KU Wrecks the Eagles, 112-75

Cole Aldrich and Tyshawn Taylor finally broke out of their shooting slump during KU’s 112-75 victory over Tennessee Tech Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

Tyshawn Taylor, who entered the game shooting just 26.1 percent, scored a team high and season-best 18 points on 7-of-9 shooting. Cole Aldrich, who had made just 5-of-17 shots his last two games, scored 14 points on 5-of-8 shooting while also adding 10 rebounds and four blocks.

The sophomore guard and junior center scored when it mattered most against the pesky Golden Eagles.

With over five minutes remaining in the first half, No. 1 Kansas was clinging to just a 34-26 lead before Taylor and Aldrich went to work.

KU (5-0) closed the half on a 19-5 run —including scoring the last 11 straight points — highlighted by eight points by Aldrich and six from Taylor. The Jayhawks kept cruising the second half, shooting a scorching 70 percent, and broke the century mark on a Conner Teahan three-pointer from the right wing with 3:34 left in the game.

Sophomore walk-on Jordan Juenemann even got in on the act, scoring six points in the final two minutes, entering the scoring column for the first time in his career.

Kansas shared the ball well, recording 29 assists from 40 field goals, while shooting 60.6 percent from the field and 56 percent beyond the arc (14-25). KU also committed just 10 turnovers.  On the flip side, the Jayhawks allowed 44 second-half points and were outrebounded, 38-37.

This marked the second game KU’s scored over 100 points; Kansas lit up Hofstra in the season opener for 101. The Jayhawks’ 112 points were also the most since scoring 113 against Emporia State in 2003.

“We played pretty good offense,” KU coach Bill Self said. “We just got some good looks and the ball really moved and we played inside out. We’ve been stressing ball movement and not sticking, and it’s moving. The problem is, we’ve been stressing that and now we forgot to guard a little bit. But that’s the best we’ve looked offensively.”

Self was happy that Aldrich and Taylor had breakout games. Aldrich actually scored all eight of his first-half points the last 5:13 before halftime, while Taylor scored 13 of his 18 points in the first half. He shot 3-of-4 from three-point range on the night and also brought the crowd to life with three dunks.

“I thought Cole looked a lot more athletic,” Self said. “He’s obviously feeling better (Aldrich had been sick). He had some bounce. I thought Cole looked better, and Tyshawn, the lid finally came off for him. He played really well, especially the first half.”

Taylor was thrilled to break out of his shooting slump.

“I’ve been feeling like this for the longest time,” Taylor said. “I’m just happy I had my game where I kind of shined a little bit because I’ve been waiting for it. I knew it was going to come, I just didn’t know when.”

Xavier Henry (15 points), Sherron Collins (12 ) and Markieff Morris (11) all joined Taylor and Aldrich in double figures.

With Alcorn State next up for the Jayhawks back home on Dec. 2,  Self is hoping KU finds a renewed focus on defense. Through five games, he said his team “scores easier than I thought we would and we don’t guard as well as I thought we would.

“We got to somehow play fast offensively but tighten a lot of things up defensively.”