Nwamu missed two free throws with 7.1 seconds left, and IN gave the ball back to UNLV on a 5-second count on the inbounds.
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Kansas: UCLA in Maui Invitational semifinals on Tuesday.
FILE – In this November 13, 2015, file photo, Kansas’ Brannen Greene celebrates after making a shot during the second half of an NCAA college basketball game against Northern Colorado, in Lawrence, Kan.
Ellis and the rest of the Kansas frontcourt will have their hands full against the star big man and will need to replicate Tuesday’s strong performance on both ends of the floor to win the title. Previous year the Jayhawks won the Orlando Classic at Disney’s Wide World of Sports in Orlando posting a 3-0 record over the Thanksgiving week.
Kansas had out-scored, out-rebounded, out-assistsed and generally out-performed UCLA. Two teams that rebound well and turn the ball over a lot. Patrick McCaw leads the Rebels averaging 19 points per game. They have five or six guys that make threes, and their guards do a very good job. Senior F Jamari Traylorrounds out the KU starters. Frank Mason did score 14 points last time out, but it took a 5-15 effort from the floor to get there. The true freshman scored 4 points on 2-2 shooting in 11 minutes of action. Kevin Yogi Ferrell leads the Hoosiers averaging 16.6 points and 6.6 rebounds per game.
St. John’s: The win was No. 1,799 for St. John’s. The Bruins never led in the game and it was tied for a total of 36 seconds…. UCLA is coached by Steve Alford who is 53-24 in his third season at UCLA and 516-259 in his 25th season overall. But the Rebels went cold after that and UCLA took control with a 17-7 run to seize control. Coach (Dave) Rice ensured that we’d come prepared for Chaminade, ” McCaw said. UCLA’s game will be nationally televised on ESPN. In the first half, Kansas went 8-for-15 on three-point jumpers, buffering any chances for a UCLA comeback. He has made a team-best eight 3-pointers and his 20 assists are also a team high. Team Rebounds: 1. Blocked Shots: 1 (Bolden).
St. John’s answered as an Alibegovic 3 pushed the lead to 10 and jumpstarted a quick 8-2 spurt that put the Red Storm back up by 13 points. No. 19 Vanderbilt will go up against the Jayhawks at 10 p.m. ET.
Betting Odds: Kansas (-2.5, -110) via Sportsbook.
The Johnnies escape the Maui Invitational with one victory. Raef LaFrentz was named the MVP. Toning down on turnovers will also be a key if they want to be successful against this UNLV team. Of Chaminade’s seven wins in the tournament three have come in the seventh-place game: Stanford in 1992, Princeton in 2007, and Oklahoma in 2010.
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Here’s the thing: UNLV is good enough to beat IN and other high-profile opponents on its nonconference schedule and contend for a Mountain West championship and return to the NCAAs for the first time IN three years and, depending on how a bracket might fall IN March, even win games once there. Jayhawk Thomas Robinson was named to the 2011 Maui all-tournament team. The game will be part of a double-header with Arizona facing Michigan State.
