National Basketball Association
Kansas 65, Detroit 50
When: 9:55 PM ET, Friday, March 16, 2012
Where: CenturyLink Center, Omaha, Nebraska
Officials:
# Ken Ditty, # Antinio Petty, # Deron White
Attendance:
17051
By SportsDirect Inc.
Kansas 65, Detroit 50: Thomas Robinson had 16 points and 13 rebounds and the Jayhawks did what no other No. 2 seed could Friday - avoid the upset to advance in the NCAA tournament.
Kansas (28-6) will meet No. 10 seed Purdue in Sunday's third round of the Midwest Regional.
Following on the heels of stunning victories by No. 15 seeds Norfolk State (vs. Missouri) and Lehigh (vs. Duke), the Horizon League champion Titans (22-14) started hot and seemed poised to make a run at another major upset. They led 21-19 after Doug Anderson's breakaway reverse dunk with 9:04 left in the half.
But the Jayhawks reeled off a 15-3 run to close the half and never let the Titans pull within single digits again.
Detroit won 10 of its previous 11, including a run through the Horizon League tournament as the No. 3 seed, but the Titans couldn't handle the Jayhawks' size inside.
Robinson had his usual big game in the post, and 7-foot center Jeff Withey added seven points, 10 rebounds and six blocks.
Anderson scored 15 to lead the Titans, who finished 20 for 63 from the field after hitting eight of their first 16 shots.
GAME NOTEBOOK: Kansas also played its first two games in Omaha in 2008, the year of its most recent national championship. … The Jayhawks have split four all-time meetings with Purdue. Each team has won once in the NCAA tournament, including a Kansas victory in the most recent meeting in 1997. … Detroit outrebounded the Jayhawks 39-38. … The Titans were 3 for 17 from 3-point range.
Top Game Performances
| Detroit |
|
Kansas |
|
Doug Anderson 15 |
Scoring |
Thomas Robinson 16 |
|
Ray McCallum 5 |
Assists |
Elijah Johnson 2 |
|
Eli Holman 11 |
Rebounds |
Thomas Robinson 13 |
|
Doug Anderson 5 |
Free Throws Made |
Jeff Withey 5 |
|
Ray McCallum 3 |
Steals |
Tyshawn Taylor 2 |
|
LaMarcus Lowe 3 |
Blocks |
Jeff Withey 5 |
Team Stats Summary
| Team |
Points |
FG% |
3PM-3PA |
FTM-FTA |
Assists |
Rebounds |
Blocks |
Steals |
Turnovers |
| Detroit
|
50 |
31.7 |
3-17 |
7-14 |
9 |
39 |
3 |
9 |
13 |
| Kansas
|
65 |
46.0 |
5-16 |
14-23 |
12 |
38 |
5 |
6 |
14 |