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No. 3 Kansas with 7 in double figures in rout of Oakland

No. 3 Kansas with 7 in double figures in rout of Oakland
Posted at 10:44 PM, Nov 24, 2017
and last updated 2017-11-24 22:44:09-05

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Udoka Azubuike had a career-high 21 points and 10 rebounds, seven players hit double-figures scoring and No. 3 Kansas routed overmatched Oakland 102-59 on Friday night.

Lagerald Vick had 15 points and seven rebounds while Devonte Graham had 14 points and seven assists for the Jayhawks (5-0), who won their 24th straight non-conference home game without breaking a sweat.

Well, there was sweat.

The Jayhawks are still playing just seven scholarship players, a big reason why just about every regular logged big minutes and scored a lot of points.

Malik Newman also scored 15 points, Svi Mykhailiuk had 14 and Mitch Lightfoot had a career-best 11 points with eight rebounds. Freshman forward Marcus Garrett added 10 points.

Kendrick Nunn scored 23 points for the Golden Grizzlies (2-3), who welcomed back three-time All-Horizon League forward Jalen Hayes from a four-game suspension. He finished with 14 points.

Azubuike set the tone with a dunk off an alley-oop pass on the game's first possession, then two more dunks in the next couple of minutes. But the rest of the Jayhawks were quick to join the party, Mykhailiuk doing it from beyond the arc and everybody else going right to the basket.

Vick's 3-pointer pushed the lead to 24-8. Lightfoot's 3-ponter made it 36-14. And by the time Newman ripped away a steal and went coast-to-coast for a basket, the Jayhawks had a 55-26 halftime lead.

Even so, hard-to-please coach Bill Self wasn't totally satisfied.

He benched Azubuike after picking up a silly foul 90 feet from the basket. He got on Newman for his failure to help out on defense. He yelled at Graham for not being authoritative going to the hole.

If only Oakland counterpart Greg Kampe had such problems.

He looked at times exasperated and depressed sitting on the Golden Grizzlies' bench, especially as the Jayhawks slammed down one alley-oop pass after another. Kampe tried getting on the officials at one point, but in a game that spiraled out of control quickly, it was mostly a wasted effort.

The only question down the stretch was whether Kansas would hit the 100-point mark for the second straight game. The Jayhawks hit it on Garrett's layup with 52 seconds to go.

BIG PICTURE
   Oakland isn't done facing talented opponents with a game against No. 4 Michigan State looming in a couple weeks. But their rough road to the Horizon League is certain to help once conference play begins.
   Kansas has put up big points despite playing a shortened lineup, though help is on the way. Arizona State transfer Sam Cunliffe becomes eligible in a couple weeks, and the Jayhawks are still awaiting word on the results of an investigation into the finances behind five-star prospect Billy Preston's car.

UP NEXT
   Oakland heads south to face Oral Roberts on Monday night in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
   Kansas wraps up a four-game home stand Tuesday night against Toledo.