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Self, Kansas looks to push winning streak to 13 games

Mar 18, 2007 - 3:10 PM Kentucky (22-11) at Kansas (31-4) 5:00 pm EDT

CHICAGO (Ticker) -- With the first round finally in the rear view, Kansas can see a little clearer.

After disappointing losses the past two seasons in the NCAA Tournament, the top-seeded Jayhawks hope to advance when they meet Kentucky in the second round of the West Region on Sunday.

Mario Chalmers' 19 points helped Kansas extend its winning streak to 12 games on Friday with a 107-67 victory over 16th seed Niagara in the first round.

Prior to their win, the Jayhawks had back-to-back first-round losses in 2005 and 2006 to Bucknell and Bradley respectively.

"From my standpoint, trust me, we didn't approach this as a No. 1 vs. No. 16 after what's happened to us the last two years," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "We placed a lot of emphasis and spent a lot of time on the scouting report and really emphasized this game, so to speak."

The Wildcats are coming off their 67-58 triumph over Villanova in the first round on Thursday. It was Kentucky's 16th straight first-round victory - the longest streak in the nation.

All-Southeastern Conference selection Randolph Morris controlled the paint for the Wildcats. He recorded 19 points, 11 rebounds and three blocks.

Sunday's matchup will be the 25th meeting between Kentucky and Kansas, with the Wildcats holding a 19-6 edge. However, the Jayhawks have won the last two contest in the series.

In their most recent matchup, Kansas rolled to a 73-46 win at Allen Fieldhouse on January 7, 2006, ranking as Tubby Smith's worst defeat during his tenure at Kentucky.