Darryn Peterson scored 21 points in his debut game and Flory Bidunga led all scorers with 23 points, as No. 19 Kansas easily defeated Green Bay, 94-51, in the season opener for both teams.
Peterson was 7-for-11 from the field, including 3 of 7 from 3-point range in 22 minutes for Kansas (1-0). With a comfortable margin, Kansas coach Bill Self rested Peterson, who missed the team’s last exhibition game with cramps, for most of the second half.
Bidunga went 9-for-11 from the field and made 5 of 6 free throws. He also led the Jayhawks with six rebounds. Melvin Council Jr. added 10 points, and 12 different players contributed to the scoring for the Jayhawks.
Marcus Hall led Green Bay (0-1) with 17 points. The Phoenix shot just 28.6% (16-for-56) from the field.
Kansas scored the first seven points of the second half to open up a 28-point lead, and the Jayhawks held their largest lead at the end of the game.
It didn’t take long for Peterson to make an impact. He hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key at the 18:31 mark to give Kansas a 5-3 lead, a lead the Jayhawks did not relinquish. Before Green Bay coach Doug Gottlieb called a timeout with 16:46 left in the first half, Peterson had 5 points, one assist and two steals.
Peterson led all scorers with 18 points in the first half. He also had three rebounds, three assists and two steals. Bidunga had 12 points before the under-8 timeout, when he picked up his second foul. He returned to the lineup and finished the first half with 16 points.
The Jayhawks shot 58.6% from the field, but just 3-for-14 from 3-point range as Peterson had two of the three makes and Kansas led 48-27 at halftime.
Green Bay was led by C.J. O’Hara with nine first-half points.
