SAN JOSE, Calif. — On a night where no three-pointers were allowed, where it was a struggle just to find breathing room amid a stifling Southern Illinois defense, somehow Brandon Rush found a way.

“I didn’t get a great look all night,” the sophomore guard said. “I had to force the issue.”

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Kansas Basketball vs. Southern Illinois

He forced himself into the lane for two points in the final seconds of a 61-58 victory that propelled the Jayhawks into the Elite Eight. They’ll face UCLA on Saturday at 6 p.m.

“I just decided that somebody is going to have to step up and make some plays,” Rush said.

He had to do it from the inside. Southern Illinois decided to cut off the Kansas three-point attack, holding the Jayhawks to just 1-of-6 from behind the arc.

The Jayhawks wanted to play a fast-paced game with lots of possessions, but instead fell victim to the Salukis defense, which was able to keep the number of shots to a minimum. Kansas responded by making those shots count, shooting 60 percent from the field even though it scored just 61 points.

“It was a tough, tough defense,” freshman guard Sherron Collins said. “But I think we gave ourselves the trouble by trying to move too fast and do everything in a hurry.”

It was a learning experience in the opening minutes as the Jayhawks had to figure out how to beat the defense. They quickly learned that calling plays wouldn’t be effective.

“We were shooting in our plays, and they were really good at guessing where the next pass was going,” sophomore forward Julian Wright said. “Coach did a good job of making it to where we shot off of dribble penetration, and that’s how we were able to be aggressive and get better shots.”

Those early struggles could have hurt the Jayhawks toward the end of the first half. With the foul total mounting, they turned to the bench to keep the game manageable without getting anyone into foul trouble.

Junior guard Rodrick Stewart contributed five minutes, and junior forward Darnell Jackson played nine as the Jayhawks maintained a three-point lead going into the locker room.

“Our bench did a great job of holding it down while the starters were out,” Collins said. “They bought time for our starters to come back in and finish the game off.”

The Jayhawks didn’t win in a convincing fashion, though. They let the Salukis hang around all the way to the final buzzer, when their last-ditch three-pointer came up short.

They may not have won the game, but they proved that their defense was capable of shutting down one of the best teams in America.

“They push you, they ride you off screens, they’re on your back,” Rush said. “They’re everywhere.”

So was Rush, who shot the ball from the field only six times, but made them all count. His 12 points led the team, but his willingness to step up when the Jayhawks needed him is what will be remembered.

It may not have been pretty, but the Jayhawks picked up the victory, and Rush is on to his next challenge. He’s not expecting it to be much different.

“We’ve got another physical game coming up against UCLA,” he said. “They play the same way.”

View from press row:

—Southern Illinois is certainly one of the country’s elite teams, but Kansas was still able to get away with plenty of small mistakes. The Jayhawks bought into the fact that they’d have to fight for every loose ball, but at times that seemed to cross into a reckless abandon. If they want to play the same type of game on Saturday against UCLA, they’ll need to work on keeping their passes under control.

—Russell Robinson and Mario Chalmers proved that they are the best defensive tandem in America, and Sherron Collins is certainly no slouch off the bench. Chalmers used his long arms to create steals, and Robinson had a laser-like focus for loose balls that prevented several almost-turnovers.

—After the game, Southern Illinois guard Jamaal Tatum addressed what he perceived as a lack of respect for the team because they are from a mid-major conference.

“I guess we have to win a national championship before we start getting the national exposure we deserve,” he said. “We still get this media attention saying we’re going to lose and get blown out. I can’t turn on the TV because I don’t want to hear that.

“We can play with any team in the country. That’s not arrogance or being cocky. That’s confidence. We work harder than any team in the country. I’m confident of that.”

—Obviously nobody wants to talk NBA draft right now, but Brandon Rush is having such a great tournament that you almost have to assume that he’ll be gone when the season ends.

—The crowd on Saturday will be very partisan. About 70 percent of the HP Pavilion was pulling for the Bruins, and they also rooted for Southern Illinois, knowing who they would rather face on Saturday.

—Rodrick Stewart provided some solid minutes off the bench, but even though the game was in his home state, his family wasn’t there to see it. He told them to go watch his twin brother Lodrick play with USC, because Lodrick is a senior, but Rodrick still has one more year of eligibility.

— Kansan.com will have complete basketball coverage all weekend long.