THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, NOVEMBER 12, 2009
SPORTS
7B
Kansas earns sweep against Kansas State
Sophomore Outside Hitter Allison Mayfield winds up for a kill past two Kansas State blockers in Kansas' 3-0 win over Kansas State. Mayfield recorded 16 kills in the victory Wednesday night at the hortense Family Athletic Center.
BY ZACH GETZ
zgetz@kansan.com
The Kansas volleyball team swept Kansas State 3-0 in from of a sellout crowd on Wednesday. The sweep marked the first time Kansas swept Kansas State for the season since 1993. It was also the first time the Jayhawks beat the Wildcats in just six sets for the season.
Kansas has now earned bragging rights until next season, coach Ray Bechard said.
"I told the players it wasn't about the two hours tonight. It's about the next eight months." Bechard said. "It's pretty important because we are familiar with a lot of players on their team."
Nine of 15 players are from Kansas, and the season sweep could also help affect future recruitment, Bechard said.
Kansas wanted to play extra hard for this match because Kansas State is a rival, sophomore setter Nicole Tate said.
"We were very determined. The whole team was ready to go," Tate said. "The girls that are from Kansas on the team really want this game more than anything."
Bechard said he was impressed with how Kansas played, and that the Jayhawks had a lot of players that made big plays.
"It look like tonight we were the aggressor, and we had them on their heels a lot." Bechard said.
Sophomore outside hitter Allison Mayfield led Kansas with 16 kills while junior outside hitter Karina Garlington was right behind her with 13 kills. Senior libero Melissa Grieb led Kansas with 10 digs.
Kansas got some confidence going into the match after defeating Kansas State in Manhattan, Mayfield said.
"We know we have to win games and felt like this was a big
opportunity," Tate said. "Everyone came together, and everyone played awesome."
Kansas built a 10-4 lead early in the first set and held a healthy lead for most of the set. Kansas State pushed late, but Kansas held on, winning the set 25-19.
Kansas again came out strong in the second set, building a 6-2 lead very early. Kansas State quickly tied
the set at 11-11, and then both teams traded points until Kansas finally pulled away late in the set 25-19.
Kansas started the third set with back to back aces on its way to a quick 6-2 lead. Kansas State fought back and tied the set at 11-11 and took its first lead of the match at 13-12. Both teams traded points until the set was tied up at 19-19.
Kansas improved to 14-11 (6-9) on the season, which surpassed the number of victories Kansas has had in its last three seasons. Kansas State has continued to struggle and falls to 10-15 (4-11) for the season.
Kansas then scored three in a row to help top Kansas State 25-23.
Four of the jayhawks' final five games are against ranked teams, and the victory against Kansas
State could help give Kansas some momentum for those final matches, Bechard said.
"It's a good win to put us in a position Saturday," Beard said.
Follow Zach Getz at twitter.com/zgetz
Edited by Tim Burges
NFL
Heyward-Bey has hard time with jump to pros
ASSOCIATED PRESS
ALAMEDA, Calif. — Darrius Heyward-Bey has done nothing in the first half of his rookie season to quiet the critics who questioned why the Oakland Raiders drafted him seventh overall ahead of many more accomplished receivers.
Brought in for his breakaway speed that Oakland hoped would revive the vertical passing game, Heyward-Bey has only five catches for 74 yards and no touchdowns in his first eight games as a pro.
"I haven't made the plays I wanted to make, but I've definitely been solid just looking at my grades that come out of the game. . . I've been
very solid. There's always room for improvement as a whole receiving corps. We've been all right. We've been all right."
Oakland's receivers have been one of the worst groups in the league, catching just 28 passes the entire first half of the season.
But coach Tom Cable last week singled out Heyward-Bey's performance in the previous two games as one of the highlights of the first half. Heyward-Bey had three catches for 38 yards in those two games, hardly the production expected out of a top 10 pick but better than what he had done in the first six games.
The Raiders drafted him ahead of receivers like Michael Crabtree
and Jeremy Maclin in part because he was the fastest player at the NFL combine. The pick was criticized but the Raiders defended it, saying that Heyward Bey's experience in a pro-style offense at Maryland would make for an easier adjustment to the NFL.
But that has not been the case as Heyward-Bey has failed to develop a chemistry with quarterback JaMarcus Russell and failed to match the numbers put up so far by Crabtree and Maclin.
Maclin has caught 25 passes for 337 yards and three touchdowns for Philadelphia, while Crabtree has 14 catches for 167 yards despite missing five games in a contract holdout.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
Oakland Raiders wide receiver Darius Heyward-Bey, right, is brought down by New York Jets cornerback Darrele Revis. Heyward-Bey has failed to live up to expectations.
NBA
James scores 36 in Cavs victory
BY ANTONIO GONZALE7
Only this one had a different look.
Associated Press
ORLANDO, Fla. — LeBron James scored 36 points, Shaquille O'Neal provided an inside presence and the Cleveland Cavaliers beat the Orlando Magic 102-93 on Wednesday night in a rematch of the Eastern Conference finals.
O'Neal battled boos and bruises to score 10 points and keep Dwight Howard in foul trouble for most of the night, giving James and Co. all the inside strength they sorely lacked last season. Mo Williams added 28 points to help the Cavs take a 15-point halftime lead, go ahead by 20 after three quarters and roll to an easy victory.
Vince Carter had 29 points, and Howard had only 11 points for the Magic. Orlando was without suspended All-Star forward Rashard Lewis, and his replacement, Ryan Anderson, who missed the game with a sprained right ankle.
But this one had all the muscle and tussle.
O'Neal and Howard were banging bodies on the inside, their 500 pounds of combined weight jostling, their powerful elbows swinging large with every move. Each team even went with two centers on the floor — Howard and Marcin Gortat, O'Neal and Zydrunas Ilgauskas — at the same time for stretches that crowded the paint and made rebounds a physical punishment.
It was Superman vs. Superman.
Past vs. Present.
Showered with boos on every touch, O'Neal gave glimpses that he could be Cleveland's missing piece even though the 37-year-old is no longer the unstoppable force that put the Magic franchise on the map. But he helped put Howard in foul trouble for most of the first half, helping the Cavs build a 66-51 half-time lead.
The former Magic big man soaked up all the attention, too. He had amped-up Amway Arena at his pulse, even leaving his hand up a little longer after making free throws and scoffing at the Superman anthem played after Howard's dunks.
NBA
Orlando fans have long considered O'Neal their biggest villain.
O'Neal helped the Magic to the 1995 NBA finals, returned them to the conference finals in '96, then bolted for Los Angeles that offseason. He won three titles with the Lakers and another with Miami.
Buzzer beater situation called correctly by officials
NEW YORK — The NBA said the review that overturned a winning shot by Chicago's Brad Miller was correct and handled appropriately.
Referees looked at video replay for about 3 minutes before determining that Miller's shot came after the final buzzer, giving Denver a 90-89 victory Tuesday night. Though a review is supposed to be completed in a two-minute period, crew chief Mark Wunderlich then asked the truck if there were any additional angles.
He was provided with the overhead view that showed the ball was still on Miller's fingertips at the buzer.
"Losing is so painful, when you win a game and lose (it) because of a technicality. I think it's better we don't do that, we don't put that stress, that frustration on teams and on coaches and toward referees." Karl said Wednesday night.
NBA spokesman Tim Frank says Wednesday "the replay was handled by the book and the referee made the right decision," adding there was no issue with the officials taking extra time.
Associated Press
Nuggets coach George Karl said he appreciates having instant replay and that he had no problems with what seemed like an "8-minute wait" before the final decision.
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