MU won’t forget finale
Columbia, Mo. ? Missouri will open a new state-of-the-art basketball arena next year across the parking lot from its current building, but fans won’t soon forget the last game played in 32-year-old Hearnes Center.
Kansas University and Missouri delivered a dandy of a contest that played out just like many previous meetings have at Hearnes — as a wire-to-wire thriller.
The 21st-ranked Jayhawks weathered Missouri’s 13-2 run in the final minutes, used a late Aaron Miles three-pointer and an off-balance fade-away jumper by freshman forward David Padgett to squeak past the Tigers, 84-82, Sunday afternoon.
“I’m sure everybody will remember the last game, Hearnes is about to close down,” MU senior center Arthur Johnson said. “It was a great game. It came down to the last shot. I’m sure fans will remember it.”
Fans also will remember it because of Johnson. His dazzling 37-point, eight-rebound, four-steal effort ranks among the most dominating performances in the 250-game history of the series.
“He just went out there and played like an animal tonight,” senior Travon Bryant said. “You really can’t say anything to him because his performance speaks for itself. He was the man, a man against boys tonight.”
Johnson’s points were a career best. He sank 13 of 17 shots by bullying his way through the lane for lay-ins, converting layups on the fast break, finessing soft fade-away jumpers and knocking down 14-footers with a hand in his face. The Jayhawks (20-7 overall, 12-4 Big 12 Conference) threw everybody they could at Johnson defensively, but nothing worked.
Jeff Graves tried to stop him, but picked up quick fouls.
Padgett was equally ineffective.
MU coach Quin Snyder questions a call in the second half. Despite his protestations, most of the calls went the Tigers' way Sunday: MU hit 19 of 32 free throws awarded for 26 KU fouls, while Kansas hit 10 of 14 charities awarded for 15 Mizzou fouls.
Wayne Simien tried to slow him down, but Johnson’s hook shots rattled home.
“I had it going early,” Johnson said. “I knew they couldn’t check me, so I just wanted to keep it going. I knew if doing that, if I kept attacking, the guys would feed off that, and it would hopefully get them going.”
For Missouri (15-12, 9-7), the loss easily is explained. The Tigers clicked whenever Johnson touched the ball, but when they forgot about him, they fell flat on their faces.
Johnson scored 11 of Missouri’s first 22 points — including a hook shot over Padgett that gave MU a 22-21 lead — but all too often the Tigers forgot who was keeping them in the game. Johnson didn’t touch the ball the next 5:16 as Kansas built a six-point lead. He scored two more buckets at the end of the half, and MU forged a 40-all tie.
Johnson was even more assertive in the second half. At one point he scored nine straight for Mizzou.
Turn out the lights at Hearnes
WIBW video: Kansas slips past rival Tigers
Hear Bill: KU-MU postgame comments
See the photos: KU-MU photo gallery“A.J.’s a big-time player,” MU senior Rickey Paulding said. “He usually steps up in games like this, and he did it tonight.”
Again in the second half, Johnson disappeared for about five minutes while KU built a 77-67 lead before MU looked to its big fella one last time. Johnson’s eight straight points fueled Mizzou’s final kick, but it came too late and allowed the Jayhawks to be spoilers for the second straight year — and for the final time ever in the Hearnes Center.
“We didn’t make the extra pass as much today, and I was disappointed with our shot selection at times,” MU coach Quin Snyder said. “Our focus got away from us. The collective focus that we had was gone, and we wasted a great effort from A.J.”