NCAA Tournament
Monday
March 16, 1998
Section B · Page 5
Red Lyon Tavern
944 Mass. 832-8228
Kansas round-one game makes tournament history
A touch of Irish in downtown Lawrence
By Tommy Gallagher
Kansan sportswriter
The topseeded Jayh a w ks defeated No.
OKLAHOMA CITY—The first-round game between Kansas and Prairie View A&M was labeled by some as the biggest mismatch in NCAA Tournament history.
16 Prairie View A&M 110-52
Friday night in the Myriad
Convention Center by the second-largest margin of victory
in NCAA Tournament history. Only a 111-142 win by Loyola (III.) against Tennessee Tech in 1963 was larger.
Those predictions nearly were correct.
Kansas guard Billy Thomas said the Jayhawks had struggled to concentrate throughout the week.
"It been a challenge for us to stay focused and concentrate on things we need to do to beat some better teams down the road," Thomas said. "We did not want to have a poor showing against this team, and to win in the fashion we did has done wonders for our morale."
Kansas raced out to a 33-7 lead midway through the first half, converting on 12-of-16 field goal attempts, including 4-for-5 from three-point range. The Panthers had made only 2-of-18 shots (11 percent).
The Jayhawks led 60-24 at the half, and that margin grew larger until the game ended.
Traylor 0-3 0-2 0, Marble 4-15 1-3
11, Thompson 1-2 1-2 3, Whetstone
0-3 2-2 2, Sharpe 4-16 8-18, Rowe
0-1 0-0 0, Gilion 0-2 0-0 0, Bilodeau 3-
11 0-0 0, Girion 0-0 0 0, Bell 4-11
1-2 9, Arch 1-7 0-0 3, Batie 0-1 0 0
0, Graves 0-0 0-2, Hopkins 0-1 0 0
0, Totals 17.7 13 21 52.
KANSAS (35-3)
PRAIRIE VIEW (13-17)
KANSAS 110 PRAIRIE VIEW 52
Pierce 10-12 2-4 2-5, LaFrentz 9-11
2-5 20, Pach 0-4 0-0, Robertson 0-3 2-2, Gregory 3-7 0-0 7, Earl 5-7 15, Nooner 2-2 0-0, Thomas 5-8 0-0, Bradford 5-8 4-6 14,
Janisse 1-0 0-0, McGrath 0-0 1-2
Pugh said Friday that he would not miss any games because of the new injury, even if he did not know its severity.
The list of records rolled on, though Kansas still nursed some injured players.
Kansas' rebounding margin of more than 35 set new school and NCAA Tournament records. The Jayhawks broke a school record for points in a tournament game. Guard Ryan Robertson had a career-high 12 assists and forward Nick Bradford scored a career-high 14 points.
Against the Panthers, forward T.J. Pugh injured the same right foot that forced him to miss nine games earlier in the season with a stress fracture.
"I don't know (what it is)." Pugh said. "I haven't gotten it checked. I didn't say anything to anybody until today. It's been getting sore for the past month, and since then, I've been playing in pain."
The University of Warwick
Thomas, who had been listed as questionable with a left
1, Martin 1-2-0 0, Chenowith 1-3
4, Martin 4-1 69-0 30 110
Halftime — Kansas 60, Prairie View
24. 3-point goals — Prairie View 5-25
(Marble 2-6, Bladeon 2-8, Arch 1-6,
Wheatstone 0-1, Hopkins 1, Sharpe
0-3), Kansas 8-18 (I Pierce 3-5,
Nooner 2-2, Thomas 2-4, Gregory 1-
Pugh 0-1, Bradford 0-1, Robertson
0-3). Fouled out — None. Rebounds
Prairie View 29 (Marble 6), Kansas
64 (LaFrentz 15). Assists — Prairie
View 5 (Whestone 3), Kansas 30
(Robertson 12). Total fouls — Prairie
View 25, Kansas 17. Attendance —
13,369.
Kansas, led by forward Paul Pierce with 25 points, enjoyed a record game.
Kansas coach Roy Williams said he was pleased that his team advanced to the second round with relative ease.
Forward Raef LaFrentz also played hurt, but that had nothing to do with his sore left shoulder or the since-healed broken hand he suffered at the beginning of the season
thigh strain, scored 12 points in 12 minutes off the bench. Thomas said only a slight tinge of pain remained in his leg and that he had played at about 90 percent.
After a dunk, LaFrentz accidentally was struck in the face by Pierce, who had been running across the lane. LaFrentz received six stitches above his swollen right eye at halftime but returned and finished with 20 points and 15 rebounds.
"We're pleased with the outcome," Williams said. "We did the things we had to do to match their enthusiasm and excitement. We had more weapons, and I was really pleased with the way our kids focused on playing the game instead of listening to everyone else about our determination."
Top-seeded Kansas' players appeared to be loose all weekend while waiting for yesterday's second-round. Nothing proved that more than a Saturday press conference featuring guards Ryan Robertson and Billy Thomas.
I did get some good footage of it, I took my video camera."
KANSAS NOTEBOOK
The curiosity grew as a reporter asked, "You can't tease us like that. Is your video footage the kind of stuff you used to see in health class? Is that what you're saying?"
After their 110-52 drubbing of No. 16 Prairie View A&M on Friday night, the Jayhawks visited the zoo during their off day Saturday. The idea came from Thomas, who said he was an animal lover and was fond of watching National Geographic programs.
"We definitely got to go to the zoo," Thomas said. "We saw some fantastic things, and we caught some things on tape that we'll take with us for a while and are probably never going to forget."
Robertson called the trip awesome. "The apes and gorilla cage were awfully fun, were awfully interesting," he said. "If anyone would like to see it,
"All right. All right. We saw two animals having sex. That's what we saw," he said.
Robertson said yes.
The questions finally reverted back to basketball, with the room immersed in laughter.
Ryan Robertson's brother, Troy, is a sophomore on the St. Louis University basketball team, which defeated Massachusetts in the first round of the South Regional Friday as the Jayhawks beat Prairie View A&M.
St. Louis lost to Kentucky, and Kansas lost to Rhode Island in second-round action yesterday.
The juxtaposition proved to
be a problem for Robertson's parents. His father, Johnny, attended Troy's games in Atlanta while his mother, Angie, stayed
home and watched both games on television.
- Forward T.J. Pugh did not practice Saturday because of a sore right foot, the same foot that suffered a stress fracture earlier this season and forced him to miss nine games. Pugh said any surgery would wait until after the season, even if it meant playing in pain.
"I've played like this for too long to miss any games now," Pugh said Friday.
"I don't know what the injury actually is yet, but it won't force me to miss any games."
- Tommy Gallagher
PLANNING A TRIP? 20% OFF
TRAVEL, FOREIGN LANGUAGE LEARNING AIDS & AUDIO BOOKS
FRIDAY, APRIL 3 - SATURDAY, APRIL 11
Free Flights Over KU
Mt. Oreau Bookshop • Kansas Union • 864-4431 • www.jayhawks.com
Store Hours: Saturday - 10:00 • Sunday - 12:00 • Monday - 12:30 • Wednesday - 8:30
Free Marine Corps Flights will be offered for all interested college students Monday & Tuesday March 16 & 17 Lawrence Airport. Shuttle provided.
Sign up in Room 110 Burge Union 864-3624
Marine Corps
Officer Programs
National recognition comes to those who don't wait around.
We're firm believers in doing the job right the first time. That's why we take
The University Daily Kansan is accepting applications for the positions of
challenges and turn them into opportunities. It's your turn.
and Editor
Business Manager*
for both the Summer and Fall 1998 terms.
Applications may be picked up at The Kansan Business Office.
119 Stauffer-Flint Hall. Deadline for both Business Manager and Editor application submission is Friday, April 3, at 12:00 pm
*The Business Manager is responsible for the entire operation of The Kansan advertising department. Kansan experience is preferred.
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY
Kansan
Think Different
The Power Macintosh G3 at Lower Prices!
When one dares to think different--really different--great things can happen. Introducing the Power Macintosh G3 series, featuring exciting Apple innovations in processor technology and system architecture that significantly increase both performance and flexibility. Prices have just dropped, so now is even a better time to see the G3 series at the Union Technology Center, an authorized Apple Reseller.
union technology center
Prices for the new Power Macintosh G3 begin at just $1,560.00 without monitor!
LEVEL 3, BURGE UNION ●864-5690 Open Monday-Thursday 8:30-7:00 Friday 8:30-5:00 Saturday 10:00-4:00
V