Kansas Beats Oregon to Advance to Atlanta
March 24, 2002 | Men's Basketball
Nick Collison scored a team-high 25 points and Drew Gooden added 18 points and a game-high 20 rebounds to lead Kansas past Oregon, 104-86, and into a berth in next weekend 's Final Four at the Georgia Dome in Atlanta.
The No. 1-seeded Jayhawks won the Midwest Regional Sunday over No. 2 Oregon at the University of Wisconsin's Kohl Center behind 49-percent field goal shooting and a lopsided 63-34 rebounding edge. The Ducks, who got a game-high 32 points from Frederick Jones, shot 41 percent from the floor.
Except for a 40-40 tie late in the first half, the Jayhawks led from start to finish, though they held off several runs by the Ducks. Oregon's last gasp came when it closed to within 77-72 with 8:06 left to play, but KU responded by finishing the game on a 27-14 run.
Collison and Gooden combined to make 19-33 from the floor and grab 35 rebounds, one more than the entire Oregon team. Keith Langford scored 20 points, and Kirk Hinrich and Jeff Boschee added 14 and 10 points, respectively, for KU. Anthony Lever tallied 13 points for the Ducks and Luke Jackson finished with 10 points and 10 rebounds.
Gooden was the named the Midwest Regional's Most Outstanding Player. He was joined on the all-tournament team by teammates Nick Collison and Keith Langford, as well as Oregon's Luke Ridnour and Frederick Jones, and Texas ' James Thomas.
Other Game Notes
--Kansas advances to the Final Four for the first time since 1993. KU is making its 11th trip all-time to the Final Four and its third under Roy Williams. With Oklahoma advancing yesterday, it marks the first time in Big 12 Conference history that two schools will advance to the Final Four. Kansas and Oklahoma, then members of the Big Eight Conference, played in the championship game of the 1988 Final Four. KU has recorded three-straight wins over Oregon and leads the series 3-2.
--Kansas went on an 11-2 run to take its largest lead of the first half (34-21) at the 8:45 mark. Oregon trailed 40-28 with 5:39 left in the first half, but made five of its next six shots during a 12-0 run to tie the game 40-40. Oregon never led in the game.
--Oregon's 42 points is the most allowed by Kansas team in a first half since March 3, 2002, when the Jayhawks led Missouri, 54-45, at halftime. Kansas is 30-0 when leading at halftime.
--KU's 104 points are the most allowed by Oregon in a non-overtime game this season and the most allowed by Oregon ever in a NCAA Tournament game. The 18-point margin is the Ducks' largest margin of defeat this season. Kansas' 104 points was the second most scored by a Jayhawk team ever in NCAA Tournament action.
--The 104 points set a new Kohl Center scoring record for men replacing 94 points by the Badger team vs. Ohio State 2-6-02.
--Kansas has held 45 of its last 46 opponents under 50 percent shooting dating back to last season.
--Kansas' 63 rebounds is the second-most recorded by a Jayhawk team this year and the second-highest rebound margin. Both are behind a 65-32 advantage over South Carolina State Dec. 15, 2001. The 26 offensive rebounds is second-highest total by a Jayhawk team this season, trailing a 29 offensive rebound effort vs. South Carolina State. It's the most rebounds allowed by an Oregon opponent this season ' the previous opponent high was 48 by Stanford Feb. 7, 2002. KU has outrebounded 30 of 36 opponents this season. KU's 63 rebounds is the second-highest total ever by a KU team in NCAA Tournament play.
--Oregon's 34 field goals ties the most field goals made by a KU opponent in NCAA Tournament history.
--Oregon has made at least six three-pointers in 17 straight games.
--Five team and two individual Kohl Center records were set or tied in today's game
Team Records:
Points: 104 by Kansas
Field Goals Made: 40 by Kansas
Field Goal Attempts: 84 by Oregon
Rebounds: 63 by Kansas
Assists: 21 by Oregon (tied the record)
Individual Records:
Rebounds: 20 by Drew Gooden, Kansas
Assists: 8 by Aaron Miles, Kansas (tied the record)
--With 18 points and 20 rebounds, KU's Drew Gooden tallied his 25th double double of the season and his 44th of his career. Gooden has scored in double figures in every game this season and in 62 of his last 64 games. Today's game marks the third time during Gooden's career he's recorded 20 or more rebounds. Gooden passed Wilt Chamberlain for fifth place on KU's all-time career rebound list with 896 career rebounds. Gooden moved into 12th place on the all-time career scoring chart, passing Ron Kellogg.
--KU's Nick Collison, who scored all 11 of his points vs. Illinois in the second half of Friday's game, scored 15 points in the first half of today's game. Collison has scored in double figures in 33 of his last 37 games dating back to last season. Collison's 25 points is a personal best during his nine-game NCAA Tournament career ' he scored 23 points vs. Cal State Northridge and Illinois. His 12 field goals and 20 field goal attempts were both career highs. Collison passed Adonis Jordan for 18th place on KU's career scoring chart.
--KU's Jeff Boschee became the Big 12 Conference's career leader in three-point goals in today's game. Boschee has made 333 three-pointers during his 136-game career. Missouri's Clarence Gilbert finished his career last night with 332 three-point goals. Boschee has made at least one three-pointer in 35-straight games and in 126 of 136 career games played.
--KU's Kirk Hinrich's five steals tied his career high. With 14 points today, Hinrich has scored in double figures in 33 of his last 37 games dating back to last season.
--KU's Keith Langford pulled down a career-high eight rebounds. His previous best was seven vs. Oklahoma, Jan. 19, 2002.
--Oregon's Frederick Jones's 32 points is the fourth time he's scored 30 or more points in his career, and the third time this season. He is only the second player to score more than 30 points vs. Kansas this season. Jones moved into fifth on all-time scoring list (1,642) and second place on the single-season scoring list (650). He also tied the single-season school record for steals with 63, tying the record of Terrell Brandon (1990-91).
--Oregon's Luke Jackson pulled down a season-high 10 rebounds. He recorded his second career double-double and first this season.
--Oregon's Anthony Lever finished with the single-season school record in three-point field-goal percentage at 50.0 (53-of-106).
--Oregon's Luke Ridnour finished one shy of the single-season school record for three-pointers with 93. It was only the fourth time this season he was held under double digits.
