Seven minutes in, La Salle led No. 1 Kansas by a point. Within five minutes, Kansas was ahead by nine. By the half, the lead was 15. You can pretty much guess where it headed from there.

Kansas 90, La Salle 65.

During ESPN’s broadcast, it was said that Kansas (9-0) could go with a six-guard rotation this year. It was also noted that the Jayhawks have been led in scoring by seven different players during their first eight games this season. Going to the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo., and playing in front of 18,830, as La Salle did this afternoon, is obviously a tall order for anybody. All the more so for a team that turns it over like La Salle does.

Turnovers weren’t really La Salle’s problem this afternoon, though. Kansas’ size and depth were just too much. In the first half, KU continuously dumped the ball in to Cole Aldrich, on of the best big men in the country. Aldrich finished 8-for-10 and scored 19 points. Guard Xavier Henry, meanwhile, finished with 31 points.

La Salle did itself no favors with foul trouble. Aaric Murray picked up his third less than two minutes into the second half; he wound up fouling out after scoring just four points and pulling down six rebounds. Jerrell Williams led the Explorers with 21 points, but most of it came in the second half, long after the final score was the only mystery remaining. And while Rodney Green had 19 points, he was forced to take 21 shots, making just eight. And 12 of Green’s points came in the first half. Kansas finished with a 44-34 rebounding edge, even though the Explorers had a seven-board advantage at the half. South Carolina is still the only team to outrebound Your Explorers this season.

Green did have four assists, so he now needs just three to join Lionel Simmons as the only Explorer to have 1,500 points, 500 rebounds and 300 assists in a career. And this was La Salle’s first game in Kansas City since it won the 1954 national title. So there.

For your reading pleasure, The Inquirer did a story today on Kansas’ Morris twins, Philly natives who played on the same high school team as Green and who once considered attending La Salle. For about a minute/

La Salle (6-3) next plays Bucknell at home next Saturday.

UPDATE: ESPN also said Explorers senior Kimmani Barrett had cracked a bone in his middle finger during Friday’s practice. Barrett nonetheless played 36 minutes and had eight points, five rebounds and two assists.

UPDATE, PART II: Kansas did this even though Sherron Collins, its preseason All-American, scored just five points. Yikes. And don’t forget, the Jayhawks come to North Broad Street to play Your Temple Owls on Jan. 2.

Link: Morris twins and their La Salle connection [The Inquirer]