ST. LOUIS, March 26 (UPI) -- Wayne Simien scored 19 of his 30 points in the first half Friday night to carry Kansas to a 100-74 NCAA Tournament romp over Alabama-Birmingham.
Kansas moved within a step of third straight trip to the Final Four. The fourth-seeded Jayhawks will meet either Georgia Tech in the finals of the St. Louis region on Sunday.
Kansas (24-8) reverted to the running style it used under former coach Roy Williams and posted its highest point total of the campaign.
Coach Bill Self is set for his third regional final in five years, having taken Tulsa this far in 2000 and Illinois in 2001.
Jeff Graves scored five points and Simien added four as Kansas opened the game on an 18-6 tear. The Jayhawks led by as many as 17 points in the first half and were able to rest their regulars for long stretches of the second.
The Blazers (22-10), who upset Kentucky in the second round, had frustration set in after halftime as Coach Mike Anderson was ejected with a pair of technicals.
