Complete first and second round results for both the men's and women's tournaments. Page 2.
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MARCH 18, 1996
SECTION B
Draining of pools is unfair
Just a few thoughts on this Monday, while wondering if that wasn't the Santa Clara junior varsity team that Kansas played yesterday.
In an attempt to crack down on crime, KU police circulated fliers on campus, which said "NO GAMBLING: Participation in NCAA Tournament pools for money or for any item of value is considered gambling in the State of Kansas and is illegal."
In fact,
Sergeant Mailen of the KU police department said that this kind of infraction, depending on its magnitude, could carry a fine andail time.
It's good to see that such serious criminal activity is no longer overlooked in Kansas
ASSOCIATE SPORTS EDITOR
I don't know what kind of Barney Fife law enforcement the KU police intends to maintain with these frightening fliers, but entering in an NCAA tournament Final Four bracket is as harmless as a paper cut.
If this criminal activity carries a penalty worth investigation by the District Attorney's office, I wonder what jaywalking, spitting on the sidewalk or, heaven forbid, loitering would carry.
Heck, last week some poor guys from Ellsworth Hall were picked up by the KU police for a suspicion of entering a tournament pool. No charges were filed, but I'm sure these kids had the fear of God drilled in them for their illegal activity.
Come on, campus law-enforcement officials, don't you have anything better to do?
Maybe the KU police sees me as the "Coward of the County," but "it don't mean you're weak, if you turn the other cheek." KUPD.
I've kept my mouth shut for some time, but it's about time I tackle — no pun intended — the football team's fall semester grade point averages.
Although 1.95 is a terrific earned-run average, it is a pretty low GPA.
It's hard to believe that the same people who are dedicated to the intense physical rigors of football
— two practices a day in the August 100-degree heat, early morning weights, etc. — can't dedicate themselves to meeting minimal GPA requirements.
However, after calling each Big Eight Conference school to inquire about the average GPAs of the football team, I did receive an education on how other schools handle announcing the grades of athletes.
I got caught up in an ocean of answering machines, and "They're out for the week," or "They'll get right back to you," responses.
Well. I'm still waiting.
Actually, call it my lucky day, but I talked to Dennis Leblanc, assistant athletic director of academic and student services at Nebraska, who told me if I get the other Big Eight schools' GPAs, he would give me the Cornhuskers', which was a polite way of saving "get lost."
So I feel that Kansas deserves a pat on the back for having the guts to go public on this information, especially knowing it wouldn't be very popular.
After figuring out that I spent around $6 for each minute I watched of the Mike Tyson-Frank Bruno fight, I came to a few conclusions.
First, Tyson is invincible. The only one who can defeat him is himself, just as he did in the Buster Douglas fight.
NCAA TOURNAMENT
Second, because Bruno constantly needed to lock up with Tyson to escape his flurry of punches, there were more hugs in Saturday's fight than at an Italian family reunion.
If Don King wants to schedule a more formidable opponent than Frank Bruno for Tyson, my mother lives in Pittsburgh, and her number is listed in the phone book.
Next stop: Denver
Powerful first half propels men into third round
By Jenni Carlson
Kansan sportswriter
After sprinting out to a 46-22 half-time lead and shooting 54.3 percent in the first half, second-seeded Kansas stumbled home for a 76-51 victory against Santa Clara yesterday in the second round of the West regional at the University Activity Center.
TEMPE, Ariz. — Even with a 25-point victory, Roy Williams wasn't completely happy.
"The first half is about as good as we played all season," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "We were patient, we attacked, we moved the ball."
The second half was a different story as the Jayhawks shot just 27.6 percent from the floor.
"We got about as tentative as I've seen us," Williams said. "But we won the game, and we are one of 16 teams still playing."
Richard Devinki / KANSAN
The Jayhawks' victory sets up a
Kansas forward Raef LaFrentz puts up a shot in yesterday's game.
matchup with third-seeded Arizona. They will meet Friday in the regional semifinals at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver. This marks the fourth consecutive year the Jayhawks have advanced to the Sweet16.
The Jayhawks, who are 28-4 overall, blew yesterday's game open early, going on a 12-0 run to start the game. Kansas guard Jerod Haase opened the scoring with a three-point goal, and forward Raef LaFrentz followed with back-to-back turn around jumpers.
Those weren't the only shots LaFrentz would capitalize on. He was seven of seven in the first half and nine of 10 for the game. He finished with a game-high 19 points.
LaFrentz had a five-inch height advantage on Santa Clara starting power forward Kevin Dunne. But that is nothing different.
"The perimeter players were just doing a great job getting me the ball in a place where I could score. That was the bottom line," LaFrentz said.
"I have a height advantage on most four men," LaFrentz said. "I haven't played against a four man who has been bigger. They usually try to bottom me up, so I have to use my height over my physical play."
Kansas used everything in its arsenal in the first half. And with the lead it built, a little bit of human nature set in.
4
"I really don't want to call it human
nature, but it was," Kansas guard Jacque Vaughn said. "We got a little lethargic in the second half... At this stage we need to realize that you have to play 40 minutes every time out."
The Jayhawks' second-half start prompted Williams to pull the five players in the game with 14:10 remaining and insert five fresh players.
"At that point, we weren't playing well," Kansas forward Paul Pierce said. "We turned the ball over, we missed a few shots, and we didn't execute."
With the lineup change, Kansas stemmed a 10-3 Bronco run that had started the second half.
From there, the Jayhawks extended their 49-32 margin and maintained a lead of at least 19 points the remainder of the game.
"They had some seniors on their team that didn't want the season to end," Kansas guard Billy Thomas said. "So I really wouldn't call the second half a letdown."
Rested Jayhawks roll on
Santa Clara coach Dick Davey didn't see any lefthand either.
"I think that it was a clinic out there by Kansas today," he said. "Our kids made a real strong effort and played as hard as they could, particularly in the second half, but we just couldn't climb that mountain today.
"When Kansas plays like that, they are going to be tough for anyone to beat."
Women victorious in first-round game play again tonight
By Evan Blackwell Kansan sportswriter
Sometimes rest is the best remedy.
After fighting several illnesses during the Big Eight Conference Tournament two weeks ago, a healthy and rejuvenated Kansas women's basketball team took to the Allen Field House court Saturday night.
They showed no signs of rust. The No. 20 Jayhawks rolled to a 72-57 victory against the Middle Tennessee State Lady Raiders in a NCAA East regional first-round game.
Kansas, the No. 4 seed in the East, will face the fifth-seeded Texas Longhorns tonight in a second-round game. The Longhorns advanced by defeating Southwest Missouri State 73-55.
After controlling play throughout the first half, Kansas withstood a run from the Lady Raiders at that one point cut the Jayhawk lead to nine at 64-45 with about nine minutes left in the game.
"I felt like we kind of let up with our defensive intensity," Kansas junior guard Tamecka Dixon said.
The Jayhaws regained control behind Dixon and senior guard Charisse Samd-
son, who combined scored seven points during a 8-2 Kansas run that buried Middle Tennessee State.
Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said the Jayhawks responded well, after sitting idle for nearly two weeks.
"I'm real proud of our club," Washington said. "We've been waiting for almost two weeks, and it's real difficult to wait that long and get started again."
Kansas had no problem getting started again in the first half. After briefly falling behind in the first minute of play, the Jayhawks took a lead that they wouldn't relinguish the rest of the game.
Led by nine first-half points from Dixon and eight first-half rebounds from Sampson, Kansas cruised to a 38-25 halftime lead.
"We hit the boards really well," Washington said. "We knew they were a team that likes to crash the boards so we knew that would be important."
Entering the game, the Lady Raiders had been led in scoring by freshman center Jonelda Buck. Kansas countered Buck with its own freshman center, Nakia Sanford. Sanford held Buck to two points.
"Our assistant coaches pretty much prepared the post people, as far as defensively what we needed to do," Sanford said. "We were aware that Buck was this team's bread and butter."
Kansas harassed the entire Lady Raider team into shooting 32.8 percent from the
The Jayhawk defense didn't just rein in Buck.
TEXAS WINS: The Texas women's basketball team blasted Southwest Missouri State in first-round action on Saturday, Page 3.
floor.
Sampson, the senior leader playing her final games in Allen Field House this weekend, finished with a double-double, 16 points and 10 rebounds.
"She just had a great ballgame." Washington said. "I'm real happy for her."
Despite her strong performance, Sampson wasn't willing to take credit for the win.
"We played all-around team ball," Sampson said. "I thought everybody contributed in their own personal way."
Middle Tennessee State coach Lewis Bivens said the Lady Raiders were never able to recover from their slow start.
"We dug ourselves a hole we couldn't get out of." Bivens said. "We got a lot of good looks. We just couldn't knock them down."
The Jayhawks said they were happy to finally be back on the court in a game situation, and they're ready to make their run in the tournament.
"You get tired of beating up on each other," Sampson said. "We were just ready tonight, and we'll be ready again Monday night."
Tonight's game begins at 8 p.m. Tickets are $3 for students and $7 for the general public, and can be purchased in the east lobby of the field house.
Steve Puppe / KAN$AN
Kansas center Nakia Sanford drives to the basket for two points in the Jahways' victory on Saturday.
Gina Thornbusk / KANSAI
Kansas shortstop Joe DeMarco throws out an Iowa State batter in the Jawhays 22-8 win on Saturday
'Hawks sweep the Cyclones
Baseball team is 11-6 after two-game series
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
There were no teary-eyed reunions, no emotional tributes and not much conversing between Kansas baseball coach Bobby Randall and his former players at Iowa State.
Instead, the Jayhawks annihilated the Cyclones in a two-game sweep last weekend at Hogland-Mauin Stadium.
Kansas senior second baseman Josh
Kliner drove in as many runs as Iowa State scored in the Jayhawks' 22-8 victory Saturday afternoon.
Kilner's eight RBI were just one short of the school record set in 1986. Kilner went five-for-nine with a home run and 11 RBI in the series.
His three-run home run in the first inning.
coupled with junior center fielder's Isaac Byrd's RBI single, gave Kansas a 4-10 lead.
Those were all the runs Kansas senior starting pitcher Clay Baird (4-1) needed. He threw six innings, allowing three hits and just one earned run.
"It wasn't the best outing I've had, but I was able to make the right pitches when I had to," Baird said.
As for the RBI record, Kliner said he had not been aware of it until after the game.
Kliner drove in a run each in his next two at bats with ground outs. He then doubled in the fifth and sixth innings, driving in three runs before being taken out by Randall.
Overall, the Jayhawks made 20 hits, and the 22 runs were the most ever by Kansas against Iowa State.
"It's lots of fun hitting with these guys on base," Kliner said. "They're the ones giving me an opportunity to drive in these runs."
Kansas' 11-0 victory against Iowa State
Byrd was three-for-three with three runs scored and five RBI, and Kansas junior first baseman Justin Headley extended his hitting streak to 14 games with a three-hit performance and five runs scored, just one shy of a school record.
on Friday was the first game for Randall against the team he coached for the previous 11 years.
Randall said he didn't like all the attention focused on him.
"I had butterflies," he said. "I had a knot in my stomach. It was a little strange for me but there was no extra incentive for me, or the team, to want to beat them."
"This game isn't about me," he said. "It's about Iowa State against the Jayhawks. What happens on the field is what's important."
Just one game after Kansas went through six pitchers, senior starting pitcher Josh Belovsky (3-1) was able to give the bullpen some much-needed rest as he pitched seven shutout innings, striking out six batters.
"I didn't get in those jams like I do early on," Belovsky said. "I went out there every inning with my mindset like it was 1-0. You can't take it easy, even with a big lead."
Kansas freshman right fielder Mike Dean went three-for-five with two RBI. Six Jayhawks had multi-hit games while five had multi-RBI days.
See BASEBALL Page 6.