No. 5 Kansas tops Georgia for tourney title

KANSAS CITY, Mo. -- Kansas overcame a sluggish night offensively and a strong effort from Georgia's Yante Maten as the fifth-ranked Jayhawks defeated the Bulldogs 65-54 in the championship of the CBE Hall of Fame Classic at Sprint Center.

The Jayhawks held a 10-point advantage at halftime, which was cut to five early in the second half. But a 10-0 run midway through the second half put the game away.

No. 5 Kansas (4-1) was led by Frank Mason with 19 points. Josh Jackson had 15 points and Devonte Graham scored 14.

Maten finished with 30 points but Georgia (3-2) got little contribution from anyone else. William Jackson was the next highest scorer with seven points.

Kansas shot just 39 percent from the field and scored 21 points below their season average.

Maten kept Georgia in the game in the first half. He scored 15 of the Bulldogs' first 17 points. When he took a brief rest on the bench at the 9:22 mark, the score was tied at 18-all. He sat for 1:13 and the Bulldogs did not score.

The Jayhawks used a 16-5 run to close out the half to claim a 35-25 halftime lead.

Neither team was crisp in the first half. Georgia was just 8 of 28 (29 percent) from the field in the first half, and Maten had seven of the Bulldogs' made field goals. They had only one made field goal (out of 16 attempts) in the final 11:45 of the half.

Kansas was not a lot better at 12 of 34 (35 percent). Mason led the Jayhawks with 13 first-half points. Jackson had 11 points and Graham had nine.

NOTES: Kansas is now 10-1 all-time in the CBE Classic. Its only loss was to Syracuse in the inaugural title game in 2008. The Jayhawks won the 2012 CBE Classic, defeating St. Louis 73-59. ... Georgia coach Mark Fox is an alum of Kansas, receiving his master's in athletic administration/sports psychology in 1996. ... Kansas is now 4-0 all-time against Georgia.