Morris scores 27, No. 3 Kansas beats Okla. St. 92-65

[February 22, 2011]  LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Marcus Morris had 27 points and No. 3 Kansas brushed off the suspension of point guard Tyshawn Taylor, romping past Oklahoma State 92-65 on Monday night.

The Jayhawks (26-2, 11-2 Big 12) hit eight of their first 10 shots and pulled away from the outmanned Cowboys with an 18-2 spree that led to a 52-28 halftime bulge.

Marshall Moses had 27 points for Oklahoma State (16-11, 4-9), 13 above his season average. He scored 16 in the first half, but the Cowboys never got closer than 19 after halftime.

Taylor, a 6-foot-3 junior who has struggled at times to replace Sherron Collins at the point, was suspended indefinitely earlier Monday for violating unspecified team rules.

Sophomore Elijah Johnson, who started in his place, had 15 points and was 4 for 4 from behind the 3-point arc. He also had three assists while alternating with other guards bringing the ball up the floor as the Jayhawks shot 56 percent in a sizzling first half and 54 percent for the game.

Markieff Morris, who had a career-high 26 points in the previous game against Colorado, had 15 points and seven rebounds for the Jayhawks, whose loss to Kansas State last Monday dropped them from No. 1 to No. 3 in this week's Associated Press poll.

During the decisive stretch in the early going, the Cowboys went more than 6 minutes without a field goal. Moses' fadeaway jumper at the 11:49 mark made it 24-19, then Johnson hit a jumper and the Jayhawks were off and running to their 15th straight victory over Oklahoma State in Allen Fieldhouse.

Marcus Morris hit his second straight 3-pointer, then Oklahoma State's Keiton Page turned the ball over and Marcus made a basket.

Thomas Robinson, who got a big hand when he came into the game after missing three outings with a knee injury, got a bucket and then Josh Selby fed Marcus Morris, who blew right past a flat-footed Cowboys defender and slammed the ball home for a 35-19 lead.

Moses finally broke Oklahoma State's field goal drought with a layup at the 5:36 mark, but Mario Little answered with a 3 from the top of the key. Two free throws by Little and one by Johnson put the Jayhawks on top 42-21. Moses, a 6-7 senior, was 8 for 11 from the floor and made 10 of 13 free throws. But Kansas outrebounded the Cowboys 38-25 and made 20 of 27 foul shots.

In the second half, Moses' two free throws sliced the lead to 74-55 before Johnson answered with a 3-pointer and ignited another Jayhawks push that quickly built the lead to 83-58 on another 3 by Johnson.

Reger Dowell had 10 points for Oklahoma State.

[Associated Press; By DOUG TUCKER]

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