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2008 KANSAS BASKETBALL
JANUARY 5,2008
Second-half run downs Eagles
Chalmers' altercation sparks teammates' intensity; post players come up big to seal victory
BY MARK DENT mdent@kansan.com
BOSTON - Rakim Sanders just had to open his mouth.
Boston College pulled within 14, its closest margin since the first half, and Mario Chalmers slipped into Sanders' chest. It was an accident, but Sanders didn't think so. He got in Chalmers' face, saying a few words to the junior guard.
Not a bright idea. Although the fight never escalated into something serious after the referees and Darnell Jackson played peacemakers, Kansas responded with a different kind of punch. The Jayhawks started a 13-2 run midway through the second half and dashed all the Eagles' momentum in
a game the Jayhawks won 85-60 Jan. 5 at Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill, Mass.
"It fired us up a lot," said Jackson, senior forward. "I'm glad it didn't go above the roof where wed have to fight. Everybody just came out. We all just said our words and went out there and competed."
Jackson started the final run with a layup in transition, and sophomore forward Darrell Arthur scored the next four points with two free throws and a put-back. It was fitting that the Jayhawks went to the two post players to seal the game because Jackson and Arthur hadn't come up big since the game's opening minutes. They scored 15 of Kansas' first 17 points. By the end, Jackson had a career-high 25 points, and Arthur scored 22 in just 24 minutes.
The duo made 19 of 25 field goals and 9 of 10 free throws.
"I thought we were more aggressive," Arthur said. "We tried to attack their bigs. They had a great shot blocker in there with Blair, and we tried to attack him and get him into foul trouble. I thought we did a good job trying to go inside and attacking the rim, getting offensive rebounds."
With Arthur and Jackson leading the charge, the Jayhawks put together one of their most complete performances of the season. Kansas' two previous road games were as nerve-wracking as they could be for an undefeated team. No lead was safe. Turnovers came aplenty. Scoring droughts struck like the game was in the Sahara.
Those problems didn't lead to losses at Southern California or Georgia Tech, but they did create frustrating games that the Jayhawks won by a combined nine points when they should've won comfortably.
This time it all came together.
Kansas shot 53 percent from the field, outrebounded Boston College by 15, picked up 10 steals and turned the ball over only 10 times. The Jayhawks pulled away in the first half with a 25-7 run in the final eight minutes. The Eagles made a move when Kansas' offense stalled midway through the second half, but the altercation between Sanders and Chalmers helped bring the intensity back.
"I don't think we have any limits if they're playing like that," Chalmers said.
[Celebrate Tradition @ The Eldridge]
Self challenges Rush
With junior guard Mario Chalmers on the bench nursing a pulled groin, sophomore guard Sherron Collins showed Kansas fans he was close to being fully recovered from his own injury in a 90-60 pounding of Loyola (Md.).
Collins scored 18 points in Chalmers' absence, the most he had scored since the first game of the season. Collins seemed to lack explosiveness since coming back from a foot injury in mid-December until the Loyola game.
But this game may be remembered more for the post-game press conference than what happened on the court. Frustrated by junior guard Brandon Rush's lack of aggression, Kansas coach Bill Self called out his star.
"It's pretty sad that, three years into it, a coach has to tell his best offensive player to be aggressive," Self said. "A coach should never have to do that."
Case Keefer
KANSAN FILE PHOTO
Sophomore guard Sherron Collins scored 18 points in the game against Loyola (Md.).
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN