Kansas hits century mark for sixth win

Thursday, December 4, 2008

Tyshawn Taylor turned and looked straight at the end of the Kansas bench after he threw down a one-handed dunk with four minutes left in Kansas’ 100-79 victory against New Mexico State.

Taylor, a freshman guard, wanted to make sure Mario Little saw the play.

Photo Gallery

Kansas Basketball vs. New Mexico State

Photo gallery of Kansas game vs. New Mexico State Wednesday night at Allen Fieldhouse.

Little, an injured junior guard, teased Taylor repeatedly in practice Tuesday.

Little told Taylor he didn’t think he could actually dunk. Taylor promised to prove him wrong.

“I told him I was going to show it,” Taylor said. “I did.”

Twice. Three minutes before, Taylor drove the lane for a two-handed jam. The two dunks were merely the exclamation points to add to the end of Taylor’s career-night.

He scored 23 points with three assists and a steal.

Taylor couldn’t remember the last time he scored that many points. It was his most ever at Kansas and he never scored more than 21 points at St. Anthony’s High School in New Jersey.

“I felt good today,” Taylor said.

Even when the rest of the Jayhawks didn’t. Taylor scored 14 points during the first half of the game when the Aggies were like gum on the bottom of the Jayhawks’ shoes. They would not go away.

Kansas kept piecing together small runs – 11-2, 8-0, 11-4 – but New Mexico State always recovered.

The Jayhawks aided the Aggies’ cause of staying in the game.

Freshman forward Marcus Morris missed a couple shots right underneath the basket. Kansas committed 11 turnovers. Sophomore center Cole Aldrich played only five minutes before recording two fouls and being relegated to the bench.

“I think we’re so much better, obviously, when he’s on the floor,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “You need him in the game.”

Despite Aldrich becoming a spectator, the Jayhawks never trailed in the game. But the outcome was far from decided for most of the night.

For the first 28 minutes, New Mexico State only trailed by more than 11 once – and it was for only 20 seconds.

An inevitable Aggie surge loomed.

It seemed to have arrived when Aggie guard Gordo Castillo hit three-pointers on consecutive possessions with 12 and a half minutes left to cut the score to 58-51.

But they couldn’t keep it up. New Mexico State’s exhaustion began to show in the final 12 minutes.

Kansas’ big men’s shots weren’t being contested by New Mexico State center Hamidu Rahman anymore. He gasped for breath.

Aggie guards Jonathan Gibson and Jahmar Young weren’t flying down the floor on every Kansas fast break anymore. They lagged behind.

Meanwhile, Kansas ran away. It put together a 15-4 run during the next four minutes.

“Coach just kept pounding it in our heads to play hard,” Taylor said. “We did in stretches.”

Kansas received invaluable contributions from two bench players during its game-defining stretch. Freshman forward Quintrell Thomas, who finished with 10 points and seven rebounds, dunked the ball twice.

Sophomore guard Tyrel Reed, who recorded 12 points and shot four-for-six from three-point range, had two three-pointers to ensure New Mexico State had no chance at a comeback.

“He hit some big shots and it really helped us,” Aldrich said. “It got a little energy in the building and picked up our intensity.”

For the fourth straight game, Aldrich posted a double-double with 13 points and 13 rebounds. Junior guard Sherron Collins followed Aldrich’s lead and added a double-double of his own with 15 points and 11 assists.

But Taylor stole the attention. Even Mario Little noticed. When Taylor approached Little after the game, he didn’t have anything to say.

“He just smiled,” Taylor said, “and shook my hand.”

— — Edited by Jennifer Torline

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