SOFTBALL: Team goes 1-5 in tournament. SEE PAGE 7B. BASKETBALL: Maryland beats Duke, Kansas is No. 1 in ESPN poll. SEE PAGE 2B
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SPORTS
1B
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
WWW.KANSAN.COM/SPORTS
MONDAY, FEBRUARY 18, 2002
Chris Wristen sports@kansan.com
'Hawk fans ought to copy'Cats devotees
Former Notre Dame football coach Dan Devine once said, "Nobody, I mean nobody, comes into our house and pushes us around."
If Kansas fans honestly cared enough, then they could make that statement apply here, too.
Sadly, most Kansas fans suck. Cry and whine about this all you want, but if you're honest with yourself you'll realize it's true.
Kansas "fans" have proved their worth throughout recent history, be it their lax numbers at football games during the last decade, poor turnout this year for an almost-Top 25 soccer team or even during the 1990s when women's basketball coach Marian Washington's teams were a mainstay in the top 20.
They can't even get it right for men's basketball. All fans still don't wear blue shirts to every game. It took fewer than two games to bail on the idea of looking like a proud, united crowd. It's pathetic, but then again, I guess we've become accustomed to that at Kansas, which is why Kansas State fans have earned the title of "Best Fans in Kansas."
Look no further than yesterday's women's basketball rivalry game against No.12 Kansas State for more evidence.
The second-largest crowd to ever watch a women's game in Allen Fieldhouse, 11,858 fans, packed Allen Fieldhouse yesterday and saw K-State roll to a 65-40 win against a struggling Jayhawk team. The fan number looks nice, but consider that more than 10,000 of them were purple-clad Wildcat faithful and suddenly the attendance doesn't look quite so flashy for Kansas.
Wildcats' coach Deb Patterson said, "It was a lot like a home crowd; it was absolutely fabulous. I've never seen anything like it. To be on the road and to walk into the arena and feel like the arena was packed with our fans was just beyond description."
That's where Patterson is wrong. There are two easy descriptions for the atmosphere — impressive and embarrassing. Impressive for Wildcat fans who should be proud because they have a team of great basketball players who are humble in their success but thrive in their fans' support.
It was also embarrassing for Kansas fans, shown up by of the lack of crimson and blue on Sunday inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Some would argue that Kansas was going to lose anyway because the Jayhawks just aren't very good this year. That may be true, but it's safe to say the embarrassment against K-State was in the stands, not on the court.
Wildcat fans held posters, banged balloons together like Kansas "fans" did at the men's game against Missouri and one even played the Kansas State fight song on a trumpet. They've done it at almost every women's game this year, be it a home game or a road game.
Kansas fans wilt in that image
Wristen is a Leawood senior in journalism.
CHRISTINA NEFF/KANSAN
Kansas forward Nick Collison maneuvers around Baylor forward Logan Kosmalski. Collison scored 22 points Saturday in Allen Fieldhouse.
'Hawks win, but play 'ugly' against Bears
By Doug Pacey Kansan sportswriter
Kansas won't break the 100-point barrier every game. Heck, the Jayhawks aren't going to beat teams by 20 points each time they step on the court.
But the Jayhawks have been doing a lot of both lately. They've scored more than 100 points in four of their last six games and routed four of their last six opponents by more than 27 points.
So Saturday's lackcluster effort against Baylor should be expected. As much as Roy Williams hates it, he said he knew his team wouldn't be at its best all the time.
"This team has been pretty doggone good about playing every single day," Williams said. "Human nature is you're not going to do that. Tiger Woods doesn't win every single tournament, doesn't shoot 68 every single day. Some days you've got to get by with playing ugly. You just have to be able to sort of meander around there and be good enough to win even when you're ugly."
For most of Saturday's 87-72 win against the Bears, Kansas was downright hideous.
The lajhawks (23-2 overall, 12-0 Big
12 Conference) never went on one of
their patented double-digit scoring runs
No.2KANSAS87, BAYLOR72
BAYLOR(14-11)
Davis 2-60-05, Roberts 8-144-621, Sayman
3-100-106, Lucas 7-130-106, Greenleaf 1-10
0-02, Taylor 0-00-00, Henry 2-40-05, White
0-00-00, Elsey 1-3-0-0, Guinn 3-3-0-07,
Moskalmski 3-4-11-18, Tots 30-675-7-72.
KANSAS (23-2)
Gooden 3-10 5-8 11, Collison 10-15 2-6 22,
Hinrich 4-121-111, Miles 3-40-07, Boschee
1-151-121, Harrison 0-0-00, Ballard 0-0-
00, Langford 3-53-59, Nash 1-0-00, Carey
0-0-00, Simien 3-7-06, Lee 0-0-00,
Zerbe 0-1-00, Kapplemann 0-0-00.
Totals 33.07 12-12 87.
Halftime—Kansas 40, Baylor 36, 3-Point goals—Baylor 7-25 (Lucas 2-5, Davis 1-1, Guinn 1-1, Kosmalski 1-1, Roberts 1-2, Henry 1-3, Eisey 0-2, Sayman 0-4, Greenleaf 0-6), Kansas 9-19 (Boschue 6-10, Hinrich 2-5, Miles 1-2, Langford 0-1, Nash 0-1). Fouled out. None. Rebounds—Baylord 35 (Roberts 7), Kansas 43 (Goodeniel 14). Assists—Baylor 15 (Sayman 6), Kansas 24 (Miles 9). Total fouls—Baylor 21, Kansas 1A—16,300.
and the Bears (14-11, 4-8) trailed by as little eight points late in the second half before Kansas went on a late 12-2
SEE BASKETBALL ON 8B
'Big Monday' huge for Kansas
By Doug Pacey
Kansan sportswriter
If there wasn't enough pressure on Kansas to win tonight's game against Iowa State, another monkey just hopped on the Jayhawks' back.
Because of No. 3 Maryland's 87-73 victory against No. 1 Duke yesterday, the ESPN/USA Today Coaches poll made the Jayhawks -ranked second in the Associated Press poll -the No. 1 team in the country. The AP poll won't be released until this afternoon, but there's a good chance Kansas might be the top-ranked team in both polls before tip-off.
Then there's the fact that the Cyclones have won their last two games at Allen Fieldhouse and Kansas (23-2 overall, 12-0 Big 12 Conference) surely wants a little revenge.
Add all that together and you've got a SportsCenter highlight in the making, and it just so happens that tonight's game will be broadcast nationally as part of ESPN's Big Monday, the fourth straight Monday Kansas has been on
A victory tonight will also clinch at least a tie for the Big 12 championship a spot the Jayhawks haven't won in three years.
KANSAS VS. IOWA STATE
Game Time: 8 p.m.
Place: Allen Fieldhouse.
On TV: ESPN (Cable channel 48).
On Radio: 90.7 FM KJKH, 105.9 FM
KLZR, 1320 AM KLWN.
SEE MONDAY ON PAGE 8B
the sports network
The Jayhawks say they're aware of all the sub-plots going into tonight's game, but they can't think about them if they want to win.
That's not a bad idea considering how well Iowa State plays the Jayhawks. The Cyclones might be last in the Big 12 Conference with a 3-9 league record, 11-15 overall, but they've got the Big 12's third-leading scorer in senior Tyray Pearson, 19.1 points per game, and one of the Big 12's most dangerous three-point shooters in sophomore Jake Sullivan. The sophomore guard has connected on 53 of 106 three-pointers and averages 16.9
"We're really trying to just focus on playing Monday's game," Williams said. "Anything else that happens, extra stuff on the sidelines and extra stuff away from the actual playing of the game, we need to get that out of our minds."
Wildcats dominate Jayhawks in second season blowout
By Jessica Scott
Kansan sportswriter
Allen Fieldhouse got a makeover Sunday afternoon when the Kansas State women strolled into town.
As the Jayhawks ran out on the court, their proud haven had evolved into 'Bramlage East,' as one Wildcat fan put it.
With more than 11,000 fans in tow, K-State played like a team on its home court as it stomped in-state rival Kansas 65-40. This game marked the first time in 11 years that the Wildcats had won in Lawrence.
"it's beyond description," Kansas
State guard Laurie Koehn said. "It seriously did feel like we were at home."
Kansas coach Marian Washington sounded bittersweet about the second-highest turnout for a women's game in Jayhawk history.
"I'm happy for them that they've got that kind of support; I think it's tremendous," Washington said. "It's very tough to see so much purple in your home arena."
A sloppy first-half proved costly to Kansas (5-21,0-14 Big 12 Conference) as it shot just 21 percent from the floor and struggled to stop K-State star
SEE WILDCATS ON PAGE 7B
The Crimson Girls cheer in front of a crowd filled with Wildcat fans. K-state took over Allen Fieldhouse to cheer for the No. 12 Wildcats.
CHRIS BURKET/KANSAN
Baseball team sweeps Shreveport series, still undefeated
Behind an 11-hit offensive attack and another strong start by senior pitcher Dan Olson, the Kansas baseball team defeated Centenary yesterday 4-2 in Shreveport, La. With the victory, the Jayhawks (4-0) swept the three-game series from the Gents (4-6).
Kansas jumped on board first, scoring two in the third inning on a RBI by junior shortstop Casey Spanish and sophomore baseman Ryan Baty. It would be all Olson needed. Olson allowed just one run in six innings of work. Improving his record to 2-0.
Freshman Tom Gorzelanny pitched
the final three innings, allowing one run and striking out three to grab his first save of the season.
Pitching also proved key on Friday night. Behind senior Jeff Davis' complete-game masterpiece, the Jayhawks were able to shut down Centenary and pump out a 2-1 victory. Davis struck out nine and gave up just one earned run on seven hits. It was Davis' first complete game in his career.
Centenary jumped to an early 1-0 lead, but Kansas tied it in the sixth inning when junior outfielder Lance Hayes scored from third on a wild pitch
by Gent pitcher Nick Waak.
Spanish brought in the winning run in the top of the eighth when his single brought in Hayes.
"It was a cold night for baseball and we were facing a very,very good pitcher, but I am very pleased with our team," Randall said. "At times,we can play a pretty exciting brand of baseball."
While Friday's game was won by turning out runs, Saturday's was the opposite. Kansas, fueled by a 10-run fifth inning, pounded Centenary 17-3. Senior third baseman Ryan Klocksein paced the 'Hawks, going 4-5 with two
doubles, a triple, and five RBIs. Baty continued his hot hitting, going 3-for-5 with a home run and four RBIs.
Senior Jake Wright pitched six innings, allowing no earned runs and striking out four for his first victory. Freshman Tyson Bothof and junior Ryan Jakubov combined to pitch three innings of scoreless relief.
The Jayhawks play 11 of their next 12 at home,starting on Tuesday,when they play Kansas Newman at 3 p.m. at Hoglund Ballpark.
Ryan Wood
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