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

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.

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