The No. 5-ranked Jayhawks, who were playing their first home game in 32 days, devoured unheralded Nebraska, 84-62, before 16,300 appreciative fans.

“I missed it (fieldhouse) a lot,” said KU sophomore forward Drew Gooden, who combined with fellow frontcourt players Kenny Gregory and Nick Collison for 53 points and 20 rebounds.

“The road is OK, but I was really excited when I heard all those fans tonight. The crowd was into it and so were we.

“It’s good to be back home. I think we all felt that way,” added Gooden, who finished with 17 points and five boards.

Earl Richardson/Journal-World Photo

Perhaps energized by their familiar surroundings, the Jayhawks (14-1, 3-0) were all over the Huskers. KU’s trap forced 14 first-half turnovers and 23 overall as Nebraska (8-8, 1-2) dropped its 17th straight true road game.

“At times the first half we were really good defensively,” KU coach Roy Williams said of the Jayhawks, who led 38-20 at halftime.

“There was a stretch we had really good shots, forced some turnovers and cashed in on turnovers. The second half it was more meandering around.”

KU appeared to gain first-half momentum from an unlikely source a first-half technical foul on one of its own players.

Junior guard Jeff Boschee, who took an elbow to the head from NU’s Rodney Fields, was rung up for a technical for barking at Fields with five minutes left in the half, KU up, 26-16.

Earl Richardson/Journal-World Photo

The Jayhawks immediately rallied after Cary Cochran hit two technical foul shots, Gooden scoring seven points in a pivotal 12-0 surge that upped KU’s lead to 38-18 with 1:46 left.

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The ‘T’ appeared to energize the crowd and KU’s team.

“I think it was coincidence, but sometimes something like that can fire you up,” said Gregory, who scored 20 points with nine rebounds.

Williams was asked if the technical was the spark KU needed to run away and hide.

Earl Richardson/Journal-World Photo

“I hope not. It didn’t spark me emotionally,” the coach said, indicating he’ll make the Jayhawks run penalty sprints at practice today because of Boschee’s ‘T.’

“It was stupid on his part. Jeff is a lot brighter that that.”

Boschee he had nine points and three assists in 32 minutes realizes he erred.

After all, the ref called a foul on the elbow. Coincidentally he later suffered a cut lip when Cookie Belcher elbowed Boschee on a drive up the lane.

“It was a pretty stupid move on my part,” Boschee said. “I thought the elbow was intentional to my head and I told him that’s not cool. He apologized about it.

“I thought coach Williams was going to kill me so I started walking to the bench and I realized I had free throws,” added Boschee, who hit one of his two charities after Cochran’s tosses.

By half, KU held a comfy 18-point edge, holding the nation’s fourth-best shooting team to miserable 7 of 23 marksmanship. The 12-0 run was pivotal, along with a 14-2 run that gave KU a 20-7 advantage.

Nick Collison he tied a career high with six blocks, the same amount he had at Nebraska last year had four points in the run. Gregory also had four, including an over the head slam dunk following a steal by Mario Kinsey, who had another steal and layup in the surge.

“They didn’t have the best ballhandlers so we doubled up,” Kinsey said. “We were able to get some turnovers and got our break going on them.”

The Huskers were unable to make it a game the final half, despite the efforts of Cochran, who hit four threes.

“Last year he was 9-of-17 from the three-point line against us. We emphasized getting to him. We can’t give him those open looks,” Williams said.

Cochran finished with 17 points.

KU held Belcher to 10 points on 4-of-12 shooting. Inside players Kimani Ffriend and Steffon Bradford had 14 and 13 points respectively, but couldn’t contain KU’s frontcourt.

Collison had 16 points on 6-of-7 shooting to go with Gooden and Gregory’s strong offensive games.

KU hit 50.8 percent of its shots and outrebounded the Huskers, 42-36, taking care of business at home after winning three road games and one at Kemper Arena since the last home victory, 92-69 over Tulsa on Dec. 16.

“I was concerned with our first game back in Allen Fieldhouse I did not want them to think it would be easy,” Williams said. “I knew it’d be a difficult game and was concerned how our guys would be looking at it.”

Added Gregory, “I think coach was wondering how we’d react coming back playing a home game. I think we had good focus and were able to concentrate on what we had to do to beat a good Nebraska team.”