Posted on 02/03/2007 9:19:16 PM PST by Paleo Conservative
LAWRENCE, Kan. - Acie Law scored 23 points, including the go-ahead 3-pointer with 21 seconds left, and No. 10 Texas A&M took over first place in the Big 12 with a 69-66 victory Saturday night over No. 6 Kansas.The Jayhawks (19-4 overall, 6-2 Big 12) went up 62-52 with 6:33 to play on Sasha Kaun's baseline hook shot. But then Law led the Aggies on a 12-2 spree, capped by a three-point play by Antanas Kavaliauskas that made it 64-all with a minute to play.
Julian Wright worked inside for a bank shot with 45 seconds left that put Kansas back on top 66-64. After a time out by the Aggies (19-3, 7-1), Law drilled a guarded 3-pointer over Brandon Rush and A&M went up 67-66 with 20 seconds to go, their first lead since it was 26-24 in the first half.
After Mario Chalmers missed for Kansas, Law was fouled grabbing the rebound and hit two free throws that gave the Aggies a 69-66 lead with 5.2 seconds to go.
It was the first victory over Kansas in 12 tries for the Aggies, who became the first Big 12 South Division team to win in the Jayhawks' hallowed Allen Fieldhouse since the conference was formed in 1996.
Josh Carter had 11 points for Texas A&M and Joseph Jones and Dominique Kirk each had 10.
Kansas, which had been 31-0 at home against the South, got 18 points from Sherron Collins, 11 from Wright and 10 from Rush, who was only 3-for-13 from the field.
Collins, clearly the Jayhawks' best player all night long, committed a careless mistake that helped fuel A&M's surge. His bad pass was intercepted by the Aggies and Law went down for his three-point play that turned a 64-58 Jayhawk lead into 64-61.
AP Photo
Texas A&M guard Acie Law IV and Kansas
guard Russell Robinson dive for the ball
during the first half of the Aggies'
69-66 victory. The Aggies are now the only
Big 12 South team to have beaten the Jayhawks
at Allen Fieldhouse since the conference
was formed in 1996.With a 30-18 edge, the Jayhawks became the first team all year to outscore the Aggies in the paint. They also outrebounded the visitors 40-29, and appeared to be in position to seize first place in the league after Kaun's hook shot went in for a 62-52 lead.
But then Law capped a quick 6-0 spurt with a short jumper. After Russell Robinson's two free throws, Law went in from the baseline for a hook shot that drew a foul from Rush. He made the free throw that made it 64-61 and then Kavaliauskas completed the comeback with exactly a minute to play.
The Jayhawks shot only 42 percent against an Aggie defense that came in leading the country.
The rough, defense-dominated first half saw 10 lead changes and neither team able to lead by more than three until the Jayhawks closed out on a 5-0 run to take a 35-30 lead.
The Jayhawks' biggest lead was 57-46 with 9:49 to go.
AP Photo
Texas A&M guard Acie Law IV celebrates the Aggies'
victory over Kansas on Saturday in Lawrence. Law scored
23 points to lead A&M to a 69-66 win.
If you want on or off my aerospace ping list, please contact me by Freep mail.
Guess I don't belong on an Aggie ping list...
Nice win, though. It isn't easy getting a win up there. Congrats to your coach beating his old mentor too.
I'd say it's pretty good when you can come from twelve points behind and win a game on in the last ten minutes of the game on the home court of a premeir NCAA basketball program. BTW the court is named the "James Naismith Court".
'EM!!!!!
Whoop!
Great game and a great performance by the team.
I have a mancrush on BCG.
I'm not an Aggie, although my son is.
This was a tremendous win for them. Frankly, the Longhorns have a lot to worry about on Monday.
Never prouder of them and what they've accomplished than to watch them claw their way back into that game.
I have tremendous respect for Self and KU. When they aren't playing us, I'd like to see them win.
Beat the Hell outta tu!
Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.
