Shorthanded Kansas beats Tennessee in first game since brawl with Kansas State
LAWRENCE, Kan. — The eyes of the college basketball world on Saturday were once again focused on Kansas.
On this afternoon, at least, the Jayhawks put their best foot forward.
KU overcame a shaky start and an even more perilous finish to earn a 74-68 victory over Tennessee at Allen Fieldhouse, securing a win in the nationally televised Big 12/SEC Challenge matchup. Udoka Azubuike, the Jayhawks’ lone frontcourt player in the tilt, was plagued by foul trouble but finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds, 4 blocked shots and a game-best plus-minus of plus-19 in just 27 minutes, recording two pivotal blocks in the game’s final minute.
Sophomore point guard Devon Dotson finished with team-highs of 22 points and seven assists for KU.
Shorthanded after Tuesday’s late-game fight with Kansas State left the No. 3-ranked Jayhawks with seven scholarship players, Bill Self’s squad nevertheless made the most of its 300th consecutive sellout and the increased attention that came with ESPN’s College GameDay program — and the negative headlines that followed Tuesday’s melee.
More:Kansas’ Silvio De Sousa apologizes for role in brawl with Kansas State: ‘I am truly embarrassed’
The Jayhawks (16-3), a 13-point favorite at tipoff, led by seven at the break after trailing by that many on two separate occasions earlier in the first half.
Azubuike, KU’s lone big with forwards Silvio De Sousa and David McCormack suspended, picked up his second foul and went to the bench with 10:39 left in the opening period. Forced to play a five-guard lineup, the Jayhawk defense unraveled — KU surrendered a 7-for-7 shooting stretch for the Volunteers (12-7), who rallied from a three-point deficit to a 26-19 advantage.
But Self gambled, and it paid off.
Self reinserted Azubuike into the lineup with 5:48 left in the frame, and the 7-footer made an immediate impact, throwing down a dunk on his first possession back. That conversion kick-started a 12-0 run that saw the home squad take a 31-26 lead, with Azubuike notching seven points in that rally.
Tennessee trimmed its hole to one, but KU answered with a 6-0 run to take a 37-30 lead into the locker room. Azubuike departed to a hearty ovation with 1:34 left before halftime.
KU built a 13-point lead in the first six minutes of the second half, but it was Tennessee’s turn to rally. Rick Barnes’ crew cut its deficit to four on a Yves Pons dunk with 10:35 left, and the Volunteers appeared to be in fantastic shape when Azubuike picked up his fourth foul with 8:25 remaining. The careless reach-in infraction sent the sent the center to the bench with the Jayhawks up six, 62-56.
