4B KANSAS 75, IOWA STATE 64
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THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
THURSDAY, FEBRUARY 28, 2008
MEN'S BASKETBALL WRAP-UP
MENS' BASKETBALL (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
and never moved more than few inches away from the players' faces. Robinson gave a Sparknote account of Self's words, minus the screaming.
"The main thing was," Robinson said, "he wanted us to just focus in and get a good possession."
Kansas delivered after the talk with a 16-4 run during the next five minutes. Iowa State came back again to pull within nine at the 4:04 mark, but Mario Chalmers and Darrell Arthur answered with quick baskets. KU's lead never fell to single digits after that.
Chalmers and Arthur combined for 33 points, including 22 in the
first half. Arthur especially shined in the first 20 minutes. After playing miserably against Oklahoma State, he put on an exhibition. The Cyclones tried guarding him one-on-one with little double-teaming. Not
Senior guard Russell Robinson slashes between two Iowa State defenders on his way to the basket during the second half. Robinson scored five points, grabbed 10 boards, and dished out five assists while committing only two turnovers.
"Part of the reason when you don't play well is you don't make shots. Tonight we made shots better than we have in three weeks."
"Part of the reason when you don't play well is you don't make shots," Self said. "Tonight we made shots better than we have in three weeks."
After the game, Rush called the victory "quality". It certainly was a better performance than the one Kansas gave in Saturday's loss, but Self said his team's victory didn't nec-
a good idea. He scored 12 points and grabbed seven rebounds in that first half. Brandon Rush couldn't believe Iowa State didn't double-up on Arthur.
Self had the players do extra shooting because of the poor marksmanship. Rush, Chalmers and other guards have all stayed 15 to 20 minutes after practice during the past two weeks to work on their outside game. It finally paid off.
BILL SELF Kansas Men's Basketball coach
"They shouldn't trapped the post," Rush said. "Still, the outcome would've been the same."
KU's seven of 11 three-point shooting might have been one of the biggest reasons the Jayhawks didn't lose their third straight road game. Bad shooting has plagued Kansas for weeks. The Jayhawks made just six of 28 three-pointers in losses to Texas
When Iowa State went to a zone for part of the second half, partially to slow down Arthur, Rush became the man. He made two of three shots from beyond the arc after the break and three for the game, the same amount Chalmers had.
and Oklahoma State.
essarily solve all their ills. After all, Iowa State is just 4-9 in conference, and the Cyclones' victories have come against league bottom-feeders Colorado, Missouri, Nebraska and Oklahoma State.
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I don't know if we did or not," Self said about returning to a high level. "Only time will tell, but we were a better team than we were in the last three weeks."
Self could find out on Saturday how much better his team is playing. Kansas has a rematch at home with Kansas State. Revenge and bragging rights will be on the line, but there's another reason the game will be important. It's in March.
Is Kansas ready for Saturday's big game and even bigger games that will follow later in the month now that the Jayhawks have toughed out a solid road victory? Robinson thinks so.
"You have to think as positive as you can," he said.
Edited by Jared Duncan
Junior guard Mario Chalmers smiles before heading to the free-throw line after drawing a foul on a drive to the basket. Chalmers scored 15 points on 5-for-8 shooting from the floor, including 3-of-4 from three-point range. The Jayhawks hit 7-for-11 Wednesday night from behind the arc, an area they struggled in during their previous road losses.
First Half
10:42 - Mario Chalmer's spot-up three-pointer gives Kansas a 24-13 lead, and forces Iowa State coach Greg Mdermott to use a 30-second time-out.
PRIME plays
16:52 - Mario Chalmers' steal and break-away dunk gives Kansas a 9-3 lead and is the Jayhawks' only dunk of the game
1:39 - Darrell Arthur's stickback on a Sherron Collin's air-ball gives Kansas a 36-20 lead — the Jayhawks largest lead of the first half.
3:45-Chalmers makes a three-pointer to give Kansas a 67-55 lead. The shot brought the Jayhawk lead back to double-digits, where it stayed for the rest of the game.
18:50- Sean Haluska hits a three-pointer. He makes another basket on Iowa State's next possession, fueling his team's 7-0 run.
Second Half
17:55- Arthur hits a 10-foot jumper. His shot starts a 16-4 Kansas run. This was the first of two Cyclone runs Kansas responded to.
0:00. This one counts for the whole game. The only dunk Kansas had was a weak one from Chalmers in the first half. The Jayhawks may have played tough, but they didn't provide nearly enough highlights.
Senior center Sasha Kaun makes one of his three blocks against Iowa State's Wesley Johnson during the second half. "We need to learn to control when teams are getting on runs by making some shots and getting some stops," Kaun said after the game.