Quick recap: Vick leads KU past Louisiana with another strong showing

By Shane Jackson     Nov 16, 2018

Nick Krug
Kansas guard Lagerald Vick (24) puts up a three over Louisiana forward Malik Marquetti (1) during the first half, Friday, Nov. 16, 2018 at Allen Fieldhouse.

After a flawless effort from deep on Monday, Kansas senior wing Lagerald Vick put together an impressive encore.

Earlier this week, Vick hit all eight of his 3-pointers to lead No. 2 Kansas over Vermont in the home opener. He followed that up with another strong outing to lift KU to a 89-76 win over Louisiana Friday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

Vick wasn’t perfect from long range, though, he was just as effective in helping the Jayhawks survive another slow start. Vick went 7-for-12 from beyond the arc, finishing with a game-high 33 points in the win. Vick, who scored 32 points against Vermont, played all 40 minutes for the Jayhawks.

Here’s a quick look back at some of the action:

• The game turned when: Kansas went on a run following Bill Self’s technical.

With 9:18 left in the first half, Self was called for technical after running out on the court to argue with an official. Louisiana proceeded to knock down both free throws to take a 12-point advantage.

The Jayhawks responded with a 10-0 run, starting with a 3-pointer by freshman Quentin Grimes. Vick added a triple from the corner, as he was falling to the floor in front of the opposition’s bench. Late in the first half, KU eventually took the lead for good even though both Udoka Azubuike and Dedric Lawson were on the bench with foul trouble.

• Offensive highlight: The best offensive play — perhaps of the young season — came 90 seconds into Friday’s contest.

Lawson drove through the lane to attempt a tough shot near the rim, falling to the ground as he did. The ball bounced back to Lawson, who immediately fired up the shot and made it from his position on the floor.

As ridiculous as it was, the early bucket was critical for Lawson after Monday’s outing. Lawson did not score, missing all six of his shots in 19 minutes against Vermont in the home opener. The performance came after a strong showing against Michigan State, in which Lawson finished with 20 points for the Jayhawks.

• Heat check: For the second consecutive game, Vick was feeling it and appeared to have a ton of fun on the court.

Vick had animated reactions after most of his 3-pointers, and was feeding off the crowd’s energy throughout the game. With a Louisiana defender all over him, Vick drilled his first 3-pointer within the first minute of the game to set the tone.

But Vick’s most absurd triple came with 44 seconds left in the first half, as he launched a shot from well beyond the arc. He hit consecutive 3-pointers down the stretch to give the Jayhawks a 44-41 lead at the half.

• Up next: Kansas plays Marquette at 6 p.m. Wednesday during the NIT Season Tip-Off.

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52756Quick recap: Vick leads KU past Louisiana with another strong showing