Jayhawks cruise past Omaha
LAWRENCE, Kan. – Kansas got out to a hot start and never looked back taking down Omaha 95-50, in front of 2,500 fans inside of Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas, on Friday. The win extends Kansas’ win streak to 12-0 inside of Allen Fieldhouse.
Kansas was led in scoring by four players in double figures. Ochai Agbaji (18 points) led the Jayhawks, followed by Mitch Lightfoot (14 points), Tyon Grant-Foster (13 points) and David McCormack (11 points). Lightfoot’s 12 points is a new career high, previously set in November of 2017 against Oakland. All five starters for the Jayhawks scored before any Omaha player did, as Kansas got out to a 17-0 lead.
Omaha controlled the opening tip but was unsuccessful on its first offensive attempt down the court. Christian Braun made Kansas’ first shot on the ensuing possession and the Jayhawks never looked back, leading for the entire game. Kansas took a 33-point lead into the half, its largest halftime lead of the season, and expanded it to 45 points, the largest margin of victory this season.
As a team Kansas shot 48% (34-of-71) from the field, including 39% (12-of-31) from beyond the arc. The Jayhawks set or tied a season high in offensive rebounds (20), total rebounds (54), assists (18), blocks (7), bench points (47), points in paint (42), points off turnovers (22), and second-chance points (28).
The Jayhawks improve to 6-1 on the season heading into Big 12 play. The win against Omaha improves the series record to 2-0 in favor of Kansas.
MOMENT OF THE GAME
Three minutes into the second half David McCormack sank a free throw to give him his 10th point of the game. That, coupled with his 10 rebounds at the time, gave him his second-career double-double and first of the season. McCormack would finish the day with 11 points and 11 rebounds.
STATS OF THE GAME
13 – All 13 active players for Kansas played and scored in tonight’s game. The 13 players scoring is the most for the Jayhawks since January 2015 when 13 Jayhawks scored against Texas Tech.
17-0 – Kansas started the game on a 17-0 run. It is the largest scoring run to start a game of this season and the longest since starting 18-0 against Kansas State on January 13, 2009, at Allen Fieldhouse.
- Kansas started off the game with its largest run of the season, 17-0, in the first five minutes, the Jayhawks’ best start since an 18-0 start against Kansas State on January 13, 2009. All five KU starters scored during the run tonight.
- At halftime, Mitch Lightfoot led the team in scoring with a career-high 12 points. It was a half in which eight Jayhawks scored in the first 20 minutes of play.
- The Jayhawks had four players score in double figures for the game: Ochai Agbaji with 18 points, Mitch Lightfoot with 14 points, David McCormack with 11 points and Tyon Grant-Foster with a career-high 13 points. It was the first time Kansas had four double-figure scorers since the game earlier this season against Washburn (12/3).
- Every active player (13) on the Jayhawks’ roster scored, the most since January 10, 2015, against Texas Tech.
- David McCormack earned his first double-double this season (second double-double in his career) with 11 points and 11 rebounds. His 11 rebounds were a season high.
- Following Ochai Agbaji’s score-less effort against Creighton, Agbaji put up 18 points against Omaha, going 7-for-10 from the field, 4-of-6 from behind the 3-point arc (tied for best 3FG% this year). Agbaji has now scored 15 or more points in five of seven games this season.
UP NEXT
Kansas begins Big 12 play against Texas Tech on Thursday, December 17 at 6 p.m. (CT) in Lubbock, Texas and will be broadcast live on ESPN. Sunday, December 13th’s game against Tarleton State has been cancelled.
Courtesy: KU Athletics