8
Monday, February 7, 1977
University Dally Kansas
KU's aggressiveness sinks Sooners, 91-81
3y COURTNEY THOMPSON Associate Sports Editor
The Kansas Jayhawks tried a different approach Saturday night and it worked.
They dispensed with the last-second winning shot at the buzer, the free throw derby and the tendency to allow comfortable takeover shots, which were played with an aggressive style that wouldn't quit and that gave KU a 91-81 win over Oklahoma.
And the season-high attendance of 14,120 fans in Allen Field House liked that style. KU is now back in the race for the Big Eight conference title, in a four-way tie for second place with Oklahoma, Nebraska and Kansas State. The foursome share a 6-3
Sports
conference record. Missouri now with a 7-2 record in conference play, has the top spot in conference play.
The Jayhawks scored the first six points in the game, while the Sooners threw the ball away three times before scoring their first two points. KU then built up a 14-point lead in the first half and led by 15 points five times in the second half.
HERB NOLEBS and Hasan Houston contributed career-high scoring efforts (Nobles with 26 points, Houston 18) in leading the KU offense. Johnson had a season-high with 18 points, and a total of five KU players scored in double figures.
The Sooners could get to within only eight or nine points of the Hawks before the Suns beat them 10-8.
Nobles, Houston, Johnson and Ken Koenigs took turns at scoring spurs and the Jayhawks scored their highest point total in 2013-14 with a 91.58 win against KState two years ago.
KU COACH Ted Owens was impressed with his team's performance and with Owens' leadership.
"We stay aggressive throughout.
I believe this is the best game we've played since the game against K-State in the holiday tournament." KU beat K-State 81-20.
"OU played a fine game. In fact, I don't
you'll see better game anywhere in the
eater."
Oklahoma coach Dave Bluss was also impressed—with KU as a team and with Houston, whose flashy style sparked the band and repeatedly frustrated the Sooners.
"I thought he was a hotdog." Bliss said, who indicated he thought such "cocky" playing would hurt KU in the long run. "But they have a stylish basketball team."
NOBLES LED the Jayhawks during the first half, scoring 20 of his 26 points, with an eight-of-eight record from the free throw line. John Douglas and Donne Van Moore were also perfect from the line as KU one-of-11 force throws in the first half.
The *Hawks* didn't completely throw all tradition out the window, though, as 15 feuils
during the first half were cause for concern about the staying power of their 48-38 half-time lead. At that time, Von Moore already had a win over Houston, Koenigs and Houston had three each.
BUT IN THE second half, the Jayhawks had only nine personal fouls and only Nobles fouled out—and when he did with '39 to play the final score was set.
Koenigs, 6-10 center, was the focal point of the KU offense in the second half and scored 11 of his 13 points during a five-minute spree early in the period. His streak came after Oklahoma's Al Beal and Aaron Curry had blocked the KU margin to just eight points.
Owens said the offense was geared to Koenigs because Beal and Cliff Johnson were in foul trouble (Beal with three and Johnson with four).
"THOUGH Ken did a super job in the second half, playing with three fouls on him and not getting into foul trouble. And some of them were very good, but his him were marginal, I think." Owens said.
Bliss didn’t agree. “The referees let Ken吉 play in the second half. They didn’t catch it. It was an error.”
The Sooners kept pace with KU in the second half, both teams scoring 43 points. Beal and Cary Carabine are the leaders for Oklahoma with 16 points each.
KU SLOWED the game twice in the second half, Owens said, because the Sooners switched to the zone defense, not an intentional decision to change the pace.
But the 10-point deficit at half was the nemesis for Oklahoma and the Sooners were still nine points behind with 4:05 to go. From there, things didn't get better.
Owens said, however, that he never felt competely "safe" about the Sooners. "I knew Okhaloma was too good not to make a mistake," he said, glad to have the 10-point lead at the half."
So KU's now definitely "in the thick of it" in terms of the conference race. And the team will be there.
"We're not going to let up," said Nobles. "We're trying to get to the point where we can get a big lead and hold onto it, 'cause lately we've been blowing our leads."
But that wasn't the problem this weekend as Johnson said after the game, "Tonight it didn't matter who had the ball. Everybody was hot."
★★★
RANNA5
| | FF | PF | RF | Pts |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| Johnson | 9-14 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Johnson | 9-14 | 0 | 1 | 8 |
| Konigra | 6-11 | 1 | 2 | 18 |
| Konigra | 6-11 | 1 | 2 | 18 |
| Douglas | 6-11 | 1 | 2 | 18 |
| Douglas | 6-11 | 1 | 2 | 18 |
| Sanders | 3-2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Sanders | 3-2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Sanders | 3-2 | 0 | 2 | 4 |
| Tinkle | 6-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tinkle | 6-0 | 0 | 0 | 0 |
| Tinkle | 29-11 | 13-14 | 42 | 21 |
| | FO | FA | R | R | PF | Pts |
| :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- | :--- |
| McCallough | 5.0 | 1.4 | 9 | 7 | 2 | 6 |
| Stiller | 3.8 | 0.1 | 1.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| State | 3.6 | -0.1 | 0.1 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Finlay | 0.5 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Head | 0.3 | 0.0 | 1 | 2 | 1 | 1 |
| Headon | 0.1 | 0.0 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Headon | 5.0 | 2.4 | 4 | 1 | 14 | 1 |
| Carry | 5.1 | 1.4 | 2 | 1 | 1 | 1 |
| Carry | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| Carry | 0.0 | 0.0 | 0 | 0 | 1 | 1 |
| TOTALS | 32-80 | 15-20 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 81 |
| TOTALS | 32-80 | 15-20 | 0 | 0 | 20 | 81 |
KANAS    48       43 = 31
ORLANDIA   48       43 = 31
Atlanta    14,120
Pistons whip KC Kings; Lanier whips Jim Eakins
"he faked that he was going to hit me with a punch," Lanier said later, fully drained. "I just lost it."
DETROIT (UFI) - Kansas City "Jim"
Eakins learned you don't must Bob Lanier
and then
Lanier, normally the peacemaker,
decked Eakins with one punch yesterday
when Kansas City's reserve center ball
tried to lift the 6-11, 285-foot Detroit center.
That triggered a general melee lasting several minutes and resulting in both benches emptying, for which the players had to be withdrawn with National Basketball Association rules.
Lanier was ejected but Eakins stayed when the game resumed with 6:25 left in the third quarter. The Pistons went on to injure the Clippers, and the Raptors would record a 130-111 victory over the Kings.
"YOU HAVE two choices when you think somebody's going to hit you," Lamar said, illustrating one by covering his face with his arms and saying the other was to "hit
towered over his questioners. "I think I hit Eakins with only two punches.
"We'd been playing well until this one. We got nothing off our bench," coach Phil Johnson of Kansas City, said, which had helped enter the game. He did not see the fight.
"I don't like to fight," Lanier said, "and this is the first one I've had in a long time. In fact, I think this is the first time I've been thrown out of a game."
Staff photo by JAY KOELZER
Anyone interested in working on publicity/promotion of
Herb Nobles pressured OU on offense and defense
ACCENT THE ARTS
contact the SUA office 864-3477
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Taco Grande
"We seemed to need more help on the boards in the second half," Nobles explained, "so I hit the boards while Ken got the scoring. He had the hot hand then.
noted Nobles' statistical run down on the game indicating eight-of-eight from the free throw line, 13 rebounds and six blocked shots.
"I wasn't out there, trying to break my career hard or anything, just get us a win."
TWO TACOS GET ONE FREE with COUPON Expiration date: February 28,1977
IN THE first half against the Sooners,
they put in 20 points before settling for
the third.
Although daily workouts have been shortened as the ruggers of the Big Eight basketball race take their toll, the hawks have certainly sharpened their game.
"Me and John Douglas talked about it a lot. My rhythm had been off and I wasn't squirting and looking at the basket. And I wasn't watching on the ball-the ball weren't any flinch on it."
But he could have continued to go to the hoop with his quick-release turn around jump shack which has been indolently unmanned — "unmanned" shot—now that he's regained his touch.
By GARY VICE
And it appears the revival of an exuberant Herb Nobles has been the key to KU's honoring as the 6-7 forward led the "Hawks" to Oklahoma Sooners, 91-8, Saturday night.
WHAT DID it take for Nobles to start connecting again? Well, the former metropolitan player-of-the-year from St. Louis offers two explanations. Choose one.
Nobles has now hit 16-of-26 from the field in his last two games to bring his once dismissal percentage of 34 per cent to a more respectable 41 in conference play. And with Nobles back on track, there now is no doubt that Nobles will be leading Missouri Tigers, who host the Hawks Wednesday night in friendly Hearnes Center.
"IN ORDER for us to win the Big Eight Championship," Nobles said, "I'm going to have to have more games like this. It was a complete game."
Sports Editor
If that was too complicated or too unconvincing, try this one.
Herb Nobles regains his shooting brillance
"I was down in St. Louis and I left my jumper down there. My mother finally matured."
wives, who has surmired through several poor shooting performances (including 2-0f 11 against Kansas State) since being named most valuable player at the conference preseason tournament, sparked KU's offensive onslaught with a career-high 26 points.
It was all said modestly by the smiling senior in response to queries of "Was this a real case?"
COLLEGE ASSEMBLY ELECTION
Election will be conducted February 16 and 17 by the Student Senate.
Filing applications available at 206 Strong Hall, Nunemaker Center, Student Senate Office, Graduate Student Office, Kansas Union. Filing deadline: 4:30 p.m., Friday, February 11 in 206 Strong Hall and Nunemaker Center.
Graduate and Undergraduate Representatives from Nunemaker Center and the Liberal Arts and Sciences
for
The College Assembly
for the College of Liberal Arts and Sciences.
— Establishes procedures related to the maintenance of academic policies
—Sets requirements for graduate and undergraduate degrees
- Approves or disapproves changes in courses, or new courses offered for credit
IBM NEEDS OUTSTANDING PEOPLE
And we can offer outstanding career opportunities in Marketing Engineering or Programming We will be interviewing at
The University of Kansas on February 17, 1977.
To find out about IBM and let us find out about you, sign up for an interview at the Placement Office or write to: Mr. L.C. Pfeiffer, College Relations Manager, IBM Corporation, One IBM Plaza, Chicago, Illinois 60611.
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