Freshmen lead KU to grinding win at KSU, 71-62
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Lance Harris missed the front end of a one-and-one, but after David Hoskins’ follow went long off the glass, Cartier Martin finished it off easily, pulling K-State to within eight points. Sherron Collins again was the elixir for KU, again scooping in two tough points inside and quieting Bramlage.
Brandon Rush missed a jumper from the left baseline which could have put KU up 12 and been a dagger in KSU’s direction, but the rebound went out of bounds off of the ‘Cats, handing it back to the Jayhawks. This time, the ball slipped from Chalmers’ hands as he went up for a three, and before K-State could get a shot off, Bob Huggins called for a timeout with 2:04 left to play.
Clent Stewart earned a trip to the line, but could only hit one of two before Darrell Arthur took down rebound No. 12. KU followed it with a turnover, though, at midcourt, and David Hoskins put in two from up close to pull the ‘Cats within seven points with just under 90 seconds to go.
Brandon Rush might have sealed the deal at the 1:13 mark with his second field goal of the game, driving for a layin and getting a foul along with it. The free throw missed, though, keeping KSU within nine points.
David Hoskins hit two more free throws, making it a 65-58 game with :58.1 to go and Bill Self calling for a timeout to strategize.
As the ball had barely been inbounded, Mario Chalmers was interfered with by Akeem Wright, and he calmly put away two free throws to notch KU’s lead to nine points. Clent Stewart hit another runner off the glass, leading to another Huggins timeout.
Russell Robinson then hit one of two free throws, followed by another Clent Stewart runner. The Jayhawks then turned the ball over as a fired pass for Brandon Rush under the hoop hit the net and went over his head. K-State then maintained possession in a tie-up with :18.8 to go, down 68-62. Hoskins, though, missed a two inside and Julian Wright clawed away the rebound for his sixth board of the game. Brandon Rush was fouled, hitting one of two free throws, but following up his own miss, which ended up the finishing touch on a 71-62 KU win.
Sherron Collins had a game-high 20 points for KU, while Darrell Arthur had 13 points and 12 boards. Mario Chalmers hit three treys and scored 17, while Brandon Rush had 11. Cartier Martin led K-State with 19 points.
The win bumps KU to 24-4 overall and 11-2 in league play with just three games left until the Big 12 tournament. The Jayhawks’ next action is Saturday at home against Iowa State, who KU topped 68-64 in overtime in Ames on Jan. 13.
Update #9: 3:49, second half, KU leads 61-51
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Brandon Rush stepped to the line for the technical free throws, but missed both attempts, and they went down as his first missed charities of the night. Sherron Collins made up for it somewhat, though, hitting a three on the left wing and giving him 14 points on the night.
Cartier Martin missed a three, and Julian Wright then made his best play of the night on the outlet after it went off of Brandon Rush’s shoe. He flinged it back before going out of bounds, and Brandon Rush then cut to the hole and hit an up-and-under layup, putting KU up by 10 at 57-47.
Sherron Collins then, after another poorly executed KSU possession, went to the line as KU was in the bonus. He hit both ends of the one-and-one, putting KU up by 12 with 5:37 left.
Lance Harris came back to hit a two on the right side, and KSU stole back the inbounds pass. Akeem Wright took the ball up hard to the iron and was fouled as it spilled out. Wright made one of two, cutting KU’s lead to nine.
Sherron Collins again was the silencer, answering this time with an improbably layin down the right side, which barely caught on to the front iron and slipped through. He has a game-high 18 points.
Cartier Martin came back down to draw a foul from Mario Chalmers and get to the line again, and again missed his first attempt before hitting the second. Julian Wright then missed a baseline jumper, as KSU took back possession down 10 with just over four minutes to go.
A Lance Harris runner missed, though, and Darrell Arthur hauled down his 11th rebound of the game before picking up his first foul.
Update #8: 7:26, second half, KU leads 52-47
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Mario Chalmers missed another three, but Darrell Arthur grabbed his second straight huge rebound, this time getting to the free throw line and sinking two, putting KU up by five, 48-43.
Cartier Martin again tried to answer back with this three, and this time was fouled as it was partially tipped by Darnell Jackson. Martin missed the first attempt, but put away the next two, pulling K-State again within three.
Arthur scored again, this time on a feed from Sherron Collins underneath, as he has been a surging force inside for KU so far in the second half. On the night, he has 13 points and 10 rebounds.
After Darnell Jackson snatched a board from Jason Bennett, KU tried to throw a lob from Chalmers to Brandon Rush, who was fouled about a foot from the rim. Rush hit both, giving KU a seven-point lead.
Lance Harris came back with a two, selling a head fake first to get a little breathing room. Collins then had a three blocked, and KU couldn’t scrounge up the loose ball, but KSU came away emptyhanded in return, and Bob Huggins was whistled for a technical foul in outrage.
Update #7: 10:40, second half, KU leads 46-43
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Sasha Kaun spun towards the basket wildly after taking an entry pass out of the timeout, but was fouled as the shot spun around the rim and spilled out. Kaun flushed one of two free throws, before taking a seat on the bench to make room for Darrell Arthur.
K-State had its 10th missed field goal attempt of the half as Stewart missed a three from the corner, giving KU another opportunity to extend its slim margin. Julian Wright then banked in a falling jumper from 10 feet high off the glass to put the Jayhawks up by five.
Cartier Martin missed a three from just left of the top portion of the key, and on the rebound opportunity, K-State was called for its third foul of the second half. KU lost the ball, though, as an entry pass to Darrell Arthur flew off of the freshman’s finger tips and out of bounds, giving K-State another chance to grab some momentum.
KU was called for its first foul of the half on the way back down, and David Hoskins hit two free throws to pull KSU back within three points nearing the 13-minute mark.
Sherron Collins again sucked air out of Bramlage, this time spinning away from the rim and slinking one in softly off the iron, as he has eight points. Cartier Martin, though, one-upped him with his third three of the game, pulling K-State within two once again. Russell Robinson took some of that back, with a running two for his first points of the game.
The emotion on the court then escalated, as Russell Robinson and Cartier Martin were called for off-setting technical fouls, and the ball stayed with KU. Both players stayed in the game, and a whistle was blown seconds later against Mario Chalmers for a defensive push.
Martin again responded with a three, which this time pulled KSU within one point. Chalmers had one spin out, but Arthur ripped away a board from K-State and punched it in off the glass, thumping his chest. Lance Harris then hit another K-State three - the team’s ninth - to tie the game. The points kept coming, as Sherron Collins splashed one in as well.
Update #6: 15:24, second half, KU leads 34-32
MANHATTAN, Kan. - K-State had a pair of looks inside to start the second half, but after David Hoskins missed the second of those two, Sasha Kaun snatched the defensive board. Julian Wright then took a feed from Mario Chalmers, but was fouled on the way up. Wright didn’t attempt a single shot in the first half, and then missed both free throws, keeping KSU on top.
Kaun grabbed another defensive board as K-State was faulty again, but Julian Wright then missed his first official shot attempt, and Brandon Rush was shooed away while going after the board. K-State was called for an illegal screen afterwards, keeping KU with a shot at the first points of the half.
After Russell Robinson lost a ball out of bounds that was awarded to KU, Julian Wright hit a mid-range jumper on the right side, putting KU up 31-30.
K-State’s David Hoskins missed a layup look off the glass, and another KU defensive board an another call favoring the Jayhawks on the other end kept the ball in KU’s possession under its own hoop. Kaun, though, tried to fit the ball inside after the inbounds pass, and an unsettled KU team again turned over possession.
Chalmers grabbed a defensive rebound off of an Akeem Wright miss from deep, but Ku’s offensive woes continued. First, Brandon Rush missed his fifth three of the game, and after hustling down his own board, Russell Robinson did the same. But KU kept possession, and Chalmers hit his third trey of the game, as he has hit all three of KU’s shots from beyond the arc. The shot put KU up 34-30 and forced Bob Huggins to call a timeout, as K-State is 0-for-7 from the field to start the second half.
Julian Wright swatted a follow-up attempt from Clent Stewart to give KU back possession, but Russell Robinson missed his second three of the half, and Clent Stewart scored KSU’s first points of the second frame on a driving layup, pulling the ‘Cats within two at 34-32.
Update #5: Halftime, K-State leads 30-29
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Clent Stewart missed a three from nearly straight on after the timeout, and a loose ball tie-up on the rebound kept the ball on K-State’s end. The ‘Cats missed a quick jumper, and Rodrick Stewart was knocked to the floor after grabbing the defensive board up high. It put KU in the bonus, but Stewart missed the front end of the one-and-one, giving the ball back to KSU.
Lance Harris then missed a three, and Stewart followed it with another defensive rebound way up high. KU turned it over, though, as points are now coming tougher. It was Sherron Collins’ third turnover, as he tried to hit a sliding Darrell Arthur under the hoop.
Akeem Wright came back down to bounce in a jumper on the left baseline which flirted around the rim first for a bit. Bill Self whistled for a timeout afterwards, with 83 seconds left in the half.
Sherron Collins wasted a good Julian Wright feed after the break and aired a three from the right corner long. KSU couldn’t extend the lead, though, as Hoskins missed everything cutting to the basket.
Chalmers swished a deep three with just over 10 seconds to go, cutting K-state’s lead to one. Sherron Collins then made up for the missed three by stripping a ball loose and forcing a tie-up in the K-State end of the floor. KU got the ball back with just under four seconds left. Chalmers missed a running three off the glass, but leads all scorers with 12 points so far. Cartier Martin and Akeem Wright each have eight points for KSU. KU is just 2-for-11 from three-point range, including an 0-for-4 effort from Rush, who also has three fouls and just two points.
Update #4: 3:02, first half, K-State leads 28-26
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Sherron Collins scored his third hoop of the game, driving straight down the lane and putting one in off the back iron to give KU a 25-21 lead.
Serge Afeli then scored his first points of the night on a dish to the paint and was fouled while falling away from the basket, but banked in the hoop first. He missed the free throw badly, but Sherron Collins tunred the ball over on the other end and a foul was called on Mario Chalmers in transition.
Lance Harris missed a baseline jumper to tie the game, and after a Jason Bennett skying offensive board, Harris had a second opportunity swatted hard to the floor by Darrell Arthur. But K-State kept possession still. The possession came up empty, as did KU’s next attempt, in which Collins threw it out of bounds trying to hit a slashing Rodrick Stewart.
David Hoskins tied the game up in stylish fashion, flying from left to right under the basket, and floating a ball behind his head and off the glass while drawing a foul. His free throw put KSU up 26=25.
Darrell Arthur was able to get himself to the free throw line for the first time after getting hammered to the floor by Jason Bennett, who drew his first foul while standing nearly still underneath. Arthur missed the first off the flat back of the iron, but cashed the second to tie the game yet again.
K-State came back with a turnover, now facing a zone defense from KU. But Arthur this time missed a leaner off the glass, forcing KU to again settle into its 3-2 zone defense.
Clent Stewart was the first to score on it, knifing down the right side of the lane and scoring on a bouncer off the rim. Brandon Rush was then called for a charge while he and Bennett toppled to the floor, sending the game to a break and giving Brandon Rush his third foul of the game
Update #3: 6:53, first half, KU leads 23-21
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Akeem Wright showed some confidence in stroking his second three of the game out of the timeout to re-energize the fans on hand. Though Brandon Rush came back down and went to the basket hard for the first time.
While having to take in harsh chants from the K-State student section, Brandon Rush knocked home both free throws to silence them once again and score his first points of the night, putting KU up 15-11.
That pad didn’t last long, as Cartier Martin then hit his second three. KU followed it up with a turnover that bounced into the press row. Lance Harris put KSU up by two with the Wildcats’ fifth three of the game. And KU turned it over again, followed by Blake Young pumping his hands in the air in front of the KSU students to make it as loud as possible.
Cartier Martin was then put on the free throw line after squaring up in front of Brandon Rush. The ball was knocked loose on its way up, and Rush was called for his second infraction of the game, earning him a seat on the bench. Martin hit both, putting KSU up 19-15, making it an 8-0 K-State run..
Mario Chalmers continued to go fearlessly to the basket, though, drawing a harm on a hoop while slashing down the right side of the lane. The free throw missed, and both teams followed it up with turnovers.
Chalmers missed a long three on the wing, but KU got a second and third chance at the hoop. On the final opportunity, Chalmers slashed to the bucket and scored while falling, giving him nine points so far to lead all scorers and tying the game, 19-19.
Darrell Arthur then put KU on top after grabbing his sixth rebound of the game and hitting a free throw line jumper on the opposite end. He now has six points and six boards. The game was tied moments later with a Clent Stewart layup, and was followed by a Sherron Collins dive to the hoop, putting the Jayhawks back ahead, 21-19.
KSU called a quick timeout, and out of it, David Hoskins missed a runner from striaght away, and on the other end, Sasha Kaun drew a blocking foul off of a Julian Wright feed, sending the game into a break.
Update #2: 11:26, first half, KU leads 13-8
MANHATTAN, Kan. - Darrell Arthur, in the game with Sherron Collins, missed an inside obstructed jumper out of the timeout, handing possession back to the ‘Cats. Cartier Martin, KSU’s leading scorer, though missed his first shot attempt from three-point range.
Arthur came back down to execute a pretty pick-and-roll with Brandon Rush, finishing it with a two-handed slam and a yell, giving KU its first lead of the night. Clent Stewart then missed a three which would have given the lead back to KSU, but KU turned it back over just past halfcourt.
Martin followed the turnover by hitting a three from the left corner, putting KSU back on top and scoring his first points of the game. Chalmers came back down to go to the hole hard around a Darrell Arthur screen and get KU to the line for the first time on the night. Chalmers hit both to put KU basck up, 9-8.
Akeem Wright missed a three which would have put KSU back up by two, and Cartier Martin was then called for holding Darrell Arthur under the hoop - the third team foul on K-State. KU couldn’t convert offensively, however.
Clent Stewart barely missed a leaner on the left side, and Sherron Collins came back emphatically off of a Darrell Arthur defensive board to scoot under the hoop and hit an awkward layup. That was followed by a Jermaine Maybank air ball. Arthur then snatched his fifth board of the game and put it in to give KU a 13-8 edge.
Update #1: 15:30, first half, game tied 5-5
MANHATTAN, Kan. - KU controlled the opening tip, and after driving the lane, Mario Chalmers kicked a pass out to Brandon Rush, who missed a three from the right wing. The Wildcats turned the ball right back over, though, with Russell Robinson emerging from a pile with a loose ball. Sasha Kaun returned the favor off of his right leg.
Kaun then ripped down a defensive board off of a Luis Colon miss inside. Brandon Rush missed another three on the opposite end, though.
Akeem Wright started the scoring for K-State, banking in a three from the right wing, charging up a black-clad crowd in Bramlage. Julian Wright then drew the game’s first foul inside, but after the inbounds pass, Brandon Rush missed his third three of the game just two minutes in. Wright snatched down a defensive board on the other end following a Lance Harris long miss, but KU handed it back again, this time on a Russell Robinson charge at the free throw line.
David Hoskins then missed a three from the top of the key, but off of the offensive board, Luis Colon was fed a sweet dish from Akeem Wright, and a foul on Brandon Rush sent Colon to the stripe, where he hit both attempts to put KSU up 5-0.
Jason Bennett checked in after the free throws, looking to bounce back after being held scoreless and fouling out the first time against KU.
Mario Chalmers then fought off a screen at the top of the key to hit a three and give KU its first points just over three minutes into the contest.
A traveling call on David Hoskins was then followed with a spinning two from Sasha Kaun on the left block, tying the game 5-5. Brandon Rush couldn’t put KU up any more, though, missing his fourth three so far after a turnover in the paint.
Pregame
MANHATTAN, Kan. - More than two hours before tip-off for tonight's second round of the Sunflower Showdown, Kansas State student fans were lined up well past the far end of Wagner Field, which stands adjacent to the north of Bramlage Coliseum, screaming in anticipation.
That type of atmosphere - with just about every fan donning black attire - just adds to the fact that this will be the most anticipated edition of the in-state rivalry in quite some time. But while that might be in KSU's corner, history certainly is not.
KU drilled K-State on Feb. 7 in Allen Fieldhouse, 97-70, on the heels of dropping a 69-66 heartbreaker at home to Texas A&M. The Jayhawks have been undefeated since, and an A&M loss has them tied atop the Big 12 with the Aggies at 10-2. The Jayhawks are 23-4 overall. K-State is two games back in the conference race and in fourth place, 19-8 overall and 8-4 in the conference.
On top of that, K-State has never defeated KU in 18 tries at Bramlage.
The atmosphere got a boost about two hours before tip-off, when K-State assistant coach Frank Martin came onto the floor, took the microphone and did his best to get the student crowd - which is occupying roughly a quarter of the arena - even more pumped up. Injured freshman Bill Walker then emerged from the tunnel and walked down along and up into the K-State student section, drawing cheers, signing autographs and even getting his headband snatched from his noggin within seconds.
On the court, it'll take more than fan support to slow down a red-hot Jayhawk squad. KU has won four straight since losing to A&M, topping the 90-point plateu in three of those four contests. The last of which was Saturday's 92-39 throttling of Nebraska, which went down as the second-largest margin of victory in the history of Big 12 conference play.
K-State has won two of three since losing to KU, most recently knocking off Iowa State at home on Saturday, 65-47. Wildcat senior Cartier Martin didn't score a single point in the second half of the first game with KU, and second-leading scorer, David Hoskins, was held scoreless in the second stanza of that contest.
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