Marcus Morris scored five of his game-high 22 points in overtime, as No. 3 Kansas was tested by unranked Michigan before pulling away for a 67-60 victory.
No. 3 Sneaks 67-60 Overtime Win Over Michigan
Morris helped the Jayhawks overcome a three-pointer from Michigan’s Zack Novak to start overtime, scoring his five points during an 8-0 run that put Kansas back in front.
Twin brother Markieff Morris buried a three-pointer during the spurt that gave the Jayhawks (15-0) the lead for good and scored 13 in the game. Both brothers had double-doubles, with Marcus grabbing 10 rebounds and Markieff 11.
Tyshawn Taylor added 12 points in the win and Tyrel Reed had 10.
Kansas blog Rock Chalk Talk watched their Jayhawks struggle, which is something they’re seeing way too often for their liking.
So what did we learn? Not much other than Kansas fans should prepare for an edge of your seat type conference season. The Jayhawk again struggled to put away a team that they had overmatched and as happens when you do that, Michigan gained confidence and they elevated their play down the stretch. In that same time, Kansas looked tight and a little pressured.
Overall the Jayhawks shot poorly, turned the ball over and just didn’t look crisp in a game that didn’t have a lot of flow to it period. This one can certainly be used as a learning experience as Kansas will face opponents and games that will have a similar feel in the Big 12. Final score in this one, Kansas 67 Michigan 60.
These are the games Bill Self can continue to point to as he preaches the message that offense can come and go, but defense remains. The Jayhawks held Michigan to just 34% from the field The problem is the Jayhawks shot just 35% from the field. It was ugly, but it was a win and defense was a big part of that.
For more post-game analysis, follow Rock Chalk Talk and Maize N Brew.
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