KU defeats California, 69-56

By Jill Hummels     Dec 10, 2005

Kansas used a 20-4 run in the opening minutes of the second half to rally from a three-point halftime deficit to defeat California, 69-56, Saturday in the American Century Investments Shootout at Kemper Arena.

C.J. Giles led four Jayhawks, which improved to 4-4 on the season, who scored in double figures with his 17-point, nine-rebound, five-block, three-steal and solo-assist performance in 32 minutes of action.

“Fortunately in the second half we put it together,” KU coach Bill Self said. “Whether we wanted to admit it or not, the guys probably felt there was a little extra weight on their backs after losing a couple of close games.

“I know they had to appreciate how our guys played and competed in the second half,” Self continued of the fans.

Giles said the Jayhawks wanted to prove themselves after the narrow losses.

“We just wanted to prove we can get big wins and if we come out and execute like coach says we can win.”

Brandon Rush scored all 12 of his points in the second half and fellow freshmen Julian Wright and Micah Downs added 11 and 10 points respectively.

“I really wasn’t helping the team, not rebounding, so I decided I just needed to come out and play harder,” said Rush, scored his first basket of the day in the opening minutes of the second half. He followed that with a lob to Wright to give KU its first lead since 3-2. Rush came back the next time town and got a lay-in and foul to put KU ahead 38-34.

As good as Giles was on offense and defending Cal’s leading scorer Leon Powe, who led the Golden Bears with 16 points, KU’s Stephen Vinson also provided a spark with career highs in points (6) and assists (6).

“He should be the standard on how we base our effort,” Self said of Vinson. “There is nobody close to how Stephen competes. He’s a ball mover. Stephen pays attention to detail more than anyone.”

Former Kansas player Omar Wilkes, tallied 13 points for Cal, admitted Saturday afternoon was a special game.

“Although I said that this was just another game, I really wanted this one,” Wilkes said. “It was circled on my calendar for a year-and-a-half. I was really excited but now it does not feel too good.

“Kansas played a great game,” continued Wilkes, who was 4-of-9 from the field. “I don’t think that they (Kansas) made any adjustments we just did not play as well. If you allow talented teams to get back into the game they will make you pay.”

Cal’s loss was the first in seven games for the (6-2) Bears, who had won six straight at home after losing their opener at Eastern Michigan.

“Things did not go our way in the second half. Give all the credit to Kansas,” Powe said. “We were trying to get on the boards but it seemed like Kansas had everyone down there. We could not get a break.”

Kansas, which outrebounded the Bears 41-32, shot nearly 45-percent from the field and 50-percent from three-point range.

Kansas’ bench outscored Cal’s 30-6, and the Jayhawks had 18 points off 17 Cal turnovers.

Despite missing nine of its first 10 shots or committing nine turnovers in the first 10 minutes, Self said he was pleased with his team’s second half comeback.

“I thought we did a pretty good job down the stretch,” he said. “We did good finishing the game. We need to tighten some things up though. That’s a talented team we played today. The best thing we did was run and get their guys tired. Those are the things we have to do.”

Kansas will return to action on Dec. 19 to face Pepperdine in Allen Fieldhouse in a 6:30 p.m. contest on ESPN2.

Second Half Action

KU’s Brandon Rush scored his first basket of the day in the opening minute and a half of the second half to cut KU’s deficit to 34-33.

Wright caught a tough pass but scored off a feed from Rush to give Kansas its first lead since 3-2.

Rush came back the next time got a lay-in and foul. The freshman hit the free throw to cap the 7-0 run and give Kansas a 38-34 lead with under 18 minutes to go.

Wilkes hit a runner to keep Cal within a basket. The former Jayhawk leads all scorers with 11 points.

Rush found Wright again on a no-look feed, and Wright was credited with a basket after a goal-tending call on Cal’s Hardin for the 40-36 lead.

Jeff Hawkins picked up his third fou with 15:18 to go.

Hardin scored on a baby hook to make the game a one-possession contest again.

KU couldn’t get a basket around the rim after about three tip tries, but the Jayhawks got the ball back and Rush knocked down a three.

Senior Stephen Vinson got a lay-in to put KU up 45-38 with a little over 13 minutes to go.

Wilkes had his shot swatted by Giles and the big man got a bounce back the other way for the 47-38 lead with 11:29 to go.

Downs got a stickback with 10:40 to go to stretch Kansas’ leads to double digits.

Hawkins picked up his fourth foul with 10:31 left.

Giles missed a shot in the lane, but came around to get his own rebound and followed with a dunk to put KU ahead 51-38.

Powe ended his and Cal’s long scoring drought with a lay-in.

But a steal by KU allowed Moody to throw a lob to Giles, which he stuffed home for his 13th points to put KU ahead 53-40 with just over nine minutes remaining.

Downs followed his own shot with a putback for the 15-point lead.

KU has outrebounded Cal 36-27.

Chalmers hit one of two free throws and the Jayhawks got the ball back and in the hands to Giles who scored on a turnaround for the 58-41 lead with under seven minutes to go.

Powe hit a long jumper to give him 12 points to go with 10 rebounds.

Martin Smith’s lay-up for Cal gave them a short spark, forcing KU coach Bill Self to call a timeout with 4:43 left and KU leading 59-48.

Rush hit a fadeway jumper from the baseline to give him 10 second half points and stretch KU’s lead to 61-48 with 3:40 to go.

KU is 13-of-28 shooting in the second half, while Cal is just 6-of-28.

Powe hit another long jumper to cut KU’s lead to single digits with a little more than two minutes to go.

Rush hit two free throws to put KU up 63-52 with 1:53 to go.

Wilkes hit a pair of free throws, but Vinson hit two charities of his own. Then went back to the line and hit two more for the 67-54 lead with 1:00 to go.

Giles added the exclamation point with a thunderous jam off a lob from Rush in KU’s 69-56.

Halftime

Despite starting the game with a 1-of-10 shooting effort or nine turnovers in the first 10 minutes, KU has clawed back to within three points at halftime.

The Jayhawks received a nice scoring spurt late in the half from Julian Wright who has scored seven points along with C.J Giles.

Former Jayhawk Omar Wilkes leads Cal with nine points, while Leon Powe scored eight points early. Kansas has hit 5-of-10 three-pointers and both teams are about even on field goal shooting: KU was 12-of-27 and Cal is 12-of-25.

KU’s bench outscoed Cal’s 15-2. The two teams combined for 25 turnovers.

First Half Action

California won the tip and star Leon Powe got a ball to roll in for a quick 2-0 lead.

But KU’s Jeff Hawkins came right down the court and hit a three to put the Jayhawks ahead.

Cal committed back-to-back turnovers, but KU turned the ball back to the Golden Bears.

Powe got another ball to roll in, but before the shot the 6-8 forward traveled to negate the basket.

With 17:15 to go in the half, Hawkins picked up his second foul and Mario Chalmers came in to the contest.

Powe hit a pair of free throws to put the Bears back on top as the Jayhawks were whistled for their fourth foul in the first three minutes.

Cal took a 7-3 lead on a three by Ayinde Ubaka heading into the first television timeout with 15:33 to go.

KU came out of the break with a tunover on the inbounds pass, the Jayhawks’ fourth of the game.

A drive by Russell Robinson wouldn’t fall and a point-blank putback by Brandon Rush bounced out that made KU just 1-of-8 from the field and has not scored in the last 5:20.

Cal hasn’t been much better, hitting just 2-of-9 shots.

Kansas has seven turnovers as both teams have combined for 12 tunovers in the first seven minutes.

Golden Bear Richard Midgley knocked down another triple for Cal to put the Bears up 10-3 with 12:40 to go.

Midgley hit another jumper for the 12-3 advantage.

With 11:48 to go Micah Downs broke the Jayhawks’ scoring drought with a three.

A bucket by Cal was followed by another three by Robinson to cut KU’s deficit to 14-9 with a little over 11 minutes to play in the first half.

Powe answered with another basket in the lane.

Kansas has nine turnovers in the first 10 minutes.

KU is 3-of-5 from three-point range and 0-of-8 from two-point range.

With 9:12 to go, KU senior Christian Moody scored the Jayhawks first deuce with an entry pass from Robinson that he converted for an easy lay-in to cut the score to 16-11.

A missed shot by Hawkins was tipped back in on a thunderous jam by C.J. Giles.

But Giles got a charge back the other way for KU’s eighth foul, Cal has three.

With 6:46 to go, Downs tied the game with a three from the right corner.

Cal’s Ubaka came back to hit a three, but Hawkins answered on the other end with his second three of the contest to knot the game again.

Devon Hardin hit a pair of free throws with 5:22 to go to put Cal up 21-19.

Powe banged into Giles for a basket to put the Bears up four, but Giles answered with a hoop and foul. The sophomore converted the three-point play to cut Cal’s lead to one.

Ubaka scored his eighth points off a quick jumper.

KU’s Julian Wright went to the line with 4:09 left in the half and hit a free throw to cut Cal’s lead to 25-23.

Omar Wilkes got a rebound and scored his first basket on a three from the left corner.

Wright kissed a shot off the glass to make the score 28-25.

Wilkes hit a free throw with 3:10 to go to put Cal up four, then came back and hit another one for the 30-25 lead with 2:29 to go.

Giles, who leads KU with seven points, got a lay-in inside.

Wilkes stole a pass and easily coasted in for the unconsted lay-up. KU has committed 12 tunovers.

Wright took a feed from Giles for a slam to make the score 32-29 with a little over a minute left.

Wright came right back and hit a midrange jumper to cut Cal’s lead to one.

Wilkes took a ball from Powe and silenced the crowd with a turnaround dunk to put Cal up 34-31. Wilkes’ bucket gave him nine points as Cal headed into the break with the three-point lead.

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