Section:
B
The University Daily Kansan
Flashback
Sports
Feb. 26, 1983 — The Kansas State men's basketball team beat the Jayhawks 70-63 in Allen Fieldhouse, securing its fifth-straight victory against Kansas. The Jayhawks would go on and win the next 10 meetings between the two schools.
Inside: The women's basketball team was upended by Missouri on senior day.
SEE PAGE 3B
Inside: The Jayhawks upset two ranked teams in softball this weekend in Columbus, Ga.
SEE PAGE 5B
For comments, contact Shawn Hutchinson or Shawn Linenberger at 864-4858 or sports@kansan.com
Ninth place good start for track teams
I know that as University of Kansas students we're pretty brainwashed into believing that the only sport from November to March is basketball and that all other athletic events dissipate into thin air.
but, just for the length of my column,
I'd appreciate it if you could forget about basketball just for a second. I want you to devote your b-ball ravaged brain to another worthy sport — track and field.
Yeah, I know the Kansas Relays aren't for another two months, but your track and field team has been hard at work competing since January. Yeah, January. And, no, the Jayhawks haven't been freezing their buns off running around Memorial Stadium all winter. They've been nice and cozy in Anschutz Sports Pavilion. This weekend all their hard work in that building paid off at the Big 12 Indoor Track and Field Championships in Lincoln, Neb.
Both the men's and women's teams finished ninth.
And you know what? That's cause for celebration, considering last season they finished 10th and 12th, respectively.
In fact, first-year coach Stanley Redwine said the meet was "a great weekend for the future of the team."
Warren is an Overland Park sophomore in journalism and Spanish.
I can't tell you how much I love hearing that. The track and field team has to be one of my favorite Kansas teams and, unfortunately, one of the most underappreciated teams at the University.
Yeah, okay, I know what you're thinking, "Why should I be excited about some teams that placed ninth in a 12 team field?" Because the Big 12 is one of the toughest conferences in the nation. Ninth place is unquestionably good.
And to place ninth in this conference, a team has to have some pretty darn good athletes.
These athletes deserve recognition. I've picked some of the best so that, even though you've probably missed their indoor action, you just might remember their names when the Relays roll around.
Charlie Gruber — This Arvada, Colo. senior kicks some serious middle-distance butt. The All-American placed first in the mile at last year's Championships with a time of 4:04.78, went to the Olympic Trials and was the only Jayhawk to head out to the Golden Spike Invitational earlier in the indoor season. This year he placed third in the mile with a 4:05.94 effort and was a leg in the men's first-place distance medley relay.
■ Andy Morris — He ran, jumped and vaulted his way up the rankings in this year's heptathalon, placing second with a personal-best total of 5.468 points. Last year he didn't do too shabby either, placing fourth with 5.391 points. Oh, and when it comes to outdoor he's pretty awesome, too. He's the reigning Kansas Relays and Big 12 decathlon champ.
■ Scott Russell — The guy's a hoss, and a nice Canada one, too. The senior is Canada's national champion and should have gone to the Sydney Olympics to compete in the javelin if the Canadian Olympic Committee wasn't so cheap. He won the 35-pound weight throw this weekend after red-shirting last indoor season. Watch out for him in the outdoor season because if he weren't so nice, he might just pierce your heart with a razor sharp javelin if you pissed him off.
With these seniors leading the way, the Kansas track and field team is movin' on up in the world, my friends. And its twin ninth-place finishes are just the beginning.
Andrea Branson — Andrea's easily one of the most talented female athletes at Kansas. She finished second in the Big 12 in the pole vault for the second year in a row and she's the school record holder in both the indoor and outdoor pole vault. And she can kick butt in the classroom, too — she's a smart smart soon-to-be engineer.
'Hawks outlast stubborn 'Huskers
Men's hoops
Sophomore forward Nick Collison muscles past Nebraska's junior forward-center Justin Booker for two of his team-leading 22 points. Collison scored his 700th career point last night against Nebraska. Photo by Selena Jabara/KANSAN
By Chris Wristen sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
LINCOLN, Neb. — The two iowans on the roster put No. 11 Kansas back in the hunt for the Big 12 Conference title by leading the Jayhawks to a 78-74 win against Nebraska yesterday.
Sophomore point guard Kirk Hinrich, from Sioux City, Iowa, nearly recorded a triple-double as he scored 20 points, dished
out 11 assists and grabbed seven rebounds for the Jayhawks. Sophomore forward Nick Collison, an Iowa Falls, Iowa, native, added 22 points and blocked five shots in the win.
Kansas (21-5 overall and 10-4 in the Big 12) is now one game behind conference leader Iowa State (23-4 and 11-3). The Cyclones lost on Saturday to Texas but
Hinrich: had 20 points, 11 assists and 7 rebounds
own the tie-breaker against Kansas.
Cookie Belcher led all scorers with 29 points and four steals for Nebraska (13-14 and 6-8). Cary Cochran scored 14 points and Steffon Bradford added 12.
From the beginning, Nebraska showed no signs of a repeat performance of its 22 point loss in Lawrence on Jan. 17. In fact, Belcher hit two three-pointers in the first two minutes, leading the 'Huskers to an early 8-5 lead. Junior forward Jeff Carey replaced Eric Chenowith, who was in early foul trouble, and scored seven of Kansas' next 14 points.
"Coach said that when someone's hurt the rest of the team's got to pitch in and make up for that guy." Carey said. "I was just trying to do my part."
Collison, Hinrich and senior forward Kenny Gregory kept the 'Huskers at arms length throughout the second half as each hit big shots that halted numerous Nebraska charges.
A Collison jumper and Hinrich layup sparked a 12-2 run after the 'Huskers cut the lead to 41-39 early in the second half. Then, after Belcher back to-back three-pointers, Gregory answered by hitting two of his own.
Nebraska hit 12-of-27 three-pointers, bu Kansas shot 69.6 percent in the half and 57.7 percent from the field in the game.
"They kept making some big shots, and the great thing about it in the second half when they made a shot we'd come down and we made some big shots, too," said Kansas coach Roy Williams. "Eric Chenowith made three or four big hoops for us, Kenny Gregory made two big three's. Luke Axell made a big basket for us on the baseline, and Kirk Hinrich made some big shots. You can go all the way down the line."
Kansas led by 10 points with eight minutes left, but the 'Huskers never burnt out. Instead, they heated up.
Belcher sank a free-throw that cut the lead to 74-71 before Collison and Hinrich hit four-of-six free-throws that iead the win.
"Everybody contributed today, and it's great when everybody does that and you get the win," Hinrich said.
BOX SCORE
No.11 KANSAS 78, NEBRASKA 74
KANSAS (21-5)
— Edited by Clay McCuistion
Collison 18-4-14 6-22, Gregory 6-12-16 6-11, Chenworth 3-4-0 6-
Hinch 7-19 4-20, Boschee 2-6-0 5, Ballard 4-0 0,
Nash 0-0 0, Carney 3-4-1 1-7, Axtell 1-3-0 2, Zerbe 0-
Kappmann 1-6-0, Towers 30-5 11-9 78.
Bradford 6-9 0-1 12, Belcher 10-19 2-4 29, Friend 5-13 1-6
11. Cochran 4-10 2-1 24, Fields 1-5 1-2 3, Thomas 0-1 0-0 0,
Robinson 1-4 0-0 3, Boeker 1-0 2-2 2, Augustine 0-1 0-0 0,
Conklin 0-2 0-0 9, Wortmann 0-2 0-0 17, Stowe 76 27-8 17-74
Halftime—Kansas 35-31, 3-Point goals—Kansas 7-18
(Gregory 3-5-18, Himsch 3-5-25, Collison 1-5-1, Antion-
1-2, Nebraska 12-27 (Belichner 7-11), Cochran 4-9, Robinson
1-3, Fields 0-1, Augustine 0-1, Conklin 0-2), Fouled out—Carey,
Buckrows—Kansas 44 (Collision 9), Nebraka 34 (Friend
11), Assists—Kansas 22 (Hirsch 11), Nebraka 18 (Cochran
4), Total fouls—Kansas 21, Nebraka 17. A—12,104.
Belcher scores career high
Bv Zac Hunter
Kansan sportswriter
The Nebraska senior saved his best for last.
In what was possibly his last meeting with Kansas, barring a meeting in the Big 12 Conference Tournament, Cookie Belcher did everything he could to give the 'Huskers a shot at the win in their 78-74 loss to Kansas on Saturday in Lincoln, Neb.
Unfortunately for Belcher, his supporting cast didn't do as much. While the Nebraska offense stalled in the first half, Belcher shined, scoring 14 of his team's 31 points.
He finished with a career-high 29 points,
most of them coming from behind the
three-point arch. Belcher buried a lethal 7
of 11 three-pointers, which tied a Nebraska
record and set the school record for most three-pointers made in a conference game. It was also the most points scored on Kansas by a single player this season.
With his team trailing by 10 points midway through the second half, Belcher put the 'Huskers on his shoulders and got them back into the game.
Although Belcher lit it up from the outside in both halves, his backcourt counterpart Cary Cochran got into the mix in the second half and helped Belcher keep the 'Huskers in the game.
He buried successive three-pointers and pulled Nebraska to within eight with 10:58 left in the game. But every time Belcher pulled Nebraska closer, Kansas made a run and extended the lead.
"You work hard to get open and make some shots," he said. "And you think everything is going good. Then they come back and hit a big shot."
that reversed what had happened in Lawrence — Belcher hit only 4 of 12 shots and scored just 11 points. Meanwhile, Cochran rained long-range jumpers on the Kansas defense, scoring 17 points in the loss in Allen Fieldhouse.
"I think in the second half, both Cary and I were feeling it." Belcher said.
Cochran scored only five points in the first half, which was the most by anyone other than Belcher. But Cochran nailed three three-point shots in the final 10 minutes, which gave Nebraska a chance.
Nebraska's hopes for the upset were dashed, but Belcher said there was reason for optimism.
"I see that we're still working hard and we're not giving up," he said. "I'm proud of our team today. We were still a little short."
Edited by Melissa Cooley
Junior guard Joe Besshoe drives past Nebraska's senior guard Cookie Belcher. Belcher's 29 points were the most against Kansas by an opposing player this season. By selena Jelaba Jana/KANSAN
Baseball team drops three games in Big 12 opener
Bv Rvan Malashock
By Ryan Malachock
sports@kansan.com
Kansan sportswriter
This weekend's Oklahoma-Kansas baseball series had the appearance of a boxing match, and Oklahoma was the prized fighter.
The Sooners (5-8, 3-0) swept the Hawjaykhs (6-4, 0-3) by winning 10-9 on Saturday afternoon and taking both games of yesterday's doubleheader 4-3 and 10-4.
Kansas led in all three games, but Oklahoma answered every Jayhawk punch with a stronger swing. Kansas
coach Bobby Randall was disappointed in the teams' inability to hold a lead.
"We played some good baseball today and yesterday, and we fought hard," Randall said after yesterday's games. "We got after them, but we just couldn't hold a lead."
Kansas' troubles began in Saturday's opening game. The
Randall: "We got after them, but we just couldn't hold a lead."
Jayhawks jumped out to a 3-0 lead after three innings. After the Sooners tied the score at three in the bottom of the third inning, Kansas exploded for five runs in the fifth.
The Jayhawks' five-run lead evaporated as the Sooners answered with five runs of their own in the bottom half of the fifth. Oklahoma scored the game-decider in the eighth on a Charlie Frasier solo home run off Kansas reliever Dan Olson.
Randall said he was concerned with Oklahoma's immediate answers.
"We can't score five runs and give up
five runs the next inning." Randall said.
five runs the next inning." Randall said. In Saturday's first game, junior Justin Wilcher pitched his best game of the season so far by going 1/3 1/3 innings and giving up only one earned run. Kansas took a 3-1 lead into the bottom of the ninth, but closer junior Doug Lantz surrendered three runs in the ninth as Oklahoma ralled in its 4-3 victory.
"Everything was wORKing for me," Wilcher said. "I wish we could've won, but that's the way baseball goes sometimes."
In the final game, Kansas jumped out to an early lead, but Oklahoma won 10-4.
— Edited by Courtney Craigmile