KANSAS TRACK Kansas senior Kristi Kloster won an NCAA title on Saturday in the 800-meter run at Indianapolis, Page 3.
SPORTS
UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MARCH 11, 1996
MEN'S BASKETBALL
SECTION B
Cyclones inch past Hawks
Seven seconds give Iowa State chance for one-point victory
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — Jacy Holloway wound a cord from the championship net around his hand.
The Iowa State guard touched it every once in a while, just to make sure it was real, it seemed. But there was no need to double check after No. 23 Iowa State defeated No. 5 Kansas 56-55 in the Big Eight Conference tournament finals yesterday at Kemper Arena.
Less than 40 feet from the Cyclones' celebration, Kansas coach Roy Williams sat in a hushed Kansas locker room and stared at the wall.
He leaned his chair back on two legs and propped his feet on a table near him in the corner.
"On Oct. 15, one of our goals was to win the regular season and the Big Eight tournament," Williams said. "I guess we were seven seconds short."
The Jayhawks, 26-4 overall, held a 55-54 lead with :07.1 seconds remaining in the game. Sophomore forward Raef LaFrentz hit a pair of free throws to give Kansas the one-point edge.
LaFrentz got to the line after an offensive flurry from the Jayhawks. The play was originally designed for guard Jacque Vaughn to
get the ball to LaFrentz on the block. When the first option wasn't there, Vaughn found an open Ryan Robertson at the top of the kev.
"I was just short — just missed it," Robertson said. "Everybody made a great play; I just missed the shot. Fortunately, we were able to get the rebound."
The ball got batted around before LaFrentz grabbed it and was fouled by Iowa State center Kelvin Cato.
It looked like a storybook ending in the works: LaFrentz, the low native, hitting the free throws that
Philips 66/Big Eight Conference All-Tournament Team
Dedric Willoughby, junior guard, Iowa State (MVP)
Jacque Vaughn, junior guard Kansas
Raef LaFrentz, sophomore forward. Kansas
Kelvin Cato, junior center, Iowa State
Kenny Pratt, junior forward, Iowa State
Ryan Robertson, freshman guard,
ended a championship run by Iowa State.
(Tie for fifth spot)
"I hadn't really thought of that," said LaFrentz, who had a double-double with 10 points and 10 rebounds. "It would have been nice, but I'm just glad I hit the free throws."
Those weren't to be the last free throws of the day, though. Iowa State inbounded the ball after LaFrentz's free throws to Dedric Willoughby. The junior guard, who tied a game-high 20 points, was a likely candidate to get the ball with the Cyclones trailing.
The Jayhawks threw a pressuring defense on the Cyclones, but it was a little too tight. As Willoughby dribbed up court, Kansas guard Jacque Vaughn reached in and picked up a questionable foul.
"Dedric kept dribbling the ball — didn't miss a beat," Williams said. "At the same time, Scott Thornley is a very good referee. I
just don't like the game decided on a call that surprises people."
Willoughby still had to hit the free throws with :05.5 remaining. He did, drawing nothing but net. Kansas inbounded the ball to Vaughn, who drove up the right side of the court. He put up a leaning eight-footer from the baseline that hit the side of the rim but didn't so in.
That was just one of many shots that didn't fall for the Jayhawks. They shot 32 percent from the floor, hitting 16 of 50 attempts which
included a seven-of-22 performance from behind the three-point line.
Poor shooting wasn't the problem weighing on Kansas forward Paul Pierce's mind.
"I think if we're able to rebound the ball better, our defense will be able to turn into better offense," Pierce said. "Our major concern right now is rebounding."
Rightly so. The Jayhawks, who had a height advantage in all three of their tournament games, were out-rebounded for the third consecutive time. Iowa State had a 42-35 edge.
"We really need to make a conscious effort to go to the boards harder and have more heart down low," laFrentz said. "Rebounding is going to determine a lot of games. If we rebound well, we'll win. If we rebound like we did today, we'll lose."
Matt Flickner / KANSAN
Kansas junior center Scot Pollar stretches to block the shot of Iowa State's Kelvin Cato in Sunday's Big Eight Tournament championship game. The Cyclones defeated the Jay-hawks 56-55.
Matt Flickner /
KANSAN
Kansas freshman forward Paul Pierce tries to stop Iowa State's Kenny Pratt Sunday. Pratt finished the game with 20 points.
Jayhawks react to tournament seed
Williams said that the team's seeding was not a major concern to him
By Jenni Carlson Kansan sportswriter
Watching the Selection Sunday show is something new for Ryan Robertson.
"This is the first year I've ever watched it," the Kansas freshman guard said. "I don't know why; I think I've always had something else to do."
Not this year. Robertson and the rest of the Kansas men's basketball team ate ice cream and watched the announcement of the 64-team NCAA tournament field at Kansas coach Roy Williams' house yesterday.
The Jayhawks found out they are a No. 2 seed in the West regional and will face South Carolina State on Friday in Tempe, Artiz, at the University Athletic Center. Game time will be announced today by CBS.
Kansas is seeded after Purdue in the West, but Kansas would have been the top seed if the Jayhawks defeated Iowa State yesterday.
"Personally, I did not have a great deal of concern whether we were a one seed or a two seed," Williams said. "I didn't put as much emphasis on that everybody else did."
The Jayhawks were a little disappointed in the seeding, though.
"There's a little bit of a pride factor in being a No.1 seed," Kansas junior guard Jerod Haase said.
But Haase added that playing in the NCAA tournament as well as coming back after yesterday's loss should be motivation itself.
So what do the Hawks know about their first-round opponent, the Bulldogs?
"Aren't they the MEAC champions, or something?" Robertson wondered. "That's all I know, if that's even right."
Actually, it is, South Carolina State won the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference tournament with a 69-56 victory against Coppin State and earned an automatic bid. The Bulldogs are 22-7 overall and were 14-2 in the conference.
Even though the Jayhawks might not be familiar with the Bulldogs, Williams is almost positive that the Bulldogs know about the Jayhawks.
"They can't be unfamiliar with us if they have TVs," Williams said. "I've lived in that part of the country, and I know they have TVs."
"But I don't think anybody in the country has had an opportunity to look at who they're playing."
Team speed kills Mankato State
Steals and pitching seal home opener
By Dan Gelston
Kansan sportswriter
The Kansas baseball team used its team speed to run away with a three-game sweep of Mankato State this weekend at Hoglund-Mamin Stadium.
The Jayhawks (8-5) swept a doubleheader yesterday afternoon. Kansas defeated the Mavicks 7-2 in the opener and 9-7 in the second game. Each game was only seven innings.
In the second game of the doubleheader, Kansas spoiled the return of former Jayhawk pitcher Ryan Van Gilder, a walk-on at Kansas last season who transferred to Mankato State. He allowed six runs, five earned, in three innings. He also hit two batters and uncorked three wild pitches.
Van Glider opened the second inning by walking Kansas right fielder Mike Dean and catcher Ted Meadows. Then third baseman Andy Juday drove in Dean with an RBI single to left. After two outs, center fielder Isaac Byrd singled in Meadows.
Second baseman Josh Kliner's team-leading eighth double of the season scored Juday and Byrd.
Byrd busted out of a 7-for-34 slump in the doubleheader, going 5-for-8 with three runs scored and
three stolen bases. Byrd said it was just a matter of time before the hits came his way.
"I didn't try anything different at all," he said. "It's real easy to get frustrated, and I was. But I just tried to concentrate, and things went my way."
Kansas increased its lead to 9-4 entering the seventh inning when reliever Linus Williams ran into trouble. He sandwiched two outs between three hits and three runs, bringing the Vikings within two.
In the opener, junior pitcher Aric Peters (1-3) picked up his first win of the year in his longest outing of the year. He went five innings, yielding the Mavericks only two runs while striking out eight.
But sophomore closer Casey Barrett came in for Williams and struck out the game's final batter, earning his second save of the series and fourth of the year.
"I'm just going out there with the same game plan," he said. "I just come out and throw low strikes. It's pretty much all fastballs."
"It was the best game he's pitched all year. He was getting the ball down in the strike zone, and he was getting his changeup over."
Kansas defeated Mankato State 6-5 on Saturday in Kansas' home opener and Randall's home debut.
Kansas coach Bobby Randall was pleased with Peters' performance.
Kansas starting pitcher Josh Belovsky continued to look more and more like the ace of the staff. He pitched six and 1/3 innings and
left the game with a 5-4 lead.
Belovsky struck out 10, including six consecutive and eight-of-10. It was the first 10-strikeout performance by a Jayhawk since Jamie Splittorff struck out 10 on Feb. 18, 1994 against Arkansas.
Kansas freshman pitcher Chris Williams (1-0) relieved Belovsky and allowed the tying run on a wild pitch. But Kansas took the lead in the sevent when designated hitter Josh Dimmick walked, advanced to second on a single, third on a sacrifice and scored on Juday's sacrifice fly.
"I'm just trying to make good pitches," Belovsky said. "I haven't done anything different than I've done before."
"I was surprised the pitchers didn't hold us on," Byrd said. "Especially the way we ran on them yesterday. But there's three or four of us guys who have that green light, and we're going to run when we get the chance."
The Jayhawks were 13-for-13 on steal attempts in the series, and Maverick pitchers barely attempted to slow down the Jayhawks.
"We played much better today." he said. "We got ready to play a little bit better, and it showed out on the field."
randall said he was happier with the doubleheader sweep than Saturday's game.
The Jayhawks will return to action at 2:30 p.m. tomorrow against Southwest Missouri State in Springfield, Mo.
Women's basketball stays home
Gina Thornburg / KANSAN
Jayhawks will be host of first-round NCAA tournament
By Evan Blackwell Kansan sportswriter
Cancel those travel plans. The No.
20 Kansas women's basketball team
will be staying home for the NCAA
tournament.
The Jayhawks were chosen as the No.4 seed in the East region and will be the host of their first-round game Saturday night against the 13th-seeded Middle Tennessee State Blue Raiders. Kansas will enter the game 20-9. The Blue Raiders, of the Ohio Valley Conference, are 25-4.
The seeding was a little higher than expected after Kansas lost in the championship game of the Big Eight tournament to Colorado.
"This is probably the best situation I've been in entering the postseason," Washington said.
Kansas women's basketball coach Marian Washington said the Jayhawks couldn't be happier to have the unexpected home game.
"I didn't think we'd be seeded lower than fifth," Washington said.
Washington said she thought the strength of Kansas' schedule played a big role in the higher seeding.
Junior forward Shelly Canada and junior guard Tamecka Dixon jump for joy after seeing their team receive a fourth seed in the NCAA Women's Basket ball Tournament.
The Jayhawks had held on to the faint hope of being a first-round host, but they didn't think it was realistic.
When they heard the news of their seeding, the players jumped in celebration.
"We had a great schedule this year," Washington said. "I think it's really paid off."
"I'm very excited," Kansas junior guard Tamecka Dixon said. "All week long, we were wondering where we might be going. We didn't think we were going to get a home game."
Kansas has not been the host of an NCAA tournament game since 1993, when the Jayhawks lost to California 62-47.
Ironically, Kansas was also the host of a first-round game in 1988, and the opponent was Middle Tennessee State. The Jayhawks won
"We don't know a thing about them," Washington said.
that game 81-75. As for this year's edition of the Blue Raiders, Kansas will be taking a crash course this week.
Allen Field House will also be the site of the first-round matchup of fifth-seeded Texas and 12th-seeded Southwest Missouri State. The winners of the two games will meet in the second round Monday night.
Both Washington and the players said they hoped the fans would take advantage of having Lawrence as a NCAA site.
"Southwest Missouri is going to try and pour them in here," Washington said. "We should take this as a personal challenge."
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