There’s a chance Kansas and Missouri will meet again.
Border War III could take place in the Big Eight Tournament. Or even in the NCAA tourney.
Another meeting is what the Jayhawks are hoping for following Tuesday night’s deflating 77-71 loss to the Tigers at Allen Fieldhouse.
“You’ve gotta give ’em credit, but by golly I’d just like another chance,” KU coach Roy Williams said.
The No. 1-ranked Jayhawks also fell to the second-ranked Tigers, 95-87, on Jan. 20 in Columbia.
Tuesday’s setback was more unsettling since it snapped KU’s 14-game homecourt win streak in front of a national cable TV audience.
“IT’S DISAPPOINTING. I don’t think we played well either time,” KU forward Mike Maddox said. “There’s a lotta basketball to be played this year. Maybe we’ll get another shot at them.”
“I feel the same way as the game at their place that we didn’t play well, didn’t attack from the beginning,” guard Adonis Jordan said. “But the season isn’t over. We’ll start back tomorrow and maybe we’ll get to play them again.”
Postgame comments indicated the Kansas players preferred to look to the future rather than dwell on two losses to the Tigers. Surely they’d like to erase some alarming statistics that have turned up against Mizzou.
KU, the country’s top shooting team at 53.6 percent, hit 29 of 66 shots Tuesday, for 43.9 percent. MU, meanwhile, hit 27 of 49 for 55.1 percent. In Columbia, Kansas registered 48.5 percent from the field to MU’s 55.7.
On Tuesday, Kansas converted eight of 16 free throws; the Tigers 19 of 24. In Columbia, KU made 17 of 25; MU 25 of 36.
“THEY’RE VERY quick. They’re a great defensive team,” said KU senior Kevin Pritchard, who made only four of 15 shots. “You think you have a decent shot and they get a hand in your face.”
Pritchard bottomed one of five three-pointers. The one he hit came at 1:09 and cut MU’s five-point lead to two, 73-71. But the Jayhawks missed seven of nine shots in the last 5 minutes.
“The ball wouldn’t go in the hole,” Williams said.
About the free throws he said: “I can’t say it cost us the game, but it sure as heck coulda helped us.”
Two Travis Ford charities at :47 hurt the Jayhawks. Just after hitting his trey, Pritchard fouled Ford.
The frosh converted both ends, giving MU a four-point lead. KU’s Rick Calloway (4-of-12) missed a jumper on the next possession and Ford was fouled again.
The rookie missed the front end at :28, but Doug Smith rebounded. Then Kansas fouled Anthony Peeler at :17. He hit both ends, wrapping up the victory.
“I WASN’T TRYING to foul him, just trying to get in front of him,” said Pritchard, referring to Ford.
“We didn’t want to foul immediately and we wanted to be more choosy,” Williams said. “But we made the play and he made the free throws. They also grabbed some key boards the final two minutes and that hurt us. Give them credit.”
KU’s deserved some credit for overcoming a 10-point deficit. Calloway swished two straight shots, capping an 11-1 run and tying the game at 64.
Missouri coach Norm Stewart called time at 5:22, with KU’s fans going crazy and the ESPN viewers figuring MU was cooked. Instead, after the stoppage, MU went on a 9-2 run.
“They regrouped,” Pritchard said. “Any time you can do that in Allen Fieldhouse, with our crowd, it’s something they can be proud of.”
In that 9-2 Tiger spurt, Anthony Peeler had a stickback, Smith four free throws, Nathan Buntin an inside hoop and a free throw.
“BEFORE THAT, I was proud of the way WE came back,” Maddox said.
Deadlocked at 41, Mizzou outscored KU, 20-10, to take a 61-51 lead. It was 63-53 at 10:16 when KU responded with its 11-1 run.
In that stretch, Calloway and Maddox scored four points, Randall two and Alonzo Jamison one.
“I’m very proud. The kids played their tails off,” Williams said.
Yet, he admitted . . .
“It’s pretty frustrating. In a big game, sometimes everybody is so hyped, it throws the rhythm off a bit. In certain spurts, we didn’t have that rhythm.”
Calloway offered this opinion: “You can say it was our free throw shooting, our defense on Peeler, the refs letting him getting away with dipping his shoulder, but the bottom line is we didn’t play well against them again. Maybe it’s them.”
Missouri improved to 9-1 in the league and 23-2 overall. KU is 24-2; 7-2. The Jayhawks next face Nebraska at 3:10 p.m. Saturday at Allen Fieldhouse.
