Kansas City, Mo. ? Paul Pierce scored a career-high tying 30 points, and Kansas ran its record to 32-1 entering the NCAA tournament.
Thirty-three down and a half dozen to go.
“If a team plays us on our best day, they can’t beat us,” Kansas junior Raef LaFrentz said. “Hopefully, we’ll have six more of our best days.”
Six more games like Sunday’s and Kansas will be the national collegiate basketball champion.
Kansas folded, spindled and mutiliated Missouri, 87-60, in the championship game of the Big 12 Conference tournament Sunday at Kemper Arena.
“I think they have a super chance to win it all,” Missouri coach Norm Stewart said.
Kansas’ murderous transition game killed Mizzou’s only hope of earning a postseason tournament bid.
“The last 10 or 12 minutes of the first half we were sensational offensively,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “We got our break going and when we’re able to run like that and we’re running our half-court offense, it’s hard to stop us.”
Impossible in Missouri’s case. The Tigers, seeded No. 10 in the tourney, were playing their fourth game in four days. Kansas had a bye in the first round.
“I know we didn’t catch Missouri on their best day,” Williams said. “It was their fourth game in four days and when we were running down the floor, it was difficult for them to keep up.”
Or stop Paul Pierce. The 6-foot-6 Kansas sophomore, nearly a cipher in the Jayhawks’ lone loss of the season — that 96-94 double overtime decision on Feb. 4 in Columbia, Mo. — erupted for a career-high tying 30 points.
Pierce, voted the tourney’s most outstanding performer, made 12 of 18 shots — three of four from beyond the arc — and contributed 11 rebounds. He was also charged with three of the Jayhawks’ 10 turnovers, but Williams wasn’t complaining.
“He was really assertive,” Williams said. “I’ve preached to him to be more assertive. He leads our team in fouls and turnovers, and he’s much better when he isn’t piddling around with the ball. Sometimes he’s too casual with the basketball.”
Also named to the all-tourney team were teammates Raef LaFrentz and Jacque Vaughn.
LaFrentz had 16 points and seven rebounds, nailing seven of 11 floor shots.
“He and Pierce,” MU coach Stewart said. “They could have thrown a BB through a lifesaver.”
Vaughn chipped in with 13 points and a season-high 12 assists. His career high is 13.
“I think he’s playing the best he’s played this year,” Williams said of his senior point guard. “He’s like the Jacque Vaughn of old.”
Vaughn made all five of his shots. All five were in the first half as the Jayhawks shot 67 percent (20 of 30). For the game, Kansas shot 54.1 percent (33 of 61).
Kansas outscored the Tigers, 27-9, during the last 10 minutes of the first half, posting a 51-26 halftime lead that made the outcome so moot that CBS switched to the Southeastern Conference championship game between Kentucky and Georgia.
Sunday’s romp followed Saturday’s 72-48 blitz of Iowa State in the semifinals.
“If they play like that, like the last two days, it’ll take one helluva ball game,” Stewart said when asked what it would take to defeat the Jayhawks. “That’s not saying it can’t be done.”
Stewart should know. He owns the only win over the Jayhawks this season. Missouri’s players were well rested that night. Sunday they weren’t, but Stewart wouldn’t hide behind the fatigue factor.
“I’m not using it as an excuse,” he said. “That hasn’t been our forte to make excuses. We didn’t play well. They played great. They beat us.”
Missouri forward Derek Grimm wouldn’t admit he was tired.
“I don’t think that played into it,” he said. “We wanted to play our style of game, and we just didn’t have it.”
Kansas climbed to 32-1 by unleashing a running game perhaps as good as any Williams has ever had in his nine years on Mount Oread.
“It was an up and down basketball game,” Williams said. “And when it’s an up and down basketball game, we’re pretty doggone good.”
