Mario Chalmers of Kansas
celebrates sinking a three-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation
that sent the Jayhawks into overtime against Memphis in the NCAA
championship game. Chalmers was named the most outstanding player of
the game as the Jayhawks won 75-68. (Reuters photo by Jeff Haynes.)
Kansas wins NCAA title in OT
Chalmers' 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation saves Jayhawks
The Associated Press
updated 12:18 a.m. ET, Tues., April. 8, 2008
SAN
ANTONIO — So patient for 20 years, Kansas had no problem working an
extra five minutes to bring a long-awaited championship back to the
heartland.
Mario Chalmers hit a
3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation to push the game into
overtime, and the Jayhawks grinded it out from there for a 75-68
victory Monday night over Memphis in one of the best title games in
recent memory.
Chalmers’ shot pulled Kansas into a tie after being down nine with 2:12 left.
“We got the ball in our most clutch player’s hands, and he delivered,” Kansas coach Bill Self said.
It was the first title for Kansas
since 1988, when Danny Manning, now an assistant coach for the
Jayhawks, led them to an upset of Oklahoma. And the shot earned
Chalmers the most outstanding player honor.
“I had a good look at it,” Chalmers said. “When it left my hands it felt like it was good, and it just went in.”
The most memorable performance in
this one came from freshman Derrick Rose of Memphis, who completely
took over the game in the second half, scoring 14 of his team’s 16
points during one stretch to lift the Tigers to a 60-51 lead with 2:12
left.
But Kansas (37-3) used the strategy
any smart opponent of Memphis’ would — fouling the heck out of one of
the country’s worst free-throw-shooting teams — and when Rose and Chris
Douglas-Roberts combined to miss four of five over the last 1:12, it
left the door open for KU.
Hustling the ball down the court with
10.8 seconds left and no timeouts, Sherron Collins handed off to
Chalmers at the top of the 3-point line and Chalmers took the shot. It
hit nothing but net and tied the score at 63.
Robert Dozier missed a desperation
shot at the buzzer, and Rose went limping to the bench, favoring his
right leg. Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson scored the
first six points of overtime to put Kansas ahead 69-63. Memphis,
clearly exhausted, didn’t pull within three.
Arthur was dominant inside, finishing
with 20 points and 10 rebounds, lots on dunks and easy lay-ups off lob
passes. Chalmers finished with 18 points. Rush had 12 and Collins had
11 points, six assists and did a wonderful job shutting Rose for the
first 28 minutes.
Rose wound up with 18 points in a
game that showed how ready he is for the NBA. He was 3-for-4 from the
line, however, and that one miss with 10.8 seconds left is what almost
certainly would have sealed the game and given the Tigers (38-2) their
first title.
Instead, the title goes back to Lawrence for the third time in the fabled program’s history.
“If we played 10 times, it’d probably go five and five,” Self said. “We got fortunate late.”
The inventor of the game, James
Naismith, was the first Jayhawks coach. It’s the school that made
household names of Wilt Chamberlain, Manning — and yes, even North
Carolina’s Roy Williams, the coach who famously left the Jayhawks, lost
to them in the semifinals, but was, indeed, in the Kansas cheering
section to watch Self bring the title back that he never could.
This game was not about coaches or
sidestories, though. It was about the game, and what a dandy it was — a
well-needed reprieve from a more-or-less blah tournament in which 42 of
63 games were decided by double digits.
This was the first overtime in the title game since 1997, when Arizona beat Kentucky 84-79.
Kansas, mostly Collins, put the
clamps on Rose for the first half, allowing the freshman only four
shots and leaving him spiking the ball on the floor as he walked to the
locker room after a frustrating 20 minutes.
It stayed that way for the first five
of the second half, but Kansas couldn’t pull away. Douglas-Roberts made
sure of it, winning enough of the 1-on-1 matchups that the Memphis
offense creates to keep the Tigers in range.
Then, finally Rose took over — a
3-pointer here, a scooping layup for a three-point play next. Then, the
capper, an off-balance, 18-foot shot off glass with the shot-clock
buzzer sounding. It gave Memphis a 56-49 lead. Most teams would have
been demoralized.
Clearly, Kansas is not like most teams.
In fact, the Jayhawks are a team that
has come together in tragedy over the last several months. The deaths
of friends and family of Jackson, Sasha Kaun and Rodrick Stewart all
cast a bit of a pall over this team, making Jackson wonder at times if
staying at Kansas was even worth it.
But it was an injury, not a tragedy,
that might have been most responsible for blending this championship
formula. Rush tore up his knee during a practice game last May, and his
NBA plans were put on hiatus.
He worked his way back into shape
this season and is playing his best right now. He didn’t have the most
impressive stat line of the night, but it hasn’t all been about stats
for him in this, his junior season. His defense was stellar, as usual,
and surely his experience and resolve played into Kansas’ refusal to go
away.
© 2008 The Associated Press
7 comments on Jayhawks Rock!
Add a comment
To add comments without entering your email and image verification, you must be logged in. Login or Join Blogster
What an awesome game!
Exciting game! Far from being anything close to boring, it was exciting to watch all the way through. Both teams were on the money, but Kansas was great when they pulled it off!
Yes! I have to tell you, my heart kept stopping and starting as the lead went back and forth. Memphis almost pulled it out, but the weak free throw shooting was their undoing, and Kansas was there in the clutch. The Tigers should be very proud of their terrific season. Best basketball game I have seen in ages!
Hey,
It's Old Max over at Walbridge Park. Yes, Kansas did a great job. . .but let's dwell on Memphis' crucial mistake (for the sake of full disclosure, I had all my money riding on The Tigers).
Memphis was ahead by three during the last minute of the game. Kansas brought the ball down and crossed the mid-court line. Right then, The Tigers should have fouled the ball carrier and sent him to the line to shoot two. Even if he had made both of them, Memphis would have been up by one. . .and they could've just thrown the ball up in the air to kill the last couple of seconds and won the national championship. . .in the air over the court. Why. . .why. . .why didn't they do that?
Well, they didn't. . .and the rest is history. . .and old Max dropped to third place in his bracket pool. . .behind the gal who picked Kansas to win it all. . .and the other gal who had Memphis he was tied with, because she guessed more points scored than he did. So. . .I lost. . . .or, took third out of 100 enteries. . .really not so bad, I tell myself, tossing in my sleep!
But, as I have told you earlier, any team as good as Memphis should never have put themselves in a position to lose by one basket. The Tigers should have been up by 10 or 12 at that point and not to worry. . . .Rose, where were you in the first half?
See ya next year!
Max, drippling his two balls home. . .alone! I guess no one likes a loser!
Try to get over it all, Maxie! All the whys and shoulds and coulds and if onlys don't match the dids. It's a big learning experience for Memphis for sure, kudos to them for a great season — and it's paaar-taaa time in Kansas!
Memphis played a heck of a game. They will be back. So will Kansas!
Don't you just love NCAA basketball?!
