Kansas State Kansas St/Kansas Kansas Men's College Basketball recap on ESPN

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) – While most of the teams in the Big 12 Conference were in action at Kemper Arena, Jeff Boschee was off working on his jump shot.

The preparation paid off. Boschee hit five 3-pointers and scored 23 points Friday night as Kansas (No. 10 ESPN/USA Today, No. 9 AP), which had a bye in Thursday's first round, routed Kansas State 94-63 in the quarterfinals of the Big 12 tournament.

"I've been fortunate enough to get my shot to fall," Boschee said. "All week long I practiced my 3-point shooting in pressure situations, and tonight it showed."

Drew Gooden added 21 points for the second-seeded Jayhawks, who won the first three Big 12 tournament titles before Iowa State broke their streak last season. Three other Kansas players reached double figures.

Kansas (24-5) beat the Wildcats (11-18) for the 22nd straight time, including six consecutive wins in Big 12 and Big Eight tournament games. The Jayhawks also broke their own Big 12 tournament single-game scoring record, set in 1998 in a 91-59 win over Nebraska.

"It's embarrassing for our team," said first-year Kansas State coach Jim Wooldridge, whose team reached the quarterfinals with a 62-58 comeback win over Nebraska on Thursday. "With what we've accomplished, I hate to see us go out on a note like this." The Jayhawks blew the game open with a 20-point run in the first half, holding Kansas State scoreless for almost 8½ minutes. Gooden scored eight points in the run as Kansas widened its three-point lead to 37-14 with 3:50 left in the half.

"I really didn't know it was that long," said Jayhawks forward Nick Collison, who scored four points in the run. "We were just controlling the game, and when I looked up at the timeout I realized the score."

Tony Atchison, who led Kansas State with 11 points, finally hit a 3-pointer to end the drought with 3:35 remaining.

The Wildcats, who trailed 41-21 at the break – their biggest halftime deficit of the year – shot 22 percent (7-for-32) and committed 12 turnovers in the first half. They shot 29 percent (19-for-66) for the game and finished with 20 turnovers.

The teams got into a brief but heated exchange early in the second half after Kansas State's Quentin Buchanan appeared to elbow Kansas' Kenny Gregory and no foul was called.

Gregory had to be walked back to the bench by Kansas coach Roy Williams, and the Wildcats' Travis Reynolds shoved Kansas point guard Kirk Hinrich before officials separated the players.

"We were trying to protect our player, and they were trying to protect their player," Reynolds said. "That's something that's just going to happen sometimes in games like this." Williams also played down the exchange.

"There was a lot of mouth, but that's basketball," he said. "I'd fight on a basketball court any day, because I know somebody will be there to break it up in five seconds." Hinrich finished with 12 points for the Jayhawks, and Gregory and Collison added 11 each.

Kelvin Howell had a double-double for Kansas State with 10 points and 10 rebounds. Reynolds and Larry Reid also scored 10 points each for the Wildcats.

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Kirk Hinrich dishes to Jeff Boschee on the break for a layup.
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Drew Gooden works in the paint for a rebound and a hoop.
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Richie Terry drives the lane for a K-State score.
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Kenny Gregory tips a rebound to Nick Collison for a basket.
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