6B
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SPORTS
THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
TUESDAY FEBRUARY 19,2008
INTRAMURALS
Team pulls off victory in last second
Dallas Midfelt, Chanute, freshman and member of SigEp4, draws a foul on a shot blocked by Lawrence freshman, Cameron Casady (9) and Saint Mary's, Kan. junior, Christopher Dyba (3) of Dunkton Checks In with 30 seconds left on the clock. Midfelt hit the game winning free throw after the foul, pushing SigEp4 to a 45-44 victory over Dunkton Checks in.
Weston White / KANSAN
WHITNEY HAMILTON whamilton@kansan.com
The intramurals basketball game between Dunkston Checks In and Sig Ep4 got down to the last few seconds Monday at the Student Fitness Recreation Center. Both teams wanted to secure a win for the last regular season game before plav-offs.
For the final seconds of the game, each team tried to foul each
other out, but for Dunkston Checks In it was too late during the fast-paced game. Sig Ep4 won with a 45-44 victory over Dunkston Checks In.
During the first half, Sig Ep4 had solid outside shooting and led
for the first few minutes of the game with Dunkston Checks In still trying to score. Finally, Michael Morrow, Redding, Calif, freshman, put the first two points on the scoreboard for Dunkston Checks In with a quick lavup down the middle.
Both defenses were tough and kept the ball away from the opponent for most of the first half. After grabbing the ball from Sig Ep4. Cameron
"We're going to try to get some looks down low and shoot with our heads down."
Cassidy
Lawrence freshman drove down the lane for a quick two points.
Sig Ep4 made long passes to the inside of the paint, but always threw it back to the outside to shoot graceful three-pointers. In the middle of
"We're going to try to get some
the first half. Cassidy rebounded the ball from the Sig Ep4 side and sped down the court to make a layup as the buzzer ended the half. Although it was a low scoring game, Dunkston Checks In had taken a big lead and was up by eight points.
KYLE MILLARD
Olathe Fresman
Sig Ep4 needed a new game plan because shooting from the outside was killing the team and it needed more points on the board.
try to get some looks down low and shoot with our heads down," Kyle Millard, Olathe freshman said.
With only four seconds left in
the first half, Dunkston Checks In blocked shots and got into major foul trouble but still led the game by six points.
By the time the second half started, Sig Ep4 did just that. They shot more from the inside and used the backboard for
help. Dunkston Checks In, which led earlier, was slowly wearing down and their short shots made it hard for them to rebound the ball.
"We won pull play, so we wanted to secure this game for a good seed for playoffs."
An early injury for Justin Schuyler, Kemmerer, Wyo., freshman, while trying to rebound the ball for Dunkston Checks In paused play in the first few minutes. Schulyler landed on somebody's ankle and watched from the bench for the remainder of
DALLAS MIDFELT Chanute freshman
the game.
B u t D u n k s t o n Checks In was still in the game and stole the ball causing more turnovers in the second half than the first. It made shots on the baseline and rebounded the ball.
In the second half, Corbin Kline, Kansas City, Kan., freshman and Sig Ep4 player dribbed the ball down the court dangerously close to the out of bounds line. He threw to the
inside and helped with an assist to Samuel Findley, Shawnee Mission freshman.
Dunkston Checks In called a timeout at 7.6 seconds left of the game. Sig Ep4 made two foul shots and was up by two points. Dunkston Checks In needed to make a three-pointer or some free throws.
In the last seconds of the second half, the teams were neck-inneck, trying to foul for easy points.
Dunkston Checks In had an opportunity to win when Sig Ep4 was fouled. But the pressure was too much and Sig Ep4 held the ball as seconds ticked away winning the game by one point.
"We won pull play, so we wanted to secure this game for a good seed for playoffs," Dallas Midfelt, Chanute, freshman, said.
Edited by Sasha Roe
WOMEN'S BASKETBALL Ohio's victory over Purdue leads to battle for first place
COLUMBUS, Ohio — Marscilla Packer scored 16 of her 18 points in the second half to help No. 20 Ohio State beat Purdue 72-56 on Monday night.
Ohio State (19-6, 10-4 Big Ten)
moved ahead of Purdue (14-12,
10-5) and trails first-place Iowa by
a half-game. The Buckeyes host the
Hawkeyes on Thursday night.
FahKara Malone scored 17 for Purdue. Seven came in the final three minutes after she had been held scoreless for 28 minutes. Samantha Woods scored 13 points off the bench and Danielle Campbell and Lakisha Freeman had 10 apiece.
Jantel Lavender added 13 points while Tamarah Riley had 12 and Ashlee Trebilcock and Shavelle Little had 11 each.
In the last game against Purdue, Lavender had 30, Trebillcock 14 and no other Buckeyes player had more than seven. The difference in the rematch Monday was rebounding.
What makes Beasley so difficult to defend is that there's no one way to approach it.
Associated Press
Try to take away his outside game with quickness and Beasley will move inside and overpower smaller defenders.
Nebraska got a taste of Beasley's power in a Feb. 6 game.
KANSAS CITY, Mo. — The first time Missouri faced Kansas State's Michael Beasley, the Tigers swarmed the freshman forward, collapsing around him with double and triple teams.
The thing about Beasley, though, is this kid learns fast - as teams in the Big 12 are quickly finding out.
"Beasley is about as balanced a college player as I've ever seen," Kansas coach Bill Self said Monday during the Big 12 coaches weekly teleconference. "Inside, outside, passing, handling it — his hands are incredible — and he can, of course, get easy baskets. That's the sign of a great player. They run stuff for him but they also don't run stuff for him and he still comes away with points and rebounds."
Matched against Shang Ping and Chris Balham after Cornhuskers center Aleks Maric picked up his second foul, Beasley screamed for the ball in the post, powering his way to 12 points in the final 5:41 of the first half. The Huskers switched to a box-and-one against Beasley in the second half without much success, either; he finished with 35 points and 13 rebounds in Kansas State's 74-59 win.
Beasley wasn't much of a factor and the Tigers pulled out a tough win with just eight players in uniform.
ASSOCIATED PRESS
It works the other way, too. Just ask Missouri.
Big 12 applauds Beasley's balance
The first time Beasley faced the Tigers, he was unable to escape the extra attention inside, playing most of the game in foul trouble, taking just 12 shots and finishing with 17 points — eight below his average and his lowest total in the Big 12.
The second time around, Beasley got a few points on the break and drifted further away from the basket, shooting jumpers over smaller defenders. He also was quicker with his shot inside, getting the ball to the rim before the double and triple teams could get there.
Beasley, who had a double-double by halftime, finished with 40 points, including 16 straight for Kansas State in the second half, and 17 rebounds, helping the Wildcats to a resounding 100-63 victory.
MEN'S BASKETBALL
Beasley was named the Big 12's rookie of the week for the fourth straight time on Monday, the first time any player has won four straight weekly awards in the conference.
"You're not going to stop him," Missouri coach Mike Anderson said. "You just hope you make him work for it."
Beasley started the season as sort of a combo forward, splitting time between the post and the perimeter on defense and offense. The past few weeks, he's been primarily an inside player — because that's what the Wildcats have needed from him in the powerful Big 12.
"That's what makes him such a special kid and special player is that he doesn't think he has all the answers," Kansas State coach Frank Martin said. "I've tried to make it known that if you get to coach guys like Mike Beasley throughout your career then coaches will have long, successful careers — not because of how talented he is as a player, but because he's such a good kid."
He has 21 double-doubles, leaving him one short of Carmelo Anthony's all-time NCAA freshman record. He's tied with Kansas' Raef LaFrentz for second-most in Big 12 history, four behind Drew Gooden's all-time mark of 25 in
Beasley's run through the Big 12 has led to inevitable comparisons to Kevin Durant, last year's No. 2 overall NBA pick after one season at Texas.
Both players dominated college basketball as freshman, leading young teams to the top of the Big 12. Durant was the first freshman to be named national player of the year and first to lead the Big 12 in scoring and rebounding — achievements still well within Beasley's reach.
Beasley leads the nation in rebounding at 12.4 per game and is scoring a Big 12-best 25.1 points, numbers remarkably close to the 25.8 points and 11.1 rebounds Durant put up a year ago.
But that's where the comparisons stop.
Beasley also is the first Kansas State player to have two 40-point, 10-rebound games in the same season, and the nation's first freshman to do it since 1996-97.
He's done it by continuing to get better, adjusting his game to what his team needs and what the opponents give him.
Durant could go inside when he needed to but was primarily a perimeter player, relying on his jump shot to get points. The bulkier Beasley is probably a more well-rounded player, doing most of its damage inside, but can get out on the break or step back and drop three-pointers with just as much efficiency.
As a high school and AAU player, Beasley had always been the second or third offensive option, getting his points in the shadow of higher-profile teammates. That started to change when Beasley led his AAU team to a national title last summer and followed him to Manhattan this season.
While Durant was geared for scoring, Beasley has had to adjust to the faster pace that comes with being the offensive focal point.
They have different mentalities, as well.
"I think there's a difference between the players, but they're both terrific young players," Texas coach Rick Barnes said. "Kevin Durant, people gave him a lot of credit for shooting the ball, but he was a much better rebounder, shot blocker and could play around the basket a little bit more than people thought. And there's no doubt Michael Beasley's a lot better shooter than people give him credit for."
one season.
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