Tuesday, January 19. 1999
The University Daily Kansan
Section B·Page 3
Kansas faces adversity in the paint and outside the arena in UMass loss
By Kevin C. Wilson Kansan sportswriter
After getting pushed around by Mother Nature on the way to Massachusetts, the Kansas men's basketball team was outhustled and outmuscled in Saturday's 64-60 loss to the Minutemen.
The Jayhawks were dominated in the paint. Kansas was outrebounded 46-33 and outscored 42-2 down low.
"They were vicious on the
backboards."
K an s a
coach Roy
William s
said. "In the
second half,
we couldn't
get
a
The lack of production on the boards led to speculation that Friday's treacherous trip to Amherst had taken its toll on the road-weary Jayhawks. A five-hour bus ride from Philadelphia concluded a 13-hour travel day that resulted in the players arriving at their Springfield, Mass., hotel at 11:30 p.m. on Friday night.
rebound. Every time they would miss a shot, they'd keep beating it around until they got it and banged it in."
The road trip was necessary after the Jayhawks connecting flight from Philadelphia to Hartford, Conn., was canceled because of snow.
"The bus trip had nothing to do with our loss or our energy," center Eric Chenowith said. "Sitting on the bus wasn't bad. We were able to get some rest."
Despite the Jayhawks rebounding shortcomings and the unusual travel schedule from the day before. Kansas still had a chance to win the game in the end.
three-point shots which erased a six-point Jayhawk deficit and tied the game at 58-58 with 3:35 remaining.
After a pair of UMass field goals and a basket by Kansas guard Ryan Robertson, the Jayhawks trailed 62-60 and Boschee was once again at the center of the action. Boschee had a devastating turnover with 30 seconds remaining and misfired on a three-point shot with 10 seconds left in the game. UMass
Freshman point guard Jeff Boschee, who scored a career-high 16 points, connected on two consecutive
guard Charlotte Clarke iced the game with two free throws with eight seconds left.
"It's part of being a basketball player." Boschee said of his roller coaster ride of a game. "There were still eight seconds left. Their guy went down and hit two free throws."
The loss dropped the Jayhawks record to 12-4, and it marked the first time Kansas has suffered four defeats this early in the year since the 1990-91 season.
Ashante Johnson made his Jayhawk desut on Saturday. Johnson, a 6-foot-8 junior college transfer who had right kneecap surgery Oct. 29, scored two points and collected one assist in five minutes of playing time.
"My knee felt really good, but I am a little bit rusty," Johnson said. "I was happy to finally get in there and try to help the team."
Williams said that he was pleased to finally have Johnson in the lineup.
"We wanted to get him a couple minutes to see how he'd react so he'd not be as nervous later down the line," Williams said. "He was active for us. It was a good chance to get him out there."
By Marc Sheforgen
Associate Sports Editor
Axtell looks forward to playing Texas next season
Although he dressed more like a cowboy than a basketball player, Luke艾xtell may have had more at stake personally in Kansas' win over Texas than any player on the court.
Axtell transferred from Texas to Kansas last fall after spending his freshman season feuding with then-coach Tom Penders. Penders resigned after last season and now coaches at George Washington University.
Axtell's parents are suing an Austin radio station that reported Axtell's grades last spring.
Because Axell transferred within the Big 12, he will lose a year of eligibility and will be considered a junior next season.
Axtell, whose outfit for last night's game included a brown suede jacket, tapered blue jeans and cowboy boots, said the match-up against Texas would be big from on.
The real test for Axtell will come when the Javahawk travel to Austin next year.
Axtell said he had not talked to any of his former teammates until he called Texas center Chris Mihm Sunday night. Mihm, who was Axtell's high school teammate in Austin said the two talked for about 30 minutes and that Axtell
"I don't think anything is going to change that," Axtell said. "When I get back there, it's going to be pretty ugly, I think."
Axell said that he had no regrets about transferring and that he had learned more this season in practice than he did all of last year playing.
"Next year, it will be strange playing against him," Mhm said.
" (Kansas) is a first class program," he said. "These coaches have really got it down pat."
He said Roy Williams' program was more structured and fundamentally sound than Penders'.
Gabe Muoneke, Texas forward, said that he only said hello to Axell. He said that he harbored no hard feelings but that he was not compelled to converse with his ex-teammate.
"He's here. I'm at Texas," Muoneke said.
New Texas coach Rick Barnes recently met Axell and his parents, and although he may wish he had last season's Big 12 all-freshman selection, he wants the best for him at Kansas.
Axtell said he had improved most defensively since coming to Kansas.
Although he can not suit-up, Axell said that once the game got under way, it was not difficult to get fired up.
"I haven't even got in any games yet, and I'm having a blast," he said.
Ryan Robertson and T.J. Pugh try to block Texas guard Gabe Muoneke's pass. The Jayhawks defeated the Longhorns 76-67 in Allen Fieldhouse last night. Photo by Matt J. Daugherty/KANSAN
Commentary
Students lose in Kansas victory over hated Tigers
Norm Stewart was right. The Big 12 was wrong to schedule the Kansas, Missouri game for last Monday.
But of course Stewart was right for all the wrong reasons. Certainly you didn't expect me to agree with the much-despised head man of the Mizzou Tigers.
Stewart complained before the game that his team had been wronged by having to travel to Texas A&M for a game last Saturday and then turn around with only one day of preparation before their most hyped home game of the season.
But the Big 12 routinely schedules conference teams to play ESPN Big Monday home games after Saturday road matches.
The student fans of both schools were the ones shafted. The KU vs. MU rivalry, one of the oldest in college hoops history, belongs to the students. To have scheduled the game
Sit down Norm. Neither team was slighted.
Marc Sheforgen
during KU's winter break and MU's first day of class, was an injustice.
This game should be played before a rabid student section — hardly what you would have found in Columbia last Monday.
Maybe that's because MU students hadn't endured enough
semester stress and were unable to muster the strength to throw as much debris as we've come to expect. Or perhaps — no, it couldn't be — some of the students had decided to extend their break a day or two. Or maybe — even less likely — early classes the following morning took precedence over the game. Perhaps fans were subdued early when Missouri scored only 15 first-half points. Nah.
Whatever the case, the atmosphere in the Hearnes Center — at least on this night — doesn't hold a candle to that of Allen Fieldhouse.
For KU fans unable to get tickets, this was a game to be watched on the Naugahyde stools of a local establishment or at a friend's house, with everyone toting their beverage of choice or at least whatever was on sale. It's not something you watch on the couch of your parent's house in Des Moines or DeSoto.
For those who missed the game, you missed a peach. Kansas knocked off Missouri in Columbia for the first time since the 1994-95 season.
Ryan Robertson, a St. Charles, Mo., native who has been booed every time he's touched the ball in his four trips to the Hearnes Center, scored a game-high 17 points. Robertson said that every time he drove from Lawrence to St. Charles he passed the Columbia exit and dreamed of playing great in Columbia, leaving with a victory.
Congratulations, Ryan. Sorry we couldn't share this with you.
sheforgen is a Milwaukee
nator in journalism
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