Jayhawk comebao
Big 8 champs fall 82-79 Bosilevac leads surge
By BRUCE CARNAHAN
Ransan Sports Editor
and DON RAKER
Kansan Sports Writer
The KU Jayhawks closed out their 1970 basketball campaign in championship fashion Saturday night as they roared back from a five point deficit in the final four minutes to nip Big Eight champion K-State, 82-79, before a capacity crowd of 17,000 in Allen Field House.
The visiting Wildcats, playing the same aggressive and hardnosed brand of basketball that brought them a conference crown, pulled to a commanding 77-72 advantage with 3:35 remaining in the contest.
It looked as if K-State was well on its way towards its 20th regular-season victory, but the "Cats" success was short lived as a rib-sticking KU defense turned the tide by forcing the Wildcats into four costly turnovers and catapulted the 'Hawks past the invaders in the crucial closing minutes.
Dave Robisch, the league's top point producer, began the rally as he drove the lane for a layup to cut the lead to three. David Hall, the Wildcats' 6-6 sophomore forward, was called for fouling on the play and Robisch went to the charity stripe with an opportunity to put the 'Hawks within two points of K-State.
Robisch's free throw bounced high off the rim but the Jayhawks regained possession and Chet Lawrence, senior captain making his final appearance as a KU cager, was promptly fouled by K-State's Wheeler Hughes. Lawrence calmly converted both ends of the one-and-one opportunity to pull the Hawks within one, 77-76, with 2:15 remaining.
Fred Bosilevac, a seldom-used 6-5 forward, provided the game-winning heroics for KU as he fired in a 15-foot jumper from the baseline to thrust the 'Hawks on top for good, 80-79, with only 59
Bob Kivisto downed a 20-footer to push the surging Jayhawks to a 78-77 margin, but Jeff Webb countered for K-State with a twisting 15-footer to put the Cats on top 79-78 with 1:25 showing and set the stage for the hectic closing minute.
seconds of the game remaining to be completed.
The conference champion Wildcats began to lose their poise with the determined Jayhawks comeback and when a missed K-State shot fell into Jayhawk hands the "Purple Pride" began to sense the bitter taste of defeat.
Kivisto and Lawrence each converted free throws in the final minute to complete the KU scoring display and conclude the winning 82-79 ledger.
The game had all the marks of a KU rout as the 'Hawks raced to a 21-12 lead in the first six minutes. But Roger Brown, KU's 6-10 pivot, picked up three fouls early and the Wildcats took advantage of the skyscraper's absence to knot the score, 25-25, with 7:47 showing and limit KU to a 48-44 half time margin.
The 'Cats rebounded in the second stanza to overtake KU, 60-58, at the 12:58 mark on Hall's layup and continued to dominate play the next eight minutes in building up the 77-72 cushion.
It appeared that the Jayhawks would have to wait until next year—but KU's pressing defense, coupled with clutch board play and scoring, choked the 'Cats down the stretch and enabled the 'Hawks to register a perfect 13-0 home court record for the year.
At the sound of the final gun pandemonium broke loose as hundreds of screaming KU supporters joyfully raced to the floor to congratulate their heroes and give coach Ted Owens a free ride off the floor atop their shoulders.
Sunflower state rivalary draws capacity crowd of 17,000 in
Coach Ted Owens—ulcers, fatigue and victory
K-State's Fitzsimmons—the agony of defeat
Dave Robisch connects for two of 28
In a post-game interview Coach Owens, disheveled from the furo following the game, had high praise for Lawrence, Bosileva and the entire KU squad.
"Chester has been an inspiration to our team," he said. "I'm just sorry we couldn't win the championship when he was captain. You couldn't have a better captain than Chester."
Owens expressed great satisfaction with the play of Sophilevac The 6-5 Mission sophomore cam off the bench to hit a perfect five for five from the field and wa one of three Jayhawks scoring in double figures.
"I have a lot of faith in Fred, Owens said. "It's tough to come in under those circumstances but h
The faces of KU basket B