LAWRENCE, Kan. _ Despite being completely healthy in just two of his four seasons of college basketball, Udoka Azubuike has reached the 1,000-point milestone at the University of Kansas.
The 7-foot senior center from Delta, Nigeria, who on Monday was chosen Big 12 player of the week and Naismith Trophy player of the week for his 23 points and 19 rebounds in Saturday's victory at Baylor, scored 19 points on 6-of 7 shooting (7 of 8 from the free throw line) and grabbed 16 boards in a 83-58 win over Oklahoma State on Monday in Allen Fieldhouse.
Azubuike entered the game with 998 career points _ a lofty total considering he played just 20 games combined his freshman and junior campaigns. He played 36 games his sophomore season and has played in 28 games this year.
Ochai Agbaji scored 15 points (after totaling zero points at Baylor), Devon Dotson 11 points, Christian Braun 10, David McCormack 10 and Isaiah Moss nine points for the Jayhawks, (25-3, 14-1 Big 12), who moved from No. 3 to No. 1 in the AP poll on Monday morning. Marcus Garrett had five points, seven assists and three rebounds.
Cameron McGriff scored 16 points, Lindy Waters 11 and Isaac Likekele 11 for Oklahoma State (14-14, 4-11), which drilled Oklahoma, 83-66, on Saturday and entered with four wins in its last six games.
Azubuike, who entered the game a 42.3% free throw shooter on the season, scored his 999th point on a free throw that banked in with 10:20 left in the first half. His 1,000th point came on an ensuing free throw that swished and gave KU a 17-10 lead.
Azubuike, who also blocked three shots Monday, is now the sixth KU player to score 1,000 points, grab 600 rebounds and block 150 shots in a career. The others: Danny Manning, Nick Collison, Scot Pollard, Eric Chenowith and Cole Aldrich.
KU on Monday hit 10 of 28 threes to OSU's 3 of 12..
Azubuike scored eight points and grabbed 11 rebounds while playing 15 minutes the first half. Agbaji scored seven points, while Moss and McCormack had six apiece as KU led at halftime, 35-25.
Oklahoma State, which was led by Waters' seven points, hit 10 of 31 shots the first half for 32.3%. KU hit a chilly 34.4% but did make 5 of 18 threes in the half to OSU's 2 of 9.
KU used an 8-0 run to turn a 10-9 deficit into a 17-10 lead at 10:20. Azubuike and McCormack scored two points, Braun three and Enaruna one in the run.
Azubuike hit two free throws and scored off an offensive rebound and KU led, 21-14, at 7:55.
KU led by 11 (30-19) at 3:51. However, OSU's Thomas Dziagwa and Waters hit threes and it was 31-25 at 1:59. KU closed on a 4-0 run, Azubuike dunking off a lob from Garrett and Agbaji hitting two free throws.
A 16-2 run early in the second half stretched a 35-28 lead at 19:04 to 51-30 at 14:10. Agbaji had six points, Dotson five, Moss three and Azubuike two in that run.
The run extended to 25-4 and KU led, 60-32, at 11:51.
KU, won its 13th consecutive game and improved to 32-0 in ESPN Big Monday games contested in the fieldhouse in the Self era.
KU is approaching a pair of milestones. As a program, KU is 2,299-862. KU can hit 2,300 wins on Saturday with a victory at Kansas State. Also, Self is 498-109 as KU coach, just two from 500.
