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SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DARY KANSAN
MONDAY FEBRUARY 9,2009
QUOTE OF THE DAY
"The thing that matters most is what our team believes that they can do. This team believes in themselves."
— Kansas softball coach Tracy Bunge at media day. Kansas opened the season with a 5-1 victory over No. 7 Arizona.
FACT OF THE DAY
In Val George's first game against her hometown team, the Tuscan native allowed just four hits and struck out eight batters to defeat No. 7 Arizona 5-1. Kansas' senior pitcher posted a 1.96 ERA last season.
KU Athletics
TRIVIA OF THE DAY
Q: Before Friday's victory, when was the last time that Kansas softball defeated Arizona?
A: May 24, 1979. Kansas defeated Arizona three times in 1979. Since then, the Wildcats were 10-2 against the Jayhawks before losing 5-1 on Friday.
KU Athletics
@KANSAN.COM
The Morning Brew: Is it just us
the learning
or has the college basketball season been underwhelming?
The Jay Report: Want references to movies involving giant
babies burgers and marshmallow men? Then The Jay Report is here to serve you. The Jay Report
"Blog" Allen; Trumpets, bears and large coaching staffs included in this edition of Case Keefer's "Double Overtime"
BEWARE OF "THE BLOG"
Courtside: Kansas took a step
backwards against Missouri. Jayson Jenks gives you his brand of unique insight.
COURTSIDE BLOG
Swimming & Diving: Check out video from Kansas' meet this against Iowa State weekend at Kansan.com/videos. Included is video from the Jayhawks two record-breaking races and interviews with coaches and players.
OSU game turns into a gamble
COMMENTARY
efore continuing with this Morning Brew,
please familiarize your self with the following gambling terms:
Favorite: The team predicted to win.
Underdog: The team predicted to lose.
Line or Spread: The number set by a sports book. In order to win, the favorite must win by more than the number while the underdog must finish within the number.
Backdoor Cover: When a favorite leads down the stretch but allows the underdog to sneak within the spread without threatening to win. See: Saturday's men's basketball game.
I didn't gamble a cent on Kansas' 78-67 victory over Oklahoma State. Nor would I bet on any basketball game that I cover.
However, knowing the point spread of Saturday's game turned an otherwise cathartic matinee into a thrilling drama that went down to the final shot.
The line set Kansas as 12 point favorites and the Jayhawks spent most of the second half above that number. Kansas bumped its lead to 20
with 8:47 left and it looked like coach Bill Self's crew would easily cover the spread.
But the Jayhawks didn't build on their advantage and the Cowbirds slowly chipped away. They never put enough possessions together to threaten the Jayhawks, but they did cut the lead to 13 with 2:30 remaining.
The score stuck at 75-62 until only 40 seconds were left on the clock. Then, all gambling hell broke loose.
Oklahoma State's Marshall Moses drove the lane while Kansas' defenders — not wanting to commit a foul — stepped aside and watched him throw down a dunk. 75-64. Advantage: Underdog.
Oklahoma State called a timeout and tried to make a steal on the inbounds pass. Once that failed, it sat back and let Sherron Collins wind down the clock.
But the shot clock was five seconds lower than the game
clock. Instead of holding the ball and waiting for a shot clock violation, Collins chucked up a three and drilled it. 78-64. Advantage: Favorite.
It could have ended there, but the roller coaster had one more hill to climb.
As the final five sec
onds ticked off the clock, Oklahoma State's lames Anderson sprinted to the right wing. Standing off-kilter in front of the Cowboy bench, Anderson snatched the ball and hurled it towards the basket.
Oklahoma State's leading scorer was a miserable 1-of-8 behind the three-point line before that shot. And he was a miserable 2-of-9 after it swirled through.
The shot didn't make Anderson feel any better or Kansas any worse. In fact, it didn't impact the players or coaches at all. It just swung the
game for anyone gambling on it.
Final Score: Kansas 78, Oklahoma State 67.
Loser: Favorite Jayhawks, who actually won the game.
Winner: Underdog Cowboys, who actually lost the game.
Real Loser: Anyone who bet more than $10 on a regular sea son basketball game.
Real Winner: Any objective viewer who enjoyed the roller-coaster ride.
Edited by Realle Roth
the brew goes digital
It's part blog, part column, part pop-culture melting pot. It's The Morning Brew. A daily dose of Kansas sports, college life and pop culture. You can read daily postings from The Morning
Brew guys at kansan.com/
blogs/morning_brew, and if
you have any questions or
comments, please give us
a holler at morningbrew@
kansan.com.
THIS WEEK IN KANSAS ATHLETICS
TODAY
Men's basketball Missouri, 8 p.m. Columbia, Mo.
WEDNESDAY
TUESDAY No events
Women's basketball
Texas, 7 p.m.
Austin, Texas
THURSDAY
Track & Field
ISU Classic/Tyson Inv
Ames, Iowa/Fayetteville, Ark.
FRIDAY
Softball
South Carolina, 10 a.m.
Orlando, Fla.
Softball
Western Carolina, 2:30
p.m.
Orlando, Fla.
MOTORSPORTS
Track & Field ISU Classic/Tyson Inv. Ames, Iowa/Fayetteville, Ark.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Debris kills 6-year-old boy at Monster Jam
The driver, 21-year-old Gary Schott Jr., told investigators he felt a vibration as the modified Chevrolet SSR truck came off a jump.
TACOMA. Wash. — After debris flew off a monster truck and hit two spectators, killing a 6-year-old boy, neither the driver nor competition officials knew the debris had landed in the stands and didn't realize anyone was hurt, police reports show.
Quint had seen the truck vibrating and noticed something amiss in the rear driveshaft. The truck rolled about 15 feet as the driveshaft came loose, and then the huge vehicle stopped. Quint told police in reports obtained by The News Tribune.
The reports do not reach any conclusions about what caused the accident that killed Sebastian Hizey, of Puyallup, and badly injured Eric W. Smith, 40, of
Edgewood, during the Monster Jam show Jan. 16 at the Tacoma Dome.
The reports also show the truck had an earlier problem with the remote ignition interrupter, a radio-activated device used by event officials to kill the engine.
A police officer wrote in the reports that he and a second officer were working off-duty as security and had just responded to the scene of a reported fight in the stands when they were alerted to the accident.
Initially, he wrote, they thought they were responding to another tight but found the two badly injured spectators.
Witnesses said a piece of metal ricocheted off Hizey's head and hit Smith. The area was filled with people and the continuing roar of the truck engines made communication "next to impossible," Officer Scott Newbold wrote.
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Jumping over the competition
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Brazil's Walter Da Silva, top, jumps over Paraguay's Francisco Silva during an under-20 South American soccer championship game in Puerto La Cruz, Venezuela, Sunday.
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