To hear coach Bill Self tell it, Kansas won Saturday’s game at Colorado when Sherron Collins’ game kicked into gear with eight minutes left in the first half.

Sure, Collins’ 15 first half points keyed the Jayhawks to a seven point halftime advantage. But his icy 1-of-6 second half shooting didn’t do anything to preserve the lead.

Photo Gallery

Kansas Basketball vs. Colorado

A photo gallery of the men's basketball game against Colorado.

On a team with two certifiable superstars – Collins and sophomore center Cole Aldrich – and another budding star in freshman Tyshawn Taylor, it was the play of sophomore Tyrel Reed and freshman Marcus Morris that pushed Kansas to its 73-56 victory at the Coors Event Center.

“When Sherron’s not hitting shots, I think other people have to step up,” Reed said.

That’s exactly what the Burlington native did, making all four of his second half shots, including 3-for-3 beyond the three-point line.

Reed said he played terribly in the first half, but Self has enough confidence in his long-range weapon to let him keep firing. In addition to Self’s confidence, Reed has self-confidence in his ability to heat up at any given time.

“As a shooter, you always think your next shot is going in,” Reed said. “I just set my feet and let it fly.”

Morris also drilled a three-pointer, which fired up Kansas’ bench and spurred the team down the stretch of a rather ugly game.

The Jayhawks committed 18 turnovers and missed nine free throws, but Morris’ trey was a sweet stroke that set up points in the paint down the stretch.

“I’ve been trying to get my jumper right because that opens up the floor for the rest of the players,” Morris said.

Aldrich finished with 15 points and 10 rebounds because he operated with much more space on the block after defenders were forced to guard Morris on the perimeter.

Morris, who notched 10 points, three rebounds and two assists, said he and coach Joe Dooley were working on his jump shot before every practice. The success in those extra reps gave him the confidence to fire one up in Saturday’s game.

The shot meant much more than three points and it extends beyond Coors Event Center, which is known as Allen Fieldhouse West when Kansas comes to town.

Now that Marcus has shown the willingness to attempt and the ability to convert long-range jumpers, Aldrich and Markieff Morris should get one-on-one match-ups on the block in the next few games.

Marcus and Reed don’t need to play like this consistently. Collins rarely falls off the map in the second half and Aldrich often doesn’t need extra help dominating the paint. Even Taylor, who kicked in 14 points, doesn’t usually wait until garbage time to attack the rim.

Marcus and Reed played their parts when it was needed on Saturday, and now Self knows that when his stars stutter, the role players will rise.

“I’m called on to shoot when I’m open,” Reed said. “That’s my role on the team.”