Sunday, April 06, 2003
Copyright © Las Vegas Review-Journal

Jayhawks make it look easy, stomp Marquette by 33

By STEVE CARP
REVIEW-JOURNAL

Kansas coach Roy Williams looks down at Dwyane Wade after the Marquette player got hit in the nose in the second half of their NCAA semifinal Saturday. Photo by Associated Press Kansas guard Kirk Hinrich reacts after making a 3-point basket in the first half against Marquette on Saturday. Photo by Associated Press

NEW ORLEANS -- After watching Kansas run a 40-minute layup drill against Marquette on Saturday at the Louisiana Superdome, a nation of basketball fans must have wondered, "OK, nice practice. When does the game start?"

For Kansas, the Final Four will begin for real Monday when it meets Syracuse for the national championship, the result of the Jayhawks' 94-61 semifinal victory over Marquette, a game they led by 43 early in the second half.

For the beleaguered Marquette supporters among the crowd of 54,432, they never got a chance to enjoy their school's first Final Four appearance in 26 years. The Golden Eagles (27-6) were finished long before the first half ended with the Jayhawks leading by 29.

"Needless to say, the first 25-30 minutes were sensational," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "To look up and see that margin emphasizes how well we played."

The Jayhawks, who improved to 30-7, ran from the opening tip and never slowed up. Their transition offense destroyed Marquette, and the few times the Golden Eagles managed to get back on defense, Kansas bullied them inside.

"We let our defense take control, and we were making things tough on them," Kansas senior guard Kirk Hinrich said. "When we get stops and are able to get out and run like that, we're a tough team to beat."

One minute, the game was tied at 12, but seemingly within a blink, Kansas shot ahead 35-16. The Jayhawks were getting whatever they wanted, whenever they wanted -- fast-break layups, dunks, jump shots in transition, wide-open 3-point shots from all over.

"The biggest thing for us was that we kept attacking," Williams said. "We talked in the locker room before the game about how important it was not to let up in this situation."

Marquette coach Tom Crean twice called timeout, hoping his team could regain some semblance of composure, but it was futile. Kansas closed the half with an impressive 18-4 run to lead 59-30 at the break. The Jayhawks' point total was the third-highest ever in the national semifinals.

Though Marquette shot awfully in the first half (11 of 43), the Golden Eagles' inability to defend was more befuddling. How could a team with a 68-point defensive average, a team that had controlled Kentucky so effectively last week, play so ineptly when it mattered most?

"They made it tough for us to score, and we haven't had a day like this all year," Crean said. "We could never get that run going to get our confidence going."

Things only got worse for Marquette when Kansas began the second half with another 18-4 run for a 77-34 lead. The Golden Eagles wound up shooting a season-low 31 percent.

"We're extremely disappointed with how we played," Marquette guard Travis Diener said. "We'll have to live with this game forever."

Marquette could only marvel at the Jayhawks' unselfish, precision performance. Kansas had five scorers in double figures, led by sophomore guard Keith Langford, who had 17 points in the first half and finished with 23.

"I was able to find some gaps and other guys found gaps," Langford said of Kansas' offensive cakewalk. "(Marquette players) were celebrating a couple of times after they scored, and we just kept running past them and scoring."

Meanwhile, Marquette star Dwyane Wade never got going. He struggled against Hinrich's strong defense, scored his 19 points in sporadic fashion (shooting 7 of 15) and was unable to lift his team.

"We didn't get into the flow on offense," Wade said. "We got out of position and forced some shots. But Kansas' transition game was unbelievable. It just wasn't our night."