KANSAN.COM / THE UNIVERSITY DAILY KANSAN / MONDAY, FEBRUARY 1, 2010 / SPORTS
5B
81, KANSAS STATE 79
ETBALL REWIND
vks leave Manhattan game to remember
BY TIM DWYER
tdwyer@kansan.com
twitter.com/T_Dwyer
About 30 miles from in between Lawrenceere's a University of used to read "Rock scrawled over in letters; "EMAW" short ilcadet," the new unof- State athletics.
Junior center Gole Aldrich elevates to swat Kansas State forward Wally Judge's shot attempt. Aldrich finished with two blocks and a team-leading 18 points.
Weston White/KANSAN
reflection of Wildcat their basketball team, o longer a second tier of Kobe
," said moreome,
who ae-high effected weren't
aie. The for us
it out able to
or cen e them
"Coach said walking back to the locker room, the big fella's back."
ready to give up the state to quite yet, as he hawks to an 81-79 vicious environment they've
Bloomington, Minn.
in the first eight min-
mineering a 18 point,
ance.
were great. They were things and they really it today," Aldrich said, it team"
more impressive was the fact that he played his last 10 minutes and 51 seconds with four fouls, the last nine-plus of them without Marcus Morris, sophomore forward, who fouled out with just over four minutes left in regulation.
one of those games," you're going to get done and you're going to look at, I loved playing that of the most fun games
"That fourth foul was really dumb," Aldrich said. "I kind of got upset at myself for a second after getting it, but I knew that it was about eight minutes left in the game and I knew 'Hey, I can't dwell on it, I've got to get back out there and help my team win."
Aldrich quickly found his way to the bench after his fourth foul, but, with just under six minutes left in regulation he and
COLE ALDRICH Junior center
his performance all the
Marcus Morris checked back into the game with four fouls apiece.
When Marcus Morris picked up his fifth just a minute and 40 seconds later, it became imperative that Aldrich refrain from getting his, else he leave the team with just one post, Markieff Morris, sophomore center, with more than 20 games' experience.
"I knew I had to pick up the slack," Aldrich said. "I told Kieff, I go, 'You know, Kieff, we've got to make sure we get every board.' That's one thing Marcus really did a good job of tonight. He had nine in the first half. We just had to get to the boards and making sure that we moved our feet on defense, because we were both in foul trouble."
When the game went to overtime, Aldrich did just that. He never did pick up his fifth foul and, with nine seconds left and the Jayhawks clinging to a 3-point lead, pulled down one of the biggest offensive rebounds of his basketball career, essentially icing the Jayhawk win.
"Coach said walking back to the locker room." Aldrich said. "'The big fella's back.'"
Edited by Kristen Liszewski
Henry loses possession of the ball. Henry turned the ball over four times against the Wildcats.
Weston White/KANSAN
...
Game to remember
Senior guard Sherron Collins
It wasn't necessarily his most scintillating performance, but Collins was there when the team needed him most, as he is wont to be. He fought off a bout of cramps to hit, essentially, the game winning layup with nine seconds left. Collins shot 7-of-14 from the field for 16 points to go along with four assists.
Collins
Henry
Game to forget
Xavier Henrv
Henry played well when he did play, going 3-of-5 from the field for six points, to go along with four rebounds. He's not seeing any playing time, though. He played just 16 minutes today, eight of them in the first half, and just one of them in the overtime period. He'll have to minimize his turnover numbers – he had four turnovers against Kansas State - if he's going to get his minutes back.
Stat of the night
10:51
Self
and pulled down, essentially, a game-winning rebound when Sherron Collins missed a free throw on his late and one.
Cole Aldrich played the last 10 minutes and 51 seconds with four fouls. He never picked up his fifth
Quote of the night
"We caught a break on it being a no-call, but I don't believe there was a foul because I can't see from the other end. Unless the call goes the other way, then I can see pretty good."
- BIII Self on the questionable call to end the second half
Prime plays
1ST HALF (SCORE AFTER PLAY)
16:14 After Dominique Sutton gave K-State their first points of the game, Xavier Henry silenced the crowd driving to the hoop for a two-point lav-in. (4-2)
1:11-Sherron Collins would beat anyone in H.O.R.S.E if he could consistently pull off that falling out of bounds jumper. (31-27)
10:37 - After an odd series of ball juggling, Sherron Collins had a two-on-three and came out on top with an alley-oop to Tyshawn Taylor to tie the game back up. (14-14)
2ND HALF
17:37-Brady Morningstar looked like the star, continuing his outburst with a three to give the Jayhawks their largest lead at eight. (40-32)
15:04 Cole Aldrich made his first block of the game count, completely blasting Wally Judge's two-point shot back in his face. (42-34)
11:50- Sherron Collins stopped a 7-0 run by the Wildcats with a crowd-stifling jumper Jayhawks fans know so well. (45-42)
9:05-"I can be your hero, baby." Sherron Collins, who has been quiet all game, has decided to make his presence known with a three to quell a Wildcat storm. (48-49)
OVERTIME
0:13- Reminiscent of Sherron Collins' game winning layup against Cornell, he does the same here. Collins takes the ball to the hoop, throws up a wild shot and it falls. The crowd is stunned. (79-76)
Keystats
30,16
Tyshawn Taylor played 30 minutes against Xavier Henry's 16. Could Taylor be challenging Henry for the starting job?
0-1
Tyrel Reed officially had zero steals, but when he slapped the ball away from Dominique Sutton as time ran out, he saved the game for Kansas.
Sherron Collins missed his only free throw attempt of the game, with nine seconds left in overtime and a three-point lead.
10-0
The Jayhawks are 10-0 when Marcus Morris hits a three in his career. He was 1-for-1 from distance Saturday.
— Tim Dwyer and Corey Thibodeaux
TAYLOR (CONTINUED FROM 1B)
The fat lady prepared her parting song. Taylor would be one of many heroes.
A mere 18 seconds later, Taylor's ill-advised pass to Brady Morningstar led to a ridiculous game-tying three-point play by Rodney McGruder that I still wouldn't believe if I didn't see it happen 15 feet in front of me.
Hero. meet Goat.
A fantastic hustle play by Tyrel Reed to knock the ball out of Dominique Sutton's hands at the buzer saved Tyshawn Taylor from infamy.
But there was still overtime.
But there was still overtime. On Kansas' first possession of the extra session, Taylor got hacked and made one of two freebies. Later, with his team down a point, the slashing guard flashed his NBA potential, hitting a layup after Sutton fouled him.
Suddenly, Taylor's turnover in
regulation didn't matter.
"I needed to come back and make up for it and I did, or as a team we did," Taylor said.
So long Goat.
With a minute left and the Jayhawks nursing a one-point lead, Taylor drove hard. A charge call gave K-State the ball back. If Clemente hit that three-pointer on the next possession, Taylor would have drawn the ire of the entire campus.
Then Sherron happened. Nothing else mattered.
So yes, Taylor made some mistakes. He also made plays. Plays that mattered. Plays That Self considered crucial enough to say the Jayhawks don't win without Taylor.
He will be a vital cog in the Kansas machine as it chugs its way to Indianapolis in April.
- Edited by Becky Howlett