Jayhawks Crush Oklahoma to Move to 17-0

[January 15, 2008]  LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- Apparently Brandon Rush got the message. Since Kansas coach Bill Self admonished him for not being aggressive enough, the 6-foot-6 junior has scored 35 points in two games, including 16 on Monday night as the third-ranked Jayhawks routed short-handed Oklahoma 85-55 to remain one of the country's three unbeaten teams.

Rush had nine rebounds while Darnell Jackson had 17 points and eight rebounds for the Jayhawks (17-0, 2-0 Big 12), who have won 31 of their last 32 games and are off to their best start since the 1996-97 team began 22-0.

Blake Griffin, Oklahoma's standout freshman, injured his knee while going for a rebound 5 minutes into the game and did not return. The 6-foot-10 Griffin, the Big 12's freshman of the week after scoring 53 points in his last two games, hobbled to the bench and then to the locker room. He returned to the bench wearing an ice pack on what television reports said was a sprained knee.

Without him, the Sooners (12-5, 0-2) were missing their leader in scoring, rebounding and steals and looked hopelessly outmanned against a deep and talented Kansas team that's hardly been challenged so far this season, let alone defeated.

No. 1 North Carolina and No. 2 Memphis are the other undefeated teams in Division I.

Trailing 40-20 at halftime, the Sooners opened the second half with a 5-0 run. But Mario Chalmers scored six straight points in an 11-0 run capped by Rush's fourth 3-pointer, and Oklahoma called a timeout with 16:32 left and the Jayhawks leading 51-25.

Longar Longar had 21 points for the Sooners, hitting double figures for the eighth time in nine games, but could not stop Kansas from putting its biggest whipping on Oklahoma since a 91-61 victory in 1978.

Darrell Arthur had 14 points and Chalmers added 13 for Kansas, which shot 53 percent against an Oklahoma defense which had been holding opponents to 39 percent. The Sooners were 21-of-64 from the field (33 percent). Without Griffin, they were outrebounded 40-31 by Kansas' deep frontcourt.

Making Griffin's loss even worse for the Sooners is the absence of backup Keith Clark, who has been declared academically ineligible. Oklahoma was forced to play walk-on Beau Gerber.

Kansas took a big early lead and already seemed to have full command of the game when Griffin went out. A few minutes later, David Godbold's 3-pointer sliced the lead to 23-14. But the Jayhawks went on a 10-0 run. Arthur hit four straight free throws to kick-start the spree and Jackson pulled down two rebounds and Sherron Collins had two straight buckets, capping the run with a jumper from the top of the key for a 35-16 lead with 3:17 left.

Tony Crocker had 10 points for the Sooners.

[Associated Press; By DOUG TUCKER]

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