Emporia State menâÂÂs basketball coach David MoeâÂÂs game plan for Saturday nightâÂÂs game against Kansas University was to pack the lane against the taller Jayhawks, forcing KU to win with jump shots.

Kansas had a different plan, scoring 32 of its 64 first-half points from the paint and hitting five of 11 three-pointers before halftime en route to a 113-61 rout in Allen Fieldhouse.

âÂÂWe did all we could to keep it out of the paint,â Moe said, âÂÂand we gave them outside shots that they kept hitting. I kind of let them get going.âÂÂ

Emporia State couldnâÂÂt get anything going, falling behind 28-5 with 13:30 left in the first half. The Hornets (4-4) tried to get back in the game with three-pointers, but were just 4-of-17 from behind the arc in the first half and 12-of-38 for the game.

The 38 three-point attempts were just two short of the record by a Kansas opponent – 40, by Kentucky in a 150-95 Kansas victory in Dec. 1989 – and tied ArizonaâÂÂs attempts on Dec. 1, 2001, for the second most since Roy Williams started coaching Kansas.

âÂÂWe kind of panicked, fired up threes and made it worse,â Moe said. âÂÂWe do shoot a lot of threes, but you canâÂÂt come down, make two or three passes, and shoot threes when a team is getting layups against you.âÂÂ

The Hornets wanted to establish an inside presence, but made just two baskets – layups by Shawn Herrman – in the lane because of the Jayhawksâ defensive pressure down low.

âÂÂKUâÂÂs a good defensive team and weâÂÂre not a big team,â senior guard Robbie Ballard said. âÂÂIt was difficult to get an inside game going, and sometimes we settled for a three.âÂÂ

The three-pointers somewhat quieted a raucous crowd that was riled up by Kansas dunks, but it wasnâÂÂt enough to let the Hornets back in the game.

âÂÂI wish we would have hit a lot more to quiet them down more,â junior guard Thomas Vincent said. âÂÂUnfortunately, tonight a lot of things didnâÂÂt go down.âÂÂ

An inability to get the ball inside and missed three-pointers werenâÂÂt Emporia StateâÂÂs only problems. The Hornets also set season lows for a Kansas opponent with 23 first-half points, a .339 field-goal percentage, nine two-point field goals made and 24 two-point attempts.

They also tied KU opponent season lows with eight free-throw attempts, seven offensive rebounds, 28 total rebounds and five steals, and were the first Jayhawk foe this season to not record a block.

âÂÂWe werenâÂÂt mentally ready for a battle and they were,â Moe said. âÂÂThatâÂÂs why theyâÂÂre always one of the top 10 teams in the country. You could tell we were happy to be in Allen Fieldhouse instead of trying to win. ThatâÂÂs why they just whooped us.âÂÂ

Ballard led Emporia State with 14 points on 5-of-15 shooting, including 4-of-13 on three-pointers.

Ballard said the Hornets didnâÂÂt let the score affect the way they played.

âÂÂI think weâÂÂve got good character on this team so itâÂÂs not that difficult,â Ballard said of playing while losing by a large margin. âÂÂWeâÂÂre not always playing for the score. At those times, weâÂÂre playing to get better.âÂÂ

Moe, who has known Williams for 25 years, made his first return to Allen Fieldhouse as a head coach. He was a graduate assistant on Kansasâ 1988 national championship team and was an assistant at Colorado from 1993 to 2001 – when the Buffaloes went 0-17 against Kansas.

âÂÂIâÂÂm happy for coach Williams because heâÂÂs getting his team ready for the Big 12,â Moe said. âÂÂHopefully, we can bounce back.âÂÂ