By CHUCK SCHOFFNER, AP Sports Writer
January 7, 2003
AMES, Iowa (AP) -- Leading rebounder Wayne Simien was out with a dislocated shoulder. Reserve Moulaye Niang was back home in Senegal. Shooting guard Kirk Hinrich went 2-for-11.
It should have been a long, tough night for Kansas. Thanks to Nick Collison, it was a breeze.
Behind Collison's career-high 31 points, No. 14 Kansas began defense of its Big 12 championship by handing Iowa State its worst loss ever in Hilton Coliseum, 83-54 on Monday night.
``We definitely needed some people to step up with Wayne being out and we got that,'' Hinrich said.
No one answered the challenge with more gusto than Collison, a senior from Iowa Falls, Iowa, who made the most of his final college game in his home state.
Collison made 11 of 15 shots, including a 3-pointer, in topping his previous best of 28 points against Missouri last season. He also grabbed eight rebounds, made four steals and blocked a shot.
``This was great for me,'' Collison said. ``I don't think it could have gone any better my last time playing here, to walk off the court with a smile on your face, a big win like that with a lot of your friends and family in the crowd. It was a lot of fun.''
For Collison, maybe. For the newcomers who had helped Iowa State to a 10-1 start, their Big 12 opener was a slap in the face.
Junior-college transfer Jackson Vroman fouled out trying to guard Collison, finishing with seven points and six rebounds. Point guard Tim Barnes, another JC transfer, had as many turnovers (six) as points. Freshman Adam Haluska managed only two points on 1-for-6 shooting.
This wasn't Arkansas-Pine Bluff or Coe College, two of the Cyclones' earlier opponents.
``We never quit, but I thought we got discouraged,'' Iowa State coach Larry Eustachy said. ``We just froze, from A to Z, every player.''
Kansas (10-3) won it in the first 8 minutes. The Jayhawks jumped to a 22-2 lead as Iowa State got nothing on 18 of its first 19 possessions, missing 11 shots and turning it over seven times against the Jayhawks' relentless man-to-man defense.
Iowa State didn't make a basket until Marcus Jefferson hit a short bank shot with 11:22 left in the half. After Kansas went up by 20, Iowa State never got closer than 14.
``I think it's about as good as we've played this year defensively,'' said Hinrich, who's from Sioux City, Iowa. ``It feels really good to get a win here because the first couple of years, they beat up on us pretty good.''
Iowa State had defeated Kansas five straight times before the Jayhawks swept both games last season while going 16-0 in the Big 12. Kansas now has won 21 straight regular-season conference games since a 79-71 loss at Iowa State on Feb. 17, 2001.
``It's something for Nick to win two in a row here,'' Kansas coach Roy Williams said. ``He came up here his first two years, he and Kirk, and we lost and they took a lot of abuse.''
Keith Langford added 15 points and Aaron Miles 13 for Kansas, which made 14 steals in forcing 20 turnovers.
Jared Homan led Iowa State with 14 points. Jake Sullivan, leading Iowa State with an 18.7 scoring average, missed his first six shots and finished with 13 points on 6-for-17 shooting. The Cyclones shot 29 percent in the first half, and 36.7 percent for the game.
``You don't really get this look in practice,'' Haluska said. ``We practice against the white team and they're not Kansas. When you come out, it's almost a shock to see them.''
Collison said the Jayhawks' early schedule helped them get ready for their league opener. They have played North Carolina, Florida, Oregon, Tulsa and UCLA.
``It was no fun losing those three games early, but we found what was wrong with our team and we've taken steps to fix that,'' Collison said. ``If we had played Arkansas-Pine Bluff and Coe College, we wouldn't have been able to come in here and win like this.''
Updated on Tuesday, Jan 7, 2003 4:40 am, EST
Email to a Friend | View Popular
|
