University of Colorado Athletics
Classic CU: Buffs Knock Off No. 6 KU By 3 ... In 1967
NOTE: It came to our attention that Saturday's 75-72 thriller over No. 6 Kansas wasn't the first time the Buffaloes beat No. 6 Kansas by three points at home in the final seconds, it also happened on January 7, 1967. The below story ran in the Daily Camera the following day, written by the legendary Dan Creedon. The story refers to Kansas as No. 7, which was their AP rank at game time, however the UPI had the Jayhawks ranked No. 6. Enojy!
By Dan Creedon, Boulder Daily Camera
BOULDER--If Bear Bryant can walk on water, so can Sox Walseth.
That was the attitude of many an ardent Colorado boosters Tuesday night after WalsethGÇÖs wounded Buff basketball squad worked another miracle to climb back into first place in the Big Eight.
Shorn of its two best playmakers and outside defenders GÇô Chuck Williams and Lynn Baker GÇô in less than 48 hours last weekend, Colorado was given little or no chance against Kansas, the nationGÇÖs No. 7 ranked team, here on Tuesday night.
But as 6,000 partisan CU field-house fans raised almost as loud a fury as did the 100 mile per hour winds that lashed Boulder Sunday night, the Buffs methodically chopped down Kansas 62-59 in what will rank as one of the biggest upsets of this, or any other, hoop season.
Forced to re-work his personnel for the second time in less than a month because of injuries, and this time with only one practice session to get the job done in, Walseth had all the right answers Tuesday night.
Two players who might have been on the bench if it werenGÇÖt for the injuries GÇô 6-7 center Steve Rowe and 6-4 guard Mike Rebich GÇô were the heroes, although not the top scorers, in TuesdayGÇÖs stunner.
Rowe hits Decisive Point
Rowe, a senior, capped the finest night of his varsity career by pitching in the tie-breaking free throw with just one second left to play. He then intentionally missed the second foul pitch on the 1-and-1 situation to run out the clock.
When Kansas failed to go for the rebound, CUGÇÖs Bob Bauers went up with the carom to put in a meaningless two-pointer. The CU fieldhouse was empty by the time officials ruled BauersGÇÖ basket had counted.
Rebich, sticking to Kansas backcourt ace Jo Jo White like glue, turned in the key defensive job. White, usually the hawksGÇÖ top scorer in any close game, counted only eight points and had trouble throughout getting the KU attack going.
Rebich also collared 10 rebounds in helping the shorter Buffs to fight KU to a stand-off in the bruising play underneath. KansasGÇÖ rebound edge was an indecisive 42-40.
In reversing a 72-54 Big Eight holiday tournament loss to the Jayhawks, Colorado continued to show amazing accuracy from the field. The Buffs goaled at a 50 per cent pace, thanks mainly to an ability to slip behind the KU defense for 13 layups. Kansas had only three setups.
It was almost an ironman stint by the Buffaloes, who used just seven players and only five GÇô Rebich, Rowe, Bauers, Pat Frink and Karl Tait GÇô in the last 20 minutes. Tait, Bauers and Rebich all went 40 minutes without relief.
Colorado, now 3-1 in league play and 10-5 overall, is one-half game in front of Kansas, Kansas State and Nebraska. Just one game back of the Bison are Oklahoma and Iowa State.
Colorado went in front 22-21 with 7:22 left in the first half, and stayed on top, by as much as seven points at times, until Rodger Bohnenstiehl knotted the count at 59-59 with 2:11 left.
The Buffs might have avoided the heart-stopping finish if they hadnGÇÖt lost all contact with the basket in the last 7 -+ minutes.
After Pat Frink hit a jump shot from the corner with 7:39 to go, to put the Buffs on top 57-50, CU didnGÇÖt get another fielder until BauerGÇÖs follow shot received an OK 15 minutes after the final buzzer went off.
Dry Spell For Heard
In one 5:07 stretch, CU came down the court six straight times without scoring a point, losing the ball twice on turnovers and four times on a total of five straight missed free throws.
Kansas, meanwhile, was having almost as much trouble as the Buffs. After Vernon Vanoy hit a follow shot with 7:22 left and Bohnenstiehl canned a turn jumper from the lane 41 seconds later, to cut the Buff edge to 57-54, Kansas also misfired on four successive trips.
Bohnenstiehl finally cracked the spell with another turn jump with 2:56 to go and KU trailed by only 57-56. Colorado was back on top 24 seconds later when Frink hit two free throws after being hammered by white while going for a layup.
Bohnenstiehl then followed with his clutch three-pointer, running his point total to a game high of 17.
Bohnenstiehl Travels
After Frink missed a charity toss with 1:54 left, Kansas went into a stall game and was playing for one last shot when Bohnenstiehl was whistled for a walking violation with 56 seconds left.
For a moment it looked as if Colorado might not get the final poke at the basket it wanted before settling for a 36-31 halftime advantage, the herdGÇÖs lead fluctuated between two and seven points in the closing half until KU made its late bid for victory.
Bauer led the Buffs in both scoring (15) and rebounding (11). Frink had 14 points and Rowe and Tait 12 each. Every one of TaitGÇÖs points came off of a drive as the 6-4 Colorado Springs senior was the most aggressive Buff at going for the close-in shot.
Ron Franz, very cold in the early moments of the game when he completely missed the basket on three corner push shots, was KUGÇÖs number two scorer with 16 points. But he was only 7 for 18 from the field as Kansas shot at a very average 39.1 percent.