Field Level Media
Jan 29, 2018
Senior guard Svi Mykhailiuk scored a game-high 22 points and two teammates added double-doubles Monday as No. 7 Kansas smothered Kansas State 70-56 at Manhattan, Kan.
The victory elevated the first-place Jayhawks (18-4, 7-2 Big 12) in the conference race and was their 56th win in the last 61 meetings against their in-state rivals, and seventh straight. Kansas improved to 26-4 in games in Kansas State's home gym, Bramlage Coliseum.
Senior guard Devonte' Graham scored 16 points and added 11 assists while continuing his iron man work as the Big 12 leader in minutes by playing the entire game.
Sophomore guard Malik Newman also notched a double-double, adding 13 points and a game-high 10 rebounds for the Jayhawks, who had averaged just a four-point margin in their previous six Big 12 wins.
Kansas State (16-6, 5-4) had a four-game winning streak halted despite 20 points and eight rebounds from sophomore forward Dean Wade.
Sophomore forward Xavier Sneed added 10 points, but junior guard Barry Brown, who came in with a 22.8-point average in league play, went 4-of-16 and scored nine points.
The Wildcats shot just 32.3 percent. They closed within five, 40-35, when Kansas missed its first 11 shots of the second half, but could not sustain any momentum despite a sellout crowd.
Kansas jumped to a 31-16 lead by making 12 of its first 14 shots, while Kansas State missed 10 of its first 12 attempts.
Although Kansas State responded with nine straight points to slice the margin to 31-25, the Wildcats missed their last 12 shots of the half and the Jayhawks soared to a 40-27 halftime bulge on 70 percent shooting.
Kansas, which outscored Kansas State 13-0 in fast-break points, closed the half with an 8-0 spurt.
Mykhailiuk scored 13 first-half points and paced Kansas by going 5-of-7. Wade countered with 13 for the Wildcats on 5-for-12 shooting. His teammates went 4-of-23, though Kansas State remained within striking distance by forcing 12 turnovers and drawing two fouls on sophomore center Udoka Azubuike in nine minutes.
Azubuike, the nation's leader in field goal percentage at 76.1 percent, played just 18 minutes and scored six points.
--Field Level Media