Kansas shreds Cornhuskers

Brandon Rush scored 20 points, Julian Wright added 17, and sixth-ranked Kansas used a 27-0 run in the first half to fuel a 76-56 blowout of host Nebraska last night.

The Jayhawks (19-3, 6-1 Big 12) won for the 13th time in 14 games. Their 16th win in 17 meetings with Nebraska gave them a half-game lead over Texas A & M and Texas in the conference. The Cornhuskers (12-8, 1-5) lost their third straight.

Ryan Anderson made six three-pointers and led Nebraska with 19 points.

Kansas outrebounded the Huskers, 46-20.

Kansas owns the record for most lopsided win by a Nebraska opponent - 102-46 in 1958 - and it looked as if the Jayhawks would threaten that 56-point margin after their 27-0 run put them up 39-6.

As the game got further out of hand, fans began to sarcastically cheer Kansas' missed shots and Nebraska's rebounds. When Jay-R Strowbridge's layup ended a scoring drought that lasted nearly 14 minutes, much of the crowd rose to cheer the occasion.

The Jayhawks led 43-16 at half after Nebraska scored eight straight points in the last 2 minutes.

In other games:

* At Butler, Pete Campbell scored 17 points, Mike Green added 16, and the No. 13 Bulldogs (20-2, 8-1 Horizon League) routed Illinois-Chicago, 71-45.

* At Seton Hall, Brian Laing scored 17 points and the Pirates (12-9) handed Princeton (9-7) one of its worst losses in school history, 79-41. The 38-point margin of defeat was the largest since a 77-34 loss to Cornell in 1946. The Tigers lost by 37 to Duke in 2000-01.

In women's games:

* At Duke, Abby Waner scored 18 points to lead the No. 1 Blue Devils (22-0, 7-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) over Virginia Tech, 75-65.

* At Purdue, Star Allen had career highs of 21 points and 13 rebounds as No. 5 Ohio State (19-1, 8-0 Big Ten) beat the No. 10 Boilermakers (19-4, 8-1), 64-55.

* Florida and Wisconsin are Nos. 1 and 2 in the Associated Press poll for a third consecutive week. In the women's poll, Duke and North Carolina remained Nos. 1 and 2.

* Tennessee and SEC leading scorer Chris Lofton (ankle) will be a game-time decision tomorrow against Georgia.

* Lawrence Moten, 35, the all-time leading scorer in Syracuse and Big East basketball history, is back working with the men's team and finishing the requirements for his degree in child and family studies.

* Duke forward David McClure is doubtful for the 10th-ranked Blue Devils' game against Virginia on Thursday with an injured left knee. *