Kansas explodes past MU 105-73

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Drew Gooden had 26 points and 10 rebounds and Kirk Hinrich added 23 points Monday night as No. 2 Kansas beat No. 22 Missouri 105-73 after leading by only one point at halftime.

Gooden's 16th double-double of the season came in front of Allen Fieldhouse's loudest crowd of the season.

Hinrich went 4-for-5 from 3-point range and 8-for-11 from the field, and Gooden was 11-for-15 as Kansas outshot the Tigers 62 percent to 40 percent.

Jeff Boschee and Nick Collison each had 13 points for the Jayhawks (18-2, 7-0 Big 12), who outscored Missouri by 20 points over the first 6 1/2 minutes of the second half. All but two of Collison's points came in the second half.

It was the worst loss of the season for Missouri (15-6, 5-3), which was ranked No. 2 after a 9-0 start but has gone 6-6 since. It was Kansas' largest margin of victory over Missouri in Lawrence. The Jayhawks last scored 100 points against the Tigers came in a 102-89 victory in 1995.

Rickey Paulding and Clarence Gilbert, who was 5-for-9 from 3-point range, each had 19 points for the Tigers but Gilbert was held to three points in the second half.

Forward Kareem Rush, a preseason All-American, scored 13 points for the Tigers but was 6-for-19 from the field.

Freshman Wayne Simien had 10 points for Kansas.

The Jayhawks got off to a quick start in the second half, with Hinrich scoring five points in a 7-0 run for a 50-42 lead. Boschee hit 3-pointers to open and close a 10-0 run that made it 60-45, and two free throws by Keith Langford capped an 8-0 run that gave Kansas a 68-47 lead with 13:36 left.

Gooden scored five points in another 10-0 run that put the Jayhawks up 81-58 with just over 8 1/2 minutes left.

Kansas outshot Missouri 59 percent to 45 percent from the field in the first half, but the Tigers were 8-of-15 on 3-pointers -- four by Gilbert -- and trailed just 43-42 at halftime.

Gooden hit his first six field goal attempts and scored 17 points on 8-for-10 shooting in the first half. His three-point play with 7:05 left in the half capped a 14-3 run and gave the Jayhawks a 35-25 lead. Missouri answered with a 13-3 run in which Gilbert scored eight points and hit two 3-pointers, including one that tied it 38-all with 3:14 left in the half.