C O L L E G E _ B A S K E T B A L L


There’s no place
like Maui for Kansas

The Jayhawks blow out Virginia
on their way to the Invitational title
and the No. 1 ranking

By Mike Fitzgerald
Star-Bulletin


LAHAINA, Maui - Thank you, ladies and gentlemen, for attending the Kansas Invitational.

Please drive your tractor home safely.

This wasn't a college basketball tournament, it was an early hoops harvest for the Midwest giants.

The No. 2 - and soon to be No. 1 -Jayhawks turned the rest of the field into bird seed as they took the Maui Invitational title last night by plowing Virginia, 80-63.

Kansas (4-0) was hotter than a prairie fire in the second half, outscoring the Cavaliers 50-33 in the final 20 minutes as the Jayhawks' fans again raised the roof at the Lahaina Civic Center gym.

''We did some really nice things in the second half,'' said Kansas coach Roy Williams said. ''We got a lot of good play from a lot of people.''

Paul Pierce led all scorers with 27 points, nailing 10-of-14 field-goal attempts for Kansas.

Scot Pollard had 17 points and a game-high 13 rebounds for the Jayhawks, while teammate Raef LeFrentz scored 15.

''We got into a tempo going up and down the court which we liked better in the second half,'' Williams added. ''And I think all of that came from our defense.

''Defensively, we were so much better in the second half and really bothered their shots a lot more.''

Kansas shot 55 percent (29 of 53) for the game and outrebounded a big and strong Virginia team, 47-26.

''I think you have to be a very, very good team to hang with us if we play defense like we did,'' said Kansas point guard Ryan Robertson, who is filling in for injured All-American Jacque Vaughn.

The Jayhawks pounded LSU and Cal on their march to the title game.

"In the first half we played very hard,'' said Virginia coach Jeff Jones. ''But they came out in the second half and showed that they are a better team than us and showed that they are a great basketball team.

''They showed experience and tremendous defense.''

Harold Deane led the Cavaliers (2-1) with 14 points.

Despite the loss, Virginia had a strong tournament with victories over South Carolina and Massachusetts.

''We showed that we're a team with a lot of heart,'' Jones said. ''But we aren't quite where we need to be, right now anyway.

"But you won't see our guys hanging their heads, either.''

Still, it was a nonstop Kansas highlight film for all three days of the tournament.

''Our team did very well here,'' Williams said. ''A different guy stepped up for us each night when we needed it.''


Cal 59, Massachusetts 55

The No. 17 Minutemen fell to 1-2 and will likely drop out of the Top 25 after losing the third-place game.

Ed Gray led Cal (2-1) with a game-high 24 points, while Carmelo Travieso topped UMass with 19.


South Carolina 74, LSU 68

The Tigers (2-2) got within two points, 70-68, with 41 seconds remaining, but the Gamecocks (2-1) held on for fifth place.

South Carolina's BJ McKie led all scorers with 24 points.


Iowa 67, Chaminade 37

The roof finally caved in on the host Silverswords (0-3), who were held scoreless for the last 13 minutes of the first half and trailed, 40-8, at the intermission of the seventh-place game.

Darnell Clavon was in double figures for the third straight game and led the Swords with 10 points.

Iowa (2-2) played without three starters for all three games of the tournament.

The all-tournament team was: Ed Gray, Cal, Jerod Haase, Kansas, Courtney Alexander, Virginia, Raef LaFrentz, Kansas, Scot Pollard, Kansas. LaFrentz was named tourney MVP.



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