Mario Chalmers wasn’t able to practice Wednesday. In fact, he barely was able to get out of bed.

“I threw up 12 times,” said Chalmers, Kansas University’s freshman point guard from Anchorage, Alaska, who says an infusion of fluids soothed a stomach virus and enabled him to play 20 minutes against the University of New Orleans on Thursday night.

“I don’t feel terrible now, but not as good as I normally do,” Chalmers added with a smile after his eight points, five assists and four steals energized the Jayhawks in a 73-56 victory over the Privateers in Allen Fieldhouse.

Chalmers, who sat the first 16 minutes, keyed an 11-0 half-ending run. He had four points, two assists and two steals in the surge that boosted a narrow 23-19 lead to 34-19 at the break.

Chalmers, Julian Wright, Brandon Rush, Darnell Jackson and Russell Robinson keyed that frenetic run, then started the second half with six unanswered points.

Chalmers had an assist in the 6-0 stretch – a dish to Wright, who finished with a career-best six field goals in seven tries (good for 12 points) and a career-best four blocks.

“Some guys play a little better when they are ill,” KU coach Bill Self said. “I think Michael Jordan did that once or twice, and I think that is how Mario was today. Maybe the game slowed down for him a bit. He made some plays that really changed the game.”

Chalmers might not have played at all if Stephen Vinson (six points, three assists, 21 minutes) had not suffered a cut on his arm late in the first half. Because of the blood, he had to leave the game.

Self confessed that’s the only reason Chalmers entered.

“These guys : I don’t think they get me very well yet,” the coach said. “You ask a guy who doesn’t feel well before a game how he feels, his response should be, ‘I feel great coach; I’m fine.’ His was, ‘I don’t know. I think I’ll be OK.’ So I went into it thinking I may not play him.”

The fact Chalmers played – and played well – just might be what the rookie guard, who has struggled lately, needed.

“Coach tells me to be confident in everything I do. Tonight I listened,” Chalmers said. “I was not getting down on myself, just a little frustrated. Coach said I’d have ups and downs, just have more ups than downs. Tonight was one of the ups.

“I think it was my best game. I was able to run the team, read the defense, pick opportunities to gamble and get steals. I was able to see the open man.”

The 6-foot-2 Chalmers even was able to convert a dunk off a steal, igniting the crowd late in the first half.

“I’ve had that (ability to swipe the ball from opposing guards) since high school. I’ve been able to read defenses,” Chalmers said. “I think playing video games helps me with that. When I see an opening, I go through it and steal it like I do playing video games.”

KU didn’t light up the scoreboard like an astute video game player on a night Brandon Rush missed nine of 11 shots and scored five points.

Yet 10 players scored.

KU got a lift from Jeremy Case, who scored a career-high 12 points, making four of six threes.

“The guy can score in bunches,” Self said of Case, who played backup guard in place of Micah Downs and Rodrick Stewart, neither of whom entered by coach’s decision. Self said he was going with the ones who played best in practice while trying to narrow his rotation.

KU (7-4) hit nine of 20 threes and 50 percent of its shots overall while holding the (2-8) Privateers to 34.4 percent shooting. The Jayhawks did suffer 18 turnovers while forcing 21.

“If we play like that against a Big 12 team on the road, you’re going to get beat,” Self said. “There are 10 wasted opportunities a game. If we can’t get our wasted possessions to three or four, then we don’t need to run like that. We need to execute better, keep our turnovers down.”

A positive was that guards Chalmers, Russell Robinson and Vinson combined for 13 assists against three turnovers. However, Jeff Hawkins had two assists and four turnovers in 16 minutes.

Chalmers finished with five assists to one turnover, which could help his quest for more playing time.

“This helps my confidence a great deal,” Chalmers said. “Coach has been preaching me to play hard and strong. Tonight I was able to do it.”

KU will meet Yale at 7 p.m. Wednesday at Allen Fieldhouse.