So many Kansas teams have shown up throughout the first third of the 2006-07 season, but the right one needs to shot up for the Jayhawks to have a shot today in their most challenging home non-conference game of the year.
The Jayhawks welcome Boston College to Allen Fieldhouse for just the second ever meeting between the two schools. The first was a 78-62 BC win in 1969.
The key to stopping Boston College will start and finish with No. 3 – senior forward Jared Dudley, who averages 19.3 points and 9.1 rebounds per game for the 7-2 Eagles, who have won six straight following a 1-2 start.
For KU, this is the first of four remaining non-conference games before the Jan. 10 Big 12 opener at home against Oklahoma State.
FIRST HALF
KU won the opening tip, but a quick turnover gave BC the ball within seconds under their own hoop.
BC did the same on an inbounds on the opposite end, but then Brandon Rush lost the ball off of his knee attacking the oop in transition.
Rush started the game’s scoring a little over a minute in by hitting a long two from the right wing after the game’s fourth turnover in just over a minute. Boston College evened it, though on a tip-in from Ekida McLain, starting for the injured John Oates.
Sasha Kaun put KU up on a pushed possession which finished on a quick turnaround by teh junior in which he used the glass effectively. McLain scored again to tie it up on a mid-range jumper from straight on.
Boston College took its first lead of the game in transition off of a Jared Dudley rebound, and the drive culminated in him taking a sweet dish inside from Tyrese Rice to put BC ahead 6-4.
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After KU turned the ball over on the inbounds pass out of the timeout, Mario Chalmers took the pill right back in dropped in a quick jumper to tie the game. But Brandon Rush was whistled for a foul just seconds later on the trip back down the floor. After the break, Dudley lost the ball in traffic inside. Brandon Rush put KU up 8-6 driving the baseline on the other end.
Darrell Arthur missed a short-range shot with KU still leading two, and then he fouled Tyrese Rice on a drive on the other end. Rice it two free throws to tie the game once again.
Rush, though continued his hot start after a tipped around offensive rebound. He pulled the ball back and gave himself seven points in the early going. But Sean Marshal answered immediately for BC with an easy layup, pulling the Eagles close at 11-10.
After an offensive foul was called an Shamari Spears, Darrell Arthur scored his frst points of the game on a jumper in the paint. Mario Chalmers then earned a trip to the free throw line after forcing a turnover on a successful backcourt trap.
Chalmers hit one of two free throws, and then after Sean Marshall aired a three-pointer, he had a wide-open fastbreak layin to put KU up 16-10 with 11:38 to play until halftime.
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Jared Dudley followed his own miss out of a television timeout, and then off of a Tyler Neville swat on Darrell Arthur, Sean Williams threw down an alley-oop slam to pull Boston College back within two, 16-14.
Jared Dudley ripped down a defensive board, and Marques Haynes showed tons of confidence in hitting a pullback jumper to tie the game and force Bill Self to whistle a quick timeout.
Right out of the short break, Russell Robinson was called for a travel.
Sasha Kaun blocked a BC shot, and Julian Wright scored two inside in tough fashion to put KU back up 18-16.
After that, a BC travel turned into three points on a deep shot from Mario Chalmers. But Jared Dudley’s emotion showed on a quick trip back down. He was hacked going to the rack, and on top of his layup, he hit a free throw to make it 21-19.
Sasha Kaun returned the favor on a second chance layup while being fouled. He hit his free throw to balloon KU’s lead back up to five points.
The sloppiness continued when three straight failed lobs took place in succession, but Chalmers ended it by hitting his second three of the game to put Kansas up 27-19.
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Sean Williams hit one of two free throws out of the break to pull Boston College within seven, and Shamari Spears was called for his second foul of teh game attempting to rebound the missed second shot. Sasha Kaun returned the favor by hitting one of two.
After Haynes missed a three-pointer with the shot clock winding down, Brandon Rush took a deep feed and hit a reverse layin to put KU up 30-20, fresh in off of the bench.
Julian Wright hit an awkward looking three after another bad BC possession to put KU up 33-20 and really get the Fieldhouse crowd in the game. Dudley then misfired from three and KU wound up witht he ball after a down low scramble. The result was a one-handed, soaring Sasha Kaun slam on a pass from Julian Wright.
BC coach Al Skinner had to finally whistle for a timeout after another turnover, this time turning into a Brandon Rush slam while being fouled, putting KU up 37-20.
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Rush hit the free throw out of the timeout to push KU’s run to 22-4 over the last five minutes of gameplay.
Sean Williams finally ended BC’s offensive drought by hitting a free throw line jumper to make it a 38-22 game.
He had a chance to pull the Eagles closer, but missed the front end of a bonus trip to the line, and Darrell Arthur was called for another fould under the hoop on KU’s next trip with the ball. But BC again missed the front end, coming up with nothing.
Darnell Jackson hit a pair of free throws on the other end to put KU up 40-22, giving him his first points of the game.
Chalmers hit yet another three with less than two minutes to go putting KU up 43-22, giving him a game-high 14 points.
Sean Williams finally canned a free throw making it 43-23 with just over a minute left until the break.
Darnell Jackson was credited for his first field goal of the game on a goaltending call inside on Sean Williams, putting KU again up by 22 points. A block on the other end gave KU the final possession.
It turned to nothing, but KU pulled a 45-23 lead into the half, with Mario Chalmers leading the way with 14 points. Brandon Rush also has 11 for KU.
SECOND HALF
A pair of laughable missed dunks off of the front rim, one from Julian Wright and one from Sean Marshall, started the second half, but Wright and Jared Dudley traded free throws to start the scoring. Russell Robinson got the first field goal of the half on an open layup inside.
KU got its lead up to 23 points after Darrell Arthur was fouled on a dunk attempt. He hit both free throws, and then Mario Chalmers casually put home a layin in transition to make it a 53-28 game.
Brandon Rush answered a Sean Williams hoop with two more tough inside points, and he added a free throw to push the lead to 26 points for the Jayhawks.
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Jared Dudley hit a pair of free throws to give him 14 points and eight boards on the afternoon, but a Darnell jackson tipin negated them. Sean Williams scored again quickly for BC to make it a 58-35 game.
Marquez Haynes kept the momentum going for the Eagles, hitting a three from the left side to make it a 20-point game, but Russell Robinson then took some back by swooping into the lane to hit Wright for an easy layup.
Sean Williams and Darnell Jackson traded free throws, and a Shamari Spears jumper from the free throw line again made it a 20-point game, as KU seemed to have found a comfort level right around the 20-point barrier.
Tyrese Rice hit four straight free throws for Boston College as the Eagles finally chipped the lead to under the 20-point mark at 64-45.
Rice then put home a fast break layup to make it a 65-47 game moments later with 8:54 to play.
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A Williams slam and a Tyrese Rice three again made it somewhate of a game at 67-52 with seven minutes to play, but Mario Chalmers boosted his point total to 18 with a running short jumper.
Out of another timeout, Sean Williams hit two more free throws, but Chalmers continued to answer with a tough drive, giving him 20 points on the day. Julian Wright then tipped in a ball off the rim to push KU’s lead back up to 19.
Williams continued to answer, giving himself 17 points, 13 boards and six blocks on the day, but KU’s team effort so far has made it pretty much moot.
A Sean Marshall three made it again a 15-point game, and KU was subsequently called for a moving screen, giving the ball back to BC.
Marquez Haynes then drove to score, pulling BC within 13 at 74-61 with 3:57 to go.
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After Russell Robinson hit a couple of free throws, Sean Williams scored again while getting fouled, but a lane violation took away an offensive rebound off of the free throw miss, keeping it at a 13-point margin.
Russell Robinson then dropped in a layup after a Julian Wright dunk was stuffed back by Williams. A Haynes missed three put the ball back in KU’s hands, but it was turned over quickly and Haynes was fouled going up in transition. He missed both free throws, keeping it a 15-point game with less than two minutes to play.
Chalmers though stole another BC pass and coasted in, wedging his body next to Dudley for a layup, giving him 22 points.
Marquez Haynes answered with a three-pointer to make it a 14-point game. A Darnell Jackson dunk put it back up to 16 points with less than a minute to go.
KU put the finishing touches on, making it an 84-66 final. Mario Chalmers led all scorers with 22 points, Brandon Rush had 15, Julian Wright 13 and Darnell Jackson 11 for KU. Sean Williams had 19 points, 14 rebounds and seven blocks for BC.
KU, now 10-2, hosts Detroit Thursday at Allen Fieldhouse.
