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KU vs. Arizona

Tucson, Ariz — Visions of sugar plums and a nice road victory over Arizona danced in the heads of Kansas University’s basketball players early in the second half of Tuesday’s Fiesta Bowl Classic contest at McKale Center.

But KU’s impressive nine-point lead a minute into the final session disappeared as quickly as Santa’s sleigh over the horizon. U of A outscored the Jayhawks by 20 in the second half of an 84-67 nonconference blowout.

“This puts a huge damper on the holiday,” said KU junior guard Sherron Collins, as amazed as anybody that the Jayhawks (8-3) could — and did — get outscored, 29-6, in a short span that turned a 44-35 lead into a 64-50 deficit.

“It’s still going to feel good to go home to see my family. Obviously, I wanted to go home with a win,” Collins added, noting, “They wanted it more than we did. We’re not going to win a game like that until we get tougher. Coach has been preaching it all year. We’re not tough enough yet. When we get back (from three-day break), practices will be longer, harder until he gets his point across.”

KU’s pre-Christmas Eve lump of coal appeared on a night the Jayhawks — thanks to the defensive work of Brady Morningstar — held Arizona junior standout Chase Budinger to just five points off 1-of-9 shooting.

Budinger, who was one point off a career low, missed four shots and didn’t score the first half as KU took a 38-35 lead into the break.

“I just tried to put a hand up every time he shot it,” said Morningstar, a player coach Bill Self said, “played great.”

“You can’t stop one player and expect to win the game,” Morningstar added. “We didn’t play defense like Kansas.”

Jordan Hill ruled inside for 23 points off 11-of-23 shooting and grabbed 11 rebounds. He and Kyle Fogg (14 points) had seven points apiece, while Nic Wise had eight in the 29-6 surge.

Jamelle Horne contributed 19 points off 7-of-13 shooting and had 13 boards on a night the Wildcats (8-3) outboarded KU, 40-29.

“They manhandled us on the glass,” Self said. “We were up by nine (44-35 a minute into the half). We didn’t have control of the game. We made so many poor decisions defensively. We were really bad defensively the second half. We got behind and started pressing.”

One difference in the halves was that the Morris twins combined for 17 first-half points and 10 rebounds. Marcus hit for 10 points, while Markieff had seven. Marcus had two points the second half and Markiefff none. They combined for 12 boards, two the second half.

“When Sherron and Cole combine for four of our 38 points the first half, I think those young kids are doing a good job,” Self said. “The second half, Sherron tried. We missed easy shots and didn’t show poise. We had no low-post presence the whole game.”

There’s more.

“You’ve got to give them something to guard. Defensively, we were no resistance,” Self said. “ The key stat of the game,” Self said, “easy baskets, second shots. I guarantee, if you go back and look at the tapes of this one, you will see we gave up about 38 points to those two stats compared to our 10.”

The end result? A loss for the Jayhawks to stomach as they head home for Christmas.

Bah humbug.

“It leaves a real sour taste,” Aldrich said. “There’s not one thing we’re happy with.”