Leave it to one of Kansas’ steadiest seniors to save the day on Senior Night.
Ryan Robertson — the same Robertson who missed eight of 10 floor shots — drew a foul on a three-point shot at the buzzer of the first overtime, then cashed his first of three free throw tries to give the Jayhawks a 67-66 victory over Oklahoma State on Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
“I thought it was so fitting,” KU coach Roy Williams said. “I didn’t even watch him shoot the last free throw, I watched our bench. It was a great, great scenario, but there was a lot of pressure on Ryan, also. I told Ryan I wish I could give him a picture of his teammates’ faces. It’s one of those special moments.”
And what did the faces of the Jayhawks look like when Robertson’s free throw busted a 66-66 tie and ended the game?
“I’m not intelligent enough to describe it,” Williams said.
He was intelligent enough to create a pair of plays that won the game in overtime.
First, Glendon Alexander threw in a long three-pointer to tie the game at 66-66 with 2.2 seconds left.
After a time out, KU center Eric Chenowith (tied a career high with 25 points) fired a baseball pass to point guard Jeff Boschee near halfcourt, Boschee making a nice catch and calling time at 1.6 seconds.
After a time out, Chenowith then fired a baseball pass to Robertson, who had received a pair of screens from teammates.
Robertson retrieved the ball near the three-point circle, dribbled and was hacked by Adrian Peterson as he forced a lean-in jumper just before the buzzer.
Referee Scott Thornley called the foul, sending Robertson to the line for three free throws. He only needed one to win the game.
“It’s one of the few times in coaching you draw something up and it works,” Williams said. “We drew it up during a full time out and the kids executed it. I hoped Ryan would get the pass foul line extended. He made a heck of a play. He had to come out farther than we thought to get it.”
It was sweet justice for Williams, who designed a similar play years ago as coach of JV team at North Carolina. The play worked but the shot went in after the final buzzer had sounded.
Williams said he felt Robertson definitely was fouled by Peterson.
“I thought he clearly got fouled,” Williams said. “I’ve heard guys say, `Let the players decide it.’ That’s garbage. If a foul is made, call it, don’t swallow it (whistle). If there is a foul in basketball it should be called no matter what time of the game.”
The Jayhawks were confident Robertson would deliver at the line.
“It was money,” senior Jelani Janisse said. Making his first start on Senior Night along with Chris Martin, and regular starter T.J. Pugh, Janisse scored KU’s first bucket on a driving layup. “I mean I’d be confident if Ryan had just one free throw. He had three chances. I knew he’d make it.”
“I immediately thought, `This is a perfect way for Ryan to go out,”‘ said freshman guard Jeff Boschee. “For a senior to make a free throw with no time left … that’s picture perfect.”
Boschee made it possible by retrieving Chenowith’s baseball pass before halfcourt and calling time.
“Coach said he was proud of me for catching it. It started to tail away,” Boschee said. “I followed it into my stomach. I knew I had to keep my eye on the ball.”
Chenowith was as proud of the baseball passes to Boschee and Robertson as his 25 points.
“I was hoping coach Randall (Bobby, KU baseball coach) would see it because I always tease him about pitching for him,” Chenowith grinned.
The Jayhawks (19-8, 11-4) weren’t laughing when red-hot Joe Adkins hit three three-pointers in an 11-2 run that tied the game at 56-56. OSU actually had a chance to win in regulation, Desmond Mason missing a 12-footer at the regulation buzzer.
“I was proud of the way we guarded their three-pointers,” Williams said. “The one Alexander hit (in OT) was over Eric Chenowith.
Chenowith scored 15 points the first half, but Kansas lagged, 31-29, at the break. Pugh did give the Jayhawks some momentum, however, sticking a 12 footer with two seconds left in the half.
Bolstered by a driving layup by Janisse, the Jayhawks stormed to a 6-0 lead. However, OSU’s Doug Gottlieb, who opened the game wearing his shorts on backwards — he actually removed his shorts, putting them on the right way during a time out at 12:40 — hit a three as did Peterson, tying the score early.
The Jayhawks led 11-7 at 12:18. Six different Cowboys scored in an 11-1 run that gave OSU an 18-12 lead at 7:14. Chenowith scored two points and Jeff Boschee five in a 7-0 spurt that cut the gap to 19-18 at 5:53.
The Jayhawks led 40-33 after an ran 11-0 run concluded with 13:52 left. That spurt was interrupted when a fan ran on the court before bolting for the stands and being escorted by police.
KU led 44-36 at 9:22 and 52-45 at 3:38 before Adkins took over.
“I’ll tell you what I told Eddie (Sutton, OSU coach) and my players in the locker room,” Williams said. “I thought at one point, ‘Gosh are we lucky.’ Then I thought, ‘Gosh are they lucky.’ Then ‘Gosh are we lucky. Gosh are they lucky.’ We were the last lucky ones tonight.”
KU will next meet Iowa State at 1:05 p.m. Sunday in Ames.
Gary Bedore’s phone number is 832-7186. His email address is gbedore@ljworld.com
