Colorado University Athletics
Colorado
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Kansas
Buffs Fall To Kansas, 97-85
January 05, 2002 | Men's Basketball
BOULDER - Drew Gooden had 27 points, 14 rebounds, two steals and a blocked shot, leaving the opposing coach in awe.
"Gooden showed why he's a future NBA lottery pick," Colorado coach Ricardo Patton said Saturday night after his Buffaloes bowed to No. 2 Kansas 97-85.
Gooden had 16 points and 10 rebounds in the second half, helping the Jayhawks (12-1) pull away from the stubborn Buffs (8-3).
Kansas' 6-foot-10 junior forward was not perfect, however.
"Drew was all over the boards again in the second half," Kansas coach Roy Williams said of the nation's leading rebounder. "But he can't turn the ball over eight times like that."
The Jayhawks used a 51-33 rebounding advantage to help offset an 18-12 turnover deficit.
"I tried to use my quickness on the boards," Gooden said. "Even when I picked up my fourth foul (with 3:24 left), I wasn't going to let that keep me off the boards."
Jeff Boschee added 20 points and Kirk Hinrich 19 as Kansas won the Big 12 opener and posted its 25th straight victory over Colorado. But the Jayhawks needed a 10-0 run late in the game to do it.
It was the 12th straight victory for Kansas, which lost its season-opener to Ball State. The loss snapped Colorado's five-game winning streak.
David Harrison and Mookie Wright had 13 points apiece to pace six Colorado players in double figures.
Colorado, which trailed 51-46 at halftime, cut the deficit to three points on five occasions in the second half but could get no closer.
Michel Morandais' off-the-glass baseline jumper got Colorado within 73-70, but Boschee promptly hit a 3-pointer with 7:25 left.
"To me, I think the biggest play was when we were up by three and Jeff made that 3 from the corner to take it back to six," Williams said.
Harrison's basket cut the Kansas lead to 78-75 with 5:59 left, but Gooden hit a layup on the Jayhawks' fourth shot of a possession to trigger the 10-point run. Boschee hit four free throws and freshman Keith Langford had two fastbreak layups as the Jayhawks went up 88-75 with 3:56 to go.
Boschee hit four more free throws down the stretch as Colorado got no closer than seven points thereafter.
Williams praised Hinrich for "settling the whole team down in the second half. Kirk made plays all night. He really gives us that savvy."
"Kansas showed why they're the No. 2 team in the country," Patton said. "They're a very aggressive and physical team. Our guys really wanted it, but we're not deep enough and we got pounded on the glass."
Kansas led by as many as nine points in the first half, thanks to Hinrich's 14 points.
Wright hit two jumpers to open the game, but the Jayhawks countered with six straight points, including two baskets by Boschee.
Morandais' layup put Colorado up 10-6, but Hinrich followed with a three-point play. Kansas took the lead for good, 19-16, on Hinrich's 3-pointer with 12:50 left in the half.
Hinrich's fastbreak layup and free throw made it 24-18, and Wayne Simien's layup on an overhead pass from the key by Nick Collison gave the Jayhawks a 28-21 advantage.
Back-to-back baskets by Stephane Pelle cut the deficit to 31-29 before Gooden's fastbreak slam helped pad the margin to six.
Three-point baskets by Wright and Nick Mohr twice reduced the deficit to a point, but Hinrich's fastbreak layup three minutes later made it 49-40.
Harrison, Colorado's 7-foot freshman center, reinjured his right ankle just 4:30 into the game and played only nine minutes in the half, scoring eight points.
Harrison was sidelined by foul trouble for much of the second half, picking up his third and fourth fouls in the first six minutes of the half.
Gooden's layup started an 8-0 spurt early the second half, but Colorado kept pace. Back-to-back 3-pointers by Blair Wilson got the Buffs within 69-66 midway through the second half.
