KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, NOVEMBER 29, 2010 / SPORTS/
ARIZONA 79
BALL REWIND
Junior forward Marcus Morris lays up a shot over Arizona guard Kyle Fogg. Morris led the Jayhawks in scoring with 16 Saturday night, and was named the MVP of the 2010 Las Vegas invitation following Kansas' 87-79 victory over the Wildcats.
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
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The team huddles up with the championship trophy from the 2010 Las Vegas Invitational Saturday night at Orleans Arena. Kansas defeated Ohio and Arizona while in Las Vegas, and has now won the event both times it has participated.
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Junior guard Tyshawn Taylor lunges to steal the ball from Arizona guard Brendon Lavender. Taylor was one of six Jayhawks to score in double digits in Kansas' 87-79 victory over Arizona in the final game of the 2010 Las Vegas Invitational.
Game to remember
Bill Self said he was going to start paring down his traditional eight-man rotation with the Arizona game. If that's true, Releford forced his way into the eight with an all-tournament team performance. His 10 points and four rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench were crucial in Saturday's 87-79 victory.
Releford
Travis Releford
Game to forget
Brady Morningstar
Bill Self loves Morningstar on the floor, and the senior guard contributes with all the intangibles. But there's just not enough of an offensive presence to his game to warrant him getting 29 minutes in a game where the Jayhawks needed scorers. Morningstar finished with two points on 0-of-2 shooting and two assists.
Morningstar
Quote of the game
"I don't think there's any way we play with just eight guys for the rest of the year."
Sophomore guard Travis Releford
Releford
Prime plays
18:40. Arizona coach Sean Miller calls timeout after a breakaway layup by Tyshawn Taylor.The Jayhawks started the game 3-3 from the field. (6-0)
FIRST HALF
13:44: Marcus Morris buries a three and Sean Miller calls his second timeout. Kansas fans are making Orleans Arena sound like Allen Fieldhouse. (18-12)
7:31: During a media timeout, KU fans drown out Arizona fans with a "Let's go Jayhawks" chant. (33-26)
4:54: Jeff Withey checks in for the first time against his former school, which he didn't play a single minute for. (38-30)
0:44: Tyrel Reed takes it coast-to-coast after a steal and gets the Kansas fans on their feet. (44-36)
13:28: Kansas regains the lead after a Mario Little layup. (54-52)
4:40: Tyshawn Taylor lobs one up for Thomas Robinson, who throws down the ally-oop with one hand. (71-65)
SECOND HALF
3:17: Another beautiful pass from Taylor, this time coming after a drive in the lane, he wraps around his man and finds Robinson for a two handed slam. (75-68)
2:27: Markieff Morris hangs and hits a layup while drawing a foul on Arizona's Derrick Williams, his fifth. (77-72)
0:43: Kansas fans can finally breathe a sigh of relief as the Rock Chalk chant rings out at Orleans Arena. (83-75)
Notes
Kansas won its second Las Vegas Invitational in as many tries. Its last title came in 2006.
Junior Markieff Morris and sophomore Travis Releford were named to the all-tournament team, while junior Marcus Morris was named tournament MVP
Kansas moved to 8-4 overall against Arizona.
For the first time this season, KU had six players score 10 or more points.
Key stats
Arizona's Derrick Williams got his fifth and final foul with a little more than two minutes left. It finalized the Jayhawks win.
6 Six Jayhawks scored in double figures Saturday night.
Tyshawn Taylor had four turnovers, but zero of them came in the last 18:41 of play.
Tim Dwyer and Mike Lavieri
Ryan Waggoner/KANSAN
Ryan Waggoner/KANSA Sophomore guard Travis Releford and senior guard Mario Little reach for a rebound in front of two Ohio defenders. Kansas' bench outscored Ohio's 42-15 in the Jayhawks' 98-41 victory over the Bobcats.