VOLLEYBALL The Jayhawks may have salvaged their season, sweeping the No. 13 Texas A&M Aggies PAGE 7A
SPORTS
MONDAY, NOVEMBER 22, 2004
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
'Hawks lose opener, 49-53
www.kansan.com
Aquanita Burras, senior guard, protects the ball from Terra Wallace, Texas- Arlington sophomore guard. Burras scored just three points in the contest. Kansas lost 53-49 against Texas- Arlington yesterday at Allen Fieldhouse.
Rylan Howe/KANSAN
BY PAUL BRAND
pbrand@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
Two scoring droughts problematic
One scoring lapse in each half of yesterday's game, paired with a dismal 39 percent field goal percentage, led to a season-opening defeat for the Kansas women's basketball team.
"It shouldn't have been a ball game," coach BonnieHenrickson said. "We shouldn't have been fighting to get a shot at the end to beat this team."
Lady Mavs coach Donna Cappus was also shocked at the 53-49 outcome, which pushed Texas-Arlington to 2-0 and dropped Kansas to 0-1.
"We're in Kansas," Capps said. "We weren't supposed to win."
Despite trailing by as many as 10 points in the second half, the Lady Mavs relied on defense and took
RELATED NEWS
RELATED NEWS
See more on page 7A.
advantage of lengthy Jayhawk shooting droughts to pull out a last-minute victory.
"We need to understand as a group when we get up 10 what it is that got us up 10," Henrickson said. "We just take a break mentally and allow the other team to come back in and take control."
At the end of the first half, junior forward Crystal Kemp hit a shot as time expired to close out a 16-2 run that gave Kansas a 27-21 halftime lead. The shot gave Kemp 15 points for the half; she finished with 26 to lead all scorers.
SEE OPENER ON PAGE 7A
FOOTBALL
A satisfying final game for seniors
BY RYAN COLAIANNI
rcolaiani尼@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIVER
Senior wide receiver Brandon Rideau sat after the game, answering questions from reporters wearing a shirt with a simple message: Beat Mizzou.
The shirt definitely fit with his performance on Saturday in his last game in a Jayhawk uniform, catching eight passes for 100 yards and a touchdown, helping the Kansas football team to a 31-14 win over longtime rival Missouri
But Rideau was not the only senior who made an impact in the game. Mangino said he was ecstatic with the seniors' performance, not just in this week's game, but for as long as he has been their coach.
"I want to talk about the seniors who were here before I got here, who bought into what we were doing and they were rewarded today." Mangino said. "Our players have just done a tremendous job week after week, of competing and never letting down and never giving up."
Defensive end David McMillan had three sacks, anchoring a defensive front that pressured Missouri junior quarterback Brad Smith early and often.
"I thought those guys were going to tire out in the fourth quarter because they were going so hard. They didn't let up a bit, and they were just playing on adrenaline," Mangino said.
The defensive unit, as a whole,
sacked Smith six times.
Their pressure made it difficult for Smith to throw the football, and he connected on just 15 of 40 passes.
"Who has been criticized more than Johnny Beek?" Mangino said. "And what did he do today? He iceed the game with a clutch field goal."
Senior tight end Lyonel Anderson also went out on a high note, catching four passes for 60 vards.
Senior kicker Johnny Beck hit a 35-
yard goal field goal in the fourth quarter
— Edited by Paige Worthy
The Jayhawks finished the season 4-7, falling short of last year's bowl-quality performance. The seniors said this victory was something next year's team could build off of.
"We got a conference road victory and helped our team win," Rideau said. "I am looking forward to seeing how these guys do in the next couple years."
Miles seals the deal in 68-61 victory
Kansas defeats Vermont
BY JESSE NEWELL
jnewell@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWRIETER
Aaron Miles never doubted himself.
The senior guard missed his first eight shots in Friday night's game against Vermont, but he didn't hesitate when taking his ninth.
"After my first shot, all the shots felt good, and I thought they were going in," Miles said. "I kept telling myself I'm going to make the next one. I'm going to make the next one."
Miles finally did when the lavhawks needed it most.
With 1:55 to go and the shot clock winding down, he penetrated, pumpfaked, then drained a 15-foot jumper to give the Jayhawks a four-point lead and control of the game in a 68-61 win over the Catamounts.
"People can criticize him all they want about shooting, but he's hit some big shots," said Kansas senior forward Wayne Simien. "He's known to do that. I'm comfortable with the ball in his hands in the clutch."
Miles then helped seal the victory on the other end, leaping high to grab the defensive rebound off a Vermont three-point miss. Though Miles made only one of his nine attempts from the field for 11 percent shooting, Kansas coach Bill Self said the timing was most important for the guard.
"Regardless of what anyone thinks, you should never look at his shooting percentage — you should look at when he makes shots." Self said. "He has a history of making shots that count the most."
Vermont led 58-54 with 4:31 remaining in the second half before a Simien dunk pulled Kansas within
Miles' shot came in the midst of a game-clinching 14-3 run for the Jayhawks.
Freshman center C.J. Giles battles against Catamount senior Taylor Coppernand on Fridays game at Allen Fieldhouse. The Kansas baseball outscored Vermont's 20-9 in the 68-81 victory.
SEE BASKETBALL ON PAGE 7A
Cindy Yeo/KANSAN
JEAN SHORT MADNESS
RYAN GREENE
rgreene@kansan.com
Bracelets just a ploy to swindle loyal fans
My roommate came home from Friday night's men's basketball game wearing a blue "Rock Chalk" wristband. I couldn't believe it. This was the same guy who wouldn't put on a "LIVE-STRONG" band when I offered it to him at the beginning of the summer.
But I've got to hand it to him, because he would have bought the band even if it were $10 instead of $1. He would wear it under any circumstances, because he's about as loyal a Kansas fan as there is.
He stays until the end of every game, he consistently busts out his lucky red "Beak 'Em 'Hawks" sweatshirt and he even adorns the backdrop of his fish tank with Iavawk logos.
He's the type of fan the Athletics Department loves, but not for the right reasons. Instead of embracing his heartfelt, lifelong loyalty, the department banks on it.
It started selling the "Rock Chalk" bands beginning at Nov. 16's women's exhibition basketball game. They are modeled after the "LIVESTRONG" bracelets, which are sold to raise money for cancer research.
The proceeds from the "Rock Chalk" band sales, on the other hand, go straight to the Williams Fund to pay for student-athlete scholarships. Oh, puh-lease...
"Our athletic teams here at KU have some of the most supportive fans in the nation," said Athletics Director Lew Perkins. "We hope that all of our great fans will wear these bands as a symbol of their support for our teams and as a sign of their pride in being a jayhawk."
In my mind, the department is saying it has great fans who spend money because they are duped or scared into thinking that the more money they spend, the better fans they are. The department hopes it can continue to trick fans into contributing money to "show their pride" when the fans are really just making the department filly, stinkin' rich.
How is it that not everyone can see through the smoke screen that's being thrown up here?
After the points system was established for men's basketball season tickets, it was obvious that Perkins is a money-driven businessman who puts dollar signs first and traditions such as the family atmosphere in Allen Fieldhouse second.
For anyone who couldn't see it then, there's no way they should be oblivious now.
It seems as if Kansas fans are being told that if they wear the blue band, they're showing their true loyalty, just
SEE BRACELETS ON PAGE 6A
BY FRANK TANKARD
ftankard@kansan.com
KANSAN SPORTSWINTER
Chesang heads to Indiana on a roll
Jayhawk cross country star competes today at nationals
Kansas sophomore Benson Chesang runs today in his second consecutive NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. The 10-kilometer race starts at 11:15 a.m.
Since coming to Kansas in the spring of 2003, Chesang has improved at an impressive rate. He had run in just one official race in his life before leaving his hometown of Eldama Ravine, Kenya for Lawrence.
In 2003, Chesang led the Jayhawks
in every race. He finished 11th at the Big 12 Championships and placed 48th in his first NCAA Championships.
This season, he won the Big 12 Championships, becoming the first Kansas runner to do so since John Lawson in 1965 and the first non-Colorado University runner to win since 1997.
Chesang qualified for the NCAA Championships on Nov. 13 when he placed sixth at the NCAA Midwest Regional in Peoria, Ill. For the second year in a row, he will be the only Jayhawk at the meet.
Distance coach Doug Clark said a more aggressive strategy this year allowed Chesang to place higher in meets. Chesang said his strategy today would be similar to what he did at the Big 12 Championships, when he ran with the front pack for half the race, then took the outright lead.
"I just want to sit back for the first 3K or something like that," he said.
"And then I'll just do what I did in the Big 12. Just run away from them."
Distance coach Doug Clark said a year of experience had given Chesang
SEE CHESANG ON PAGE 6A
Kansan file photo
Sophomore Benson Chesang runs today at the NCAA Cross Country Championships in Terre Haute, Ind. Chesang placed 48th at last year's championships.
---