big 12 men's basketball action Tuesday night.

With the victory Kansas improved to 12-4 overall and 1-0 in Big 12 play.  Kansas State fell to 11-5 and 0-2 in league action.
 
KU's victory marked the Jayhawks' 34th straight home win, the third longest in school history and the second longest active streak in the nation behind Notre Dame (45).  KU has now won 29 of 31 matchups with Kansas State since the formation of the Big 12 Conference.
 
Sherron Collins, who hit seven-of-11 field goal attempts, recorded at least 20 points for the third time in the last four games and was just two points shy of his career-high of 26 vs. Tennessee three games ago.
 
The junior guard also added a season-high tying five rebounds, while handing out four assists.  Taylor meanwhile hit five of eight shots from the field and nine of 13 free throw attempts as he reached 20 points for the second time in his young Jayhawk career.  His career best is 23 points vs. New Mexico.
 
Tyshawn Taylor's scoring outburst came after he had reached double-figure point totals in just two of the previous seven games.  His scoring high in the last seven games was 12 vs. Tennessee.
 
Cole Aldrich added 15 points on five of six shooting while pulling down eight rebounds.  He reached double-figure points for the 16th time in 16 games.  Mario Little, who made his first career start in just his fourth game at Kansas, scored eight points on four of six shooting.  He played 13 minutes in his most extensive action of the year.
 
Kansas State had a trio of players score in double figures with Jacob Pullen scoring 13, Luis Colon 12 and Jamar Samuels 11.
 
Kansas shot a season-best 58.3 percent from the field, scoring 42 of its 87 points in the paint.  Defensively, the Jayhawks limited Kansas State to just 39.1 percent shooting from the field, the fourth time the opponent has shot less than 40 percent in the last four games.
 
Kansas State out-rebounded KU 37-34, including grabbing 16 offensive rebounds, but the Jayhawks scored 10 more points at the free throw line, hitting 26 of 37 charity tosses, while Kansas State was 16 of 22 from the line.
 
Kansas raced out to an 18-0 lead to start the game as Aldrich scored six of the game's first nine points and Collins added five points and two assists in the run.  The Jayhawks hit seven of their first 10 shots and scored 11 points off five KSU turnovers in that time.
 
Kansas State did not score for the first six minutes of the game before Darren Kent drilled a three-pointer from the top of the key to get the visitors on the board at the 13:52 mark.
 
Trailing 24-7, the Wildcats went on a 9-0 run to get within 24-16, but a dunk by Aldrich sparked a 6-0 KU run which pushed the margin back to 30-16.  KU then took a 37-24 lead into the break.
 
At halftime, Kansas had shot 53.8 percent from the field, while holding the Wildcats to 32.1 percent.  Aldrich led the way with 10 points on a perfect four of four shooting, while Taylor added nine points on two of three shooting.
 
The Wildcats opened the second half on an 11-2 run, cutting the Jayhawk lead to 39-35 after a layup by Luis Colon.  A 5-0 run later by the Wildcats pulled KSU within 45-42.  However, Brady Morningstar, who was 0 of five shooting to that point, drained a three-pointer as KU scored the game's next eight points to lead 53-42.
 
Kansas State never got within nine points after that point.
 
Kansas will play its first Big 12 road game of the season when the Jayhawks travel to Colorado on Saturday.  That game will tipoff at 2:30 p.m. Central time and will be televised on ABC.
 
KU will then host Texas A&M as part of ESPN's Big Monday on Jan. 19.  Tipoff is slated for 8 p.m.

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Story courtesy:  KUAC