With VP in attendance, top-seeded KU beats Howard 96-68 in NCAA First Round

Kansas's Gradey Dick shoots past Howard's Steve Settle III during the first half of a...
Kansas's Gradey Dick shoots past Howard's Steve Settle III during the first half of a first-round college basketball game in the NCAA Tournament Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)(Morry Gash | AP)
Published: Mar. 16, 2023 at 3:14 PM CDT
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DES MOINES, Iowa (KCTV) - The top-seeded Jayhawks will survive and advance past 16-seed Howard with a 96-68 win in Des Moines.

The Bison kept the game close through the first 14 minutes, taking the lead five times.

KU responded in the final 6:10 of the first half, going on a 19-5 run to take a 13-point lead into the locker room – and the rest is history.

All five KU starters finished with double digits, led by Jalen Wilson with 20 (8-16 FG). Gradey Dick added 19 on a 60% clip from beyond the arc.

Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Douglas Emhoff watch during the second half of a...
Vice President Kamala Harris and husband Douglas Emhoff watch during the second half of a first-round college basketball game between Howard and Kansas in the NCAA Tournament Thursday, March 16, 2023, in Des Moines, Iowa. (AP Photo/Morry Gash)(Morry Gash | AP)

Howard, who averages the third-most turnovers in the nation gave the ball away 18 times in the loss.

The Jayhawks won without head coach Bill Self, who continues to recover from a heart procedure.

Up next, the Jayhawks will play the winner of 8-seed Arkansas vs. 9-seed Illinois.