LAHAINA, Hawaii _ The Kansas Jayhawks' 3,793-mile trip to paradise concludes with (what else?) an early-season Maui Invitational basketball championship.
Bill Self's Jayhawks, who ripped Chaminade by 30 points and BYU by 15 points in quarterfinal and semifinal contests Monday and Tuesday, continued their remarkable run of success in early-season holiday tourneys by downing Dayton, 90-84, in overtime in Wednesday's one-for-the-ages title game at Lahaina Civic Center.
Udoka Azubuike scored a career-high 29 points including KU's first nine points in overtime (he was 3 of 3 from the line in OT) and Devon Dotson contributed a career-best 31 points with six rebounds as the (6-1) Jayhawks survived a 3-point barrage and handed the Flyers of the Atlantic 10 their first loss of the season against five victories.
Yes, KU won a game in which Dayton knocked down 16 of 33 3s to KU's 4 of 11. Repeat: KU was outshot from 3-point range 16 makes to four and won.
Azubuike and Dotson were chosen co-MVPs of the tournament.
Marcus Garrett chipped in 18 points (two off a career high) for a KU team that has won a remarkable six straight holiday tourneys. In addition to the 2019 Maui title, KU won the 2018 NIT Season Tip Off, 2017 HoopHall Miami Invitational, 2016 CBE Classic, 2015 Maui Invitational and 2014 Orlando Classic in successive seasons.
Azubuike scored nine points in OT and KU led, 82-78. It was 83-82 KU when Dotson hit two free throws to make it 85-82. KU led 87-82 on a Garrett bucket with 39 seconds left in OT.
It was 87-84 when Garrett stepped to the line and hit two free throws to make it 89-84 at 18.7.
Ryan Mikesell missed two free throws at 11.5 seconds and KU could celebrate.
KU was able to survive an 18-point performance by power forward Obi Toppin, who scored a combined 49 points in wins over Georgia and Virginia Tech on Monday and Tuesday in Maui.
The Jayhawks trailed by eight points (66-58) with 7:41 left, but grabbed a 69-66 lead on an 11-0 surge with 2:25 left following four points from Dotson and four from Marcus Garrett and three from Azubuike, who busted a 66-66 tie with a bucket and free throw. KU led 71-70 when Azubuike blocked a Ryan Mikesell shot at :26. Dotson hit two free throws to give KU a 73-70 lead at 19.6. But Dayton forced overtime when Jalen Crutcher hoisted in a 3 with 1.1 seconds left.
The game went to overtime when Isaiah Moss' deep 3 hit the rim and missed at the buzzer.
Dotson scored 17 points on 6-of-8 shooting and dished two assists with four rebounds yet KU trailed by one at halftime, 37-36.
Dayton, which hit 8 of 18 3s the first half to KU's 2 of 6, was led by Ibrahim Watson's 11 points. Forward Toppin, who was guarded well from the start by Ochai Agbaji, had seven points for DU. Both teams committed just five turnovers the initial half.
Azuibuike picked up his second foul of the half with 7:14 left before intermission. He had nine points and one rebound with one block the first 20 minutes. Garrett, meanwhile, picked up his fourth foul with 18:07 remaining in the contest.
Dayton came out sizzling. Four starters hit 3s and the score was deadlocked at 12 by the first TV time out.
Dayton led, 17-14, before KU scored six straight points to go up 20-17. Dotson hit for five points and McCormack one free throw in that run. KU wound up with a 10-2 run that gave the Jayhawks a 24-19 advantage.
Down 27-22, Dayton used a 9-0 run to grab a 31-27 lead at 4:40. Watson hit a 3 and Toppin tallied his first four points of the game in that surge.
Dayton kept the lead at the half, 37-36.
