College B-Ball: Kansas continues the tradition of home opener wins
Lawrence, Kansas - The Kansas Jayhawks played their first home game of the college basketball season in front of their fans, treating them to a dominating win over the Tarleton Texans.
The third-ranked Jayhawks beat the Texans 88-62 on Friday night to improve their record this season to 2-0. The unranked Texans fell to 0-2.
With this, Kansas keeps an impressive traditional going, now winning their 49th straight home opener in the program’s history.
Tarleton had just one lead in the game, a 2-0 advantage 70 seconds into the game that only lasted less than a minute. The Jayhawks then took control and never looked back.
In just about every facet, the Jayhawks had an advantage.
They shot better than Tarleton, controlled the boards, passed the ball around more efficiently, out-blocked the Texans, and enjoyed a lead as large as 26 points at one point.
The Texans did manage to cut the Jayhawks' lead down to 13 late in the second half, but couldn’t keep up as Kansas poured on the points to secure the victory.
The player spotlight
Kansas’ senior guard Ochai Agbaji (21) led his team to another impressive win.
He was once again the leading scorer for the Jayhawks, nearly matching his season-high mark of 29 points scored against Michigan State in the season opener.
With Agbaji scoring points at a steady pace, he helped his team control the game’s momentum while he was on the floor.
He finished the night 11-for-15 from the field for 25 points, along with six rebounds.
The big picture
Over the years, the Jayhawks have been one of the many big-ticket contenders. They are projected to go far in the men’s tournament this year once March Madness gets underway.
The team started the season ranked number three in the nation, and playing the way that they have so far will put them in a great position to make a deep run come tournament time.
On Thursday, the Jayhawks will host the Stony Brook Seawolves while the Texans will travel to take on the Wichita State Shockers on Tuesday.
Cover photo: IMAGO/ZUMA Wire