KU rebounds from first loss of season
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Cole Aldrich had a career-high 23 points and also grabbed 11 rebounds to help No. 22 Kansas beat Coppin State 85-53 Saturday night for its 27th straight home victory.
Brady Morningstar had a career-best 21 points and Sherron Collins had 11 points and a career-high eight assists for the Jayhawks (4-1).
Morningstar hit his first four 3-point attempts as the Jayhawks went on a 34-3 tear in the first half and led by as many as 31 until Rigoberto Sargeant hit a 10-footer for the Eagles' third bucket with 6:15 to go.
Tywain McKee had 17 points and Sargeant had eight points and seven rebounds for Coppin State (1-2), which is playing its first 15 games away from home.
The Eagles trailed 41-17 at halftime but showed some fight in the second half, twice getting as close as 17.
Finding a shooting touch that deserted them in the first half, they sliced the lead to 59-42 on Jordan Lee's bucket with 10:02 to go. That made them 11-for-16 from the floor in the second half after hitting only 6-of-27 in the opening 20 minutes.
Kansas called timeout and appeared to get a tongue-lashing from coach Bill Self.
Collins responded with a three-point play, but Tywain McKee's 3-pointer cut it 17 again. Aldrich, a 6-foor-11 sophomore, then took a nifty feed from Collins and banked home a 5-footer. Travis Releford's free throw put Kansas back on top by 21, 66-45, with 7:19 left.
Morningstar, who made only one of five 3-pointers in the first four games, looked good from the start against the Eagles. The sophomore's first 3-pointer followed one by Tyshawn Taylor. After a Coppin State turnover, Morningstar drained another 3 to put Kansas on top 24-4.
Aldrich rebounded a Coppin State miss and Morningstar's fourth 3 gave the Jayhawks a 27-4 lead. Morningstar finished 6-for-8 from long range.
Taylor crashed to the floor and was helped into the locker room with 8:57 left, favoring one leg. The freshman had 10 points and five assists.