THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN
MONDAY, MARCH 26, 2007
UCLA 68 - KU 55
5B
uring the
Amanda Sellers/KANSAN
ND C
wkl
last two minutes of the name. Self's jawhawks were 9-for-25 from the field in the second half and could not make shots
view from press row
Kansas did a good job of shutting down UCLA guard Darren Collison. He finished with 14 points, but that's a small number compared to his usual production. Junior guard Russell Robinson guarded Collison in the first half, but when he ended up in foul trouble, freshman guard Sherron Collins stepped in and kept Collison in check.
> Collins played the weekend with a sore knee that was hindering his mobility. After the game, coach Bill Self said that Collins was playing through a significant amount of pain. The trainers haven't taken a detailed look yet, but they don't expect surgery to be necessary. "He just needs some time off," Bill said.
> UCLA doesn't look like a national championship team, but the Bruins have one key
thing on their side: experience. They knew exactly what to expect on Saturday, and it helped them stay comfortably ahead of the Jayhawks throughout the entire second half.
> The same reason we love March Madness is why it's aggravating. If Kansas and UCLA played 10 times, both teams would win five. But they just played one, and it wasn't the Jayhawks day.
> When junior guard Rodrick Stewart entered the game, he was greeted by a chorus of boos from the UCLA fans. Stewart transferred to Kansas from USC, which is UCLA's rival.
prayers and took questions. He stopped the proceedings three times: twice to scold people for making too much noise and once to complain that too many people were asking him questions instead of the players. He was just as animated on the court, stomping around every time he didn't get a call, but then celebrating every basket by pumping both fists in the air wildly.
> UCLA coach Ben Howland — phrased gracefully — acted less than his age. At the press conference on Friday, he sat at a podium with the five starting
> The Bruins did a great job of adjusting to how the game was called. In the first half, the first three fouls were called against them, but then the layhawks picked up the next eight. It was the same story in the second half, showing that the team was able to adjust to the officials and know what it could get away with.
Michael Phillips
Amanda Sellers/KANSAN
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Sherron Collins, freshman guard, attempts a soft basket during the second half of Saturdays game. Collins went scoreless against UCLA on four field goals and one three-point attempt. The Jaworskys lost to the Brauns, 68-55.
AFFLALO (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
play, and the Jayhawks cutting into the Bruins lead. Affalfo couldn't find his way to the basket.
With the shot clock winding down, he swung the ball around
pressure situations. After the game, he remained modest about his playmaking ability.
"I was just fortunate enough to make some jump shots tonight," he
the arc to guard Darren Collison. Collison made an improbable three-pointer as the shot clock expired that proved to be the game-ending dagger.
"They were prayers," Rush said. "They were
said.
"They were prayers. They were going in, so I guess there's nothing I can say about that."
His final state included making 10 of his 15 shots and only turning the ball over four times in 36 minutes
BRANDON RUSH Sophomore guard
Kansas coach
going in, so I guess there's nothing I can say about that."
Indeed, Afflalo's performance resembled the entire day. The Jayhawks did everything they could defensively, but in the end UCLA found a way to get the ball in the basket.
"He made shots that were probably harder than a lot of the ones we missed," Self said. "That's why teams win in the tournament. They step up and make plays."
Outside of those passes, Affalp paced the UCLA offense, scoring at a steady rate and handling the ball in
Kansas coach Bill Self credited him with being the best player on the court, and said that though the Jayhawk defense may have misplayed him a couple times, Affalalo's points were mostly a result
of him making tough shots.
"Everything was falling," junior forward Darnell Jackson said. "Everything was going right for them."
Kansan senior sportswriter Michael Phillips can be contacted at mphillips@kansan.com.
Edited by Stacey Couch
Amanda Sellers/KANSAN
Sasha Kaun, junior center, jumps up for a dunk against UCLA's Lorenzo Mata. Kansas scored 34 points in the paint against UCLA; Kaun contributed four points to the final score, 55-68.