No. 6 Kansas 80, Louisiana-Monroe 63: Andrew Wiggins scored 16 points in his college debut as the host Jayhawks overcame a sluggish effort to defeat the Warhawks.
Wiggins – regarded as the consensus top recruit in the nation – added a game-high three steals for Kansas (1-0), which struggled to put away a four-win team from a season ago. Andrew White tallied 12 points off the bench while Perry Ellis had 12 points and eight rebounds.
Freshman Marvin Williams scored a game-high 19 points for Louisiana-Monroe (0-1), which has finished last in the Sun Belt in each of the last three seasons. Amos Olatayo poured in 11 points and Nick Coppola contributed 10.
Williams carried the Louisiana-Monroe offense early, scoring 12 of his points in the first half as the Warhawks trailed 42-32 at the break. Louisiana-Monroe hit three of its first five shots and closed the gap to six on a three-point play with 15:54 left by Williams, but the Warhawks started to fade as they made only one of their next eight field-goal attempts.
The Jayhawks took advantage of the cold spell – which followed a tirade by Jayhawks coach Bill Self after a foul call on a loose ball – and began to take control behind a 3-pointer and three-point play from White that re-established a double-digit bulge. Kansas grew its lead to as many as 20 before a late surge allowed Louisiana-Monroe to crawl within 12 with 1:48 left.
GAME NOTEBOOK: The Jayhawks claimed their 700th victory at Allen Fieldhouse. … Kansas has won 64 straight at home against non-conference opponents. …The Jayhawks, who are replacing all five starters from a season ago, will face No. 4 Duke in Chicago on Tuesday.
Louisiana-Monroe | Kansas | |
Marvin Williams 19 | Scoring | Andrew Wiggins 16 |
Jayon James 4 | Assists | Frank Mason 5 |
Marvin Williams 6 | Rebounds | Perry Ellis 8 |
Nick Coppola 5 | Free Throws Made | Joel Embiid 7 |
DeMondre Harvey 1 | Steals | Andrew Wiggins 3 |
N/A | Blocks | Perry Ellis 2 |
Team | Points | FG% | 3PM-3PA | FTM-FTA | Assists | Rebounds | Blocks | Steals | Turnovers |
Louisiana-Monroe | 63 | 42.9 | 3-10 | 18-29 | 13 | 24 | 0 | 4 | 13 |
Kansas | 80 | 53.5 | 7-18 | 27-43 | 17 | 35 | 5 | 9 | 15 |