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Rejuvenated Jayhawks

Kansas wears out Okla. St. for 3rd straight Big 12 crown

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Posted: Sunday March 07, 1999 07:20 PM

Oklahoma State's Adrian Peterson is double-teamed by Kansas' Jeff Boschee (left) and Ryan Robertson. AP

KANSAS CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Kansas is still the Big 12's only champion.

Lester Earl scored six of his 11 points an 8-0 run and the Jayhawks pulled away from weary Oklahoma State for a 53-37 victory Sunday in the championship game of the Big 12 tournament.

"We just went out and outworked them and wore them down," said Earl, playing 20 minutes in one of his finest games in a season spent rehabilitating a knee injury.

"We went out there focused and shut them down. You could tell with 10 minutes to go in the stretch that they were tired. When you get tired, you start to miss shots and turn the ball over. I don't mean to say anything bad about them, but they got a little sloppy. You get sloppy when you get tired."

Kansas (22-9) improved to 9-0 in the tournament since the league was formed and earned the automatic bid to the NCAA's field of 64.

"I challenged them last night," Jayhawks coach Roy Williams said. "I said, `We've won this thing every time. I take a great deal of pride in coming here and winning."

The Jayhawks, who needed a free throw by Ryan Robertson with no time left in overtime to beat Oklahoma State on Feb. 22, have won eight straight over the Cowboys.

Oklahoma State (22-10) was playing its fourth game in four days and had nothing left in the second half, shooting a tournament-record 23 percent and going scoreless for eight minutes.

"Physically, I think we hit the wall," Sooners coach Eddie Sutton said. "Mentally and emotionally, we hit the wall. People don't realize it, but the extra day of rest makes a lot of difference. It certainly did in our shooting. If you don't score any points, you're not going to win any games."

Oklahoma State had its lowest point total of the season in shooting worse than a Colorado's 25 percent in the 1997 tournament. The previous low by the Cowboys this season was 43 points in an 11-point loss to Oklahoma Jan. 12.

When Adrian Peterson missed a shot with just under nine minutes remaining, the Cowboys were 10-for-50 from the field. They finished 15-for-65.

"I mean, I got a car and when the gas light goes on, I know I've got a little bit left," Peterson said. "I guess my light must be broken. It seemed like we were just coming up a half-inch short and a half-step late."

Jeff Boschee and Ryan Robertson hit 3-pointers to give the Jayhawks their biggest lead, 36-24, with 15 minutes remaining.

Earl, making moves he wasn't able to make a month ago after two knee surgeries, hit a spinning layup to start the first-half run that put Kansas ahead 23-16 with just over seven minutes left in the half.

A 3-pointer by Joe Adkins brought the Cowboys within 24-21, but Kenny Gregory finished out the half for Kansas with two free throws and a dunk off a fast break.

Glendon Alexander of Oklahoma State hit a jumper for the first points of the second half, but it was all Kansas after that. Alexander, who had averaged 19.3 points in three tournament games, finished with eight points to lead the Cowboys.

Robertson had 11 points for Kansas.

 

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