Jayhawks hold on for 91-84 win over Siena

LAWRENCE, Kan. -- Hitting shots from the perimeter, on the break, in the lane, Kansas clearly wasn't going to have a letdown on the offensive end.

At the other end? That was a different story -- and it nearly cost the Jayhawks what should have been a runaway victory.

Cole Aldrich had a career-high 24 points and 13 rebounds, and Kansas held off Siena 91-84 Tuesday night after nearly blowing a 20-point lead.

"We were horrible defensively," Jayhawks coach Bill Self said. "That was a bad defensive team playing tonight."

Kansas (11-3) was hoping to avoid a letdown after knocking off then-No. 14 Tennessee on Saturday and jumped on Siena early with a 25-1 run to go up 30-10 in the first 10 minutes.

The Jayhawks let Siena (10-5) back in it with poor perimeter defense, particularly on ball screens along the perimeter.

Instead of fighting over the screens, Kansas' guards tried to slip under and the forwards didn't step out, leaving Siena's shooters open. The Saints made most of them, forcing the Jayhawks to hit 12-of-14 free throws in the final 3:23 to pull out their 33rd straight win at Allen Fieldhouse, the nation's third-longest home-court winning streak.

Sherron Collins had 18 points for Kansas and Tyrel Reed added a career-high 14.

"They fought back and we had some defensive lapses that you just can't have. That allowed them to get back in the game," Reed said. "Defensively, we played really dumb."

Despite falling into the huge early hole, Siena never gave up, staying close by hitting 10-of-21 from 3-point range.

The Saints got within 69-65 on Kyle Downey's hard drive with 7½ minutes left in the game and kept hitting shots down the stretch to keep Kansas from pulling away. Siena just couldn't make it all the way back, pulling within 87-82 before Collins hit four straight free throws in the final 48 seconds.

Ronald Moore led the Saints with 18 points and eight assists, Clarence Jackson added 17 points and Kenny Hasbrouck had 16.

"It's tough coming back against an experienced team such as Kansas and playing in this environment," Moore said. "I thought we did a good job in the second half learning from our mistakes and making smart decisions and making easy baskets in transition."

Kansas was coming off its most important win of the season, 92-85 over Tennessee, and faces No. 8 Michigan State this Saturday in its final nonconference game.

The natural tendency would have been for the Jayhawks to let down against Siena and look ahead to the Spartans and the start of the Big 12 season Tuesday against rival Kansas State.

But the Saints aren't exactly slouches, returning all five starters from a team that upset Vanderbilt in the first round of the NCAA tournament last season. Siena is an overwhelming favorite to win the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference again this season and entered Tuesday's game 10-4 with a schedule that includes six teams that played in the NCAA tournament a year ago.

Self knew what the Jayhawks were up against and tried to drive it home during the two days in between games.

It seemed the Jayhawks had listened, at least in the early going, when seven different players combined to hit nine straight shots during the 25-1 run. The letdown came after that, when Kansas failed to put the Saints away because of numerous defensive breakdowns on the perimeter and in transition.

"You go on a 25-1 run against Siena? That's great," Self said. "But you go on a 25-1 run, you've got to crack the game open. We didn't do that because we didn't guard."

Siena entered its first trip to Allen Fieldhouse on a five-game winning streak, but had a tough time getting there.

After beating St. Peter's on Sunday, the Saints had delays in New York and Detroit because of weather, then had to return to Detroit after takeoff because of a malfunction in the landing gear. The plane circled Detroit for an hour to burn fuel and lighten the plane for a safe landing, then waited another two hours before taking off for Kansas City.

Whether it was the difficulty of the trip or nerves from playing in one of basketball's most storied arenas, Siena struggled early, going seven minutes without a field goal during Kansas' big run.

But, just as they did in losses to Tennessee and Pittsburgh, the Saints kept firing and made a game out of it, nearly spoiling Self's 500th career game.

"At least we've been able to show our resiliency and the fact that we can maintain our composure in a road game in a difficult environment," Siena coach Fran McCaffery said.

Northern Iowa 69, Creighton 66

OMAHA -- Freshman Johnny Moran had a career night for Northern Iowa Tuesday, but it was teammate Ali Farokhmanesh's play down the stretch that allowed the Panthers to beat Creighton in Omaha for the first time in 12 years.

The junior guard scored his team's final four points in its 69-66 win over the Bluejays at the Qwest Center, a victory that snapped UNI's 12-game losing streak in Omaha while improving its Missouri Valley Conference record to 3-1.

The Panthers (9-6) have won three straight league games after losing their opener at home in double overtime to Indiana State. Included in that streak are road victories at Southern Illinois and Creighton, places where UNI hadn't won in more than a decade.

"It feels really good to do it in the same year," said Farokhmanesh, who finished with 18 points. "Those are two tough places to play and two really good teams at the same time."

Northern Iowa had to overcome a sluggish start offensively to earn its first win in Omaha since Feb. 17, 1996. The Panthers had just one field goal in the first seven minutes and trailed by as much as eight before rallying to lead 30-29 at the half.

Moran, who hit seven of his 10 shots with six 3-pointers to finish with a career-high 22 points, scored a pair of baskets after the break as UNI pushed its lead to nine at 42-33.

Creighton rallied with a 15-3 run to move back in front by five on a three by P'Allen Stinnett with 8:16 to play. But Adam Koch scored seven straight points for the Panthers and eventually tied the game at 65-65 with a conventional 3-point play with 2:40 remaining.

Farokhmanesh's baseline jumper broke the tie with 1:09 left to put Northern Iowa on top for good at 67-65. His two free throws with nine seconds to go sealed the victory.

"We had to bounce back in the second half (when we were) down five, and we were able to do that," UNI coach Ben Jacobson said. "We were fortunate to make a couple of shots and make a couple of defensive plays, and sneak out of here."

Creighton (12-4, 2-2) lost its second straight after failing to knot the game on two occasions in the closing seconds. Cavel Witter, an 87-percent foul shooter, made only one of two free throws with the Jays down by two with 42 seconds left. The junior guard also had a contested 3-point shot at the buzzer bounce of the front of the rim.

"We're very disappointed," Creighton coach Dana Altman said. "But, by the same token, Northern played awfully well and just got us."

P'Allen Stinnett led the Jays with 17 points. Koch and Moran combined for 17 boards as the Panthers outrebounded Creighton 34-26.

Missouri 88, Coppin St. 55. Optional.
Lawrence leads Missouri over Coppin St. 88-55 
By R.B. FALLSTROM
AP Sports Writer

COLUMBIA, Mo. (AP) -- Everything was going in for Matt Lawrence, no matter how far away it seemed. His long-range shooting helped turn Missouri's final tuneup before Big 12 Conference play into a romp.

Lawrence was 6-for-7 from 3-point range and matched his season best with 18 points. All but one of the 3-pointers came in a dominant first half, helping build a 34-point lead in the Tigers' 88-55 rout of Coppin State on Tuesday night.

"I think I had it going on a little bit and these guys found me in open spots," Lawrence said. "I thank them for that and I was just fortunate they were falling."

Even a pair from several feet beyond the line.

"He was in a zone," coach Mike Anderson said. "He was shooting from almost 30 feet out, not even hitting the rim. Hopefully, it's a sign."

Coppin State coach Fang Mitchell said stopping Lawrence was a big part of the game plan.

"We didn't do a good job of recognizing where he was," Mitchell said. "He's such a tremendous shooter that you can't allow him to shoot by himself."

Kim English also hit his first three 3-pointers for the Tigers (13-2), who made a season-high 13 3-pointers in 29 attempts. Missouri opens conference play at Nebraska on Saturday.

"As a coach you're never satisfied," Anderson said. "I think there's still work to be done, but I see more pieces. I think our team is playing with a lot more confidence right now."

DeMarre Carroll added 16 points, seven rebounds and three assists to help Missouri, 10-0 at home this season and with a 37-game home winning streak against non-conference opponents dating to 2005-06.

Missouri didn't miss Leo Lyons, held to four points while in foul trouble most of the game. The 51-17 halftime cushion matched the Tigers' best of the season against Southern Illinois-Edwardsville on Dec. 27, and was the team's stingiest in terms of points allowed, one fewer than Stetson mustered on Dec. 20.

Tywain McKee had 17 points and Vince Goldsberry added 12 for Coppin State (2-12), which committed a season-high 25 turnovers while falling to 0-10 on the road and 2-2 at neutral sites heading into its home opener Saturday against Norfolk State. The Eagles are 1-36 against the Big 12, the lone victory at Missouri in 1997, including 0-4 this season.

"We were not mentally ready to play," Mitchell said. "We haven't been turning the ball over, which is what really surprised me. There was constant pressure."

Missouri is 13-2 for the first time since the 1994-95 team also began 13-2.

The Tigers overwhelmed Coppin State in the first half, going 8-for-17 from 3-point range, shooting 56 percent overall and forcing 17 turnovers. Missouri had 20 baskets while Coppin State attempted only 21 shots, making seven.

Coppin State has been outscored 96-40 in the first half the last two games, also trailing by 22 points at Oklahoma on Jan. 3.

Lawrence was 5-for-5 from 3-point range in the first half, topping his previous season best of four with the last two coming from well beyond the line. He made it 6-for-6 early in the second half before missing his final attempt from the baseline with about 16 minutes to go, apparently getting poked in an eye during the attempt.

"The ref was joking like I just did that because I missed my first one," Lawrence said. "But I really did get poked in the eye."

He's 14-for-24 from long range the last four games since going 0-for-4 against Illinois on Dec. 23, Missouri's last loss.

Iowa State 64, Houston Baptist 56

AMES, Iowa -- Iowa State guard Bryan Petersen put it best. About the only thing the Cyclones can take away from Tuesday night's matchup with woeful Houston Baptist is that they got the win.

Craig Brackins scored 22 points and grabbed 16 rebounds, his fifth double-double in nine games, and Iowa State beat the Huskies 64-56 Tuesday night for their fourth straight win.

Diante Garret added 12 points for the Cyclones (11-4), who recorded their most victories before starting Big 12 play since 2000-01.

But many of those wins weren't pretty -- and neither was this one.

Iowa State led by just two at halftime against a team that started the season on a 14-game losing streak, and the Huskies (1-15) even put a late scare into the Cyclones.

Iowa State opens its conference season on Saturday at No. 7 Texas, their first ranked opponent of the season. After the way the Cyclones played against Houston Baptist, both Brackins and Petersen are glad they've still got three days to prepare.

"The way we played tonight was very disappointing," Petersen said. "Nobody's happy with the way we played."

The Cyclones finally opened things up with a 15-6 run to start the second half. Brackins scored eight quick points, and Lucca Staiger hit a 3 to make it 39-28 with 14:17 left.

Charles Boozer's 3 pushed the Cyclones lead to 46-32 midway through the second half, and Iowa State later led by as much as 54-38.

But the Huskies wouldn't go away. They cut their deficit to 54-46 with 2:49 left, and the Cyclones needed 10 straight free throws to keep the Huskies at bay.

"In all honesty, what happened tonight -- the fact that we won and were very lethargic might be a good thing. Because I'll have their attention tomorrow," Iowa State coach Greg McDermott said. "It's hard to explain why it happened. We were a step slow from the start of the game."

Baron Sauls had 22 points and Gordon Watt had 11 points and 13 rebounds for Houston Baptist, which was coming off its first win of the season. The Huskies scored 19 second-chance points and outrebounded the Cyclones 40-38.

"It seemed like we were guarding the ball OK, but every time you saw it there was somebody getting to the lane like, real easy," Brackins said. "We need to come to practice and get our minds right."

Houston Baptist entered the game having been outscored by nearly 16 points an outing, but the Huskies hung around in the first half despite missing 21 of their first 30 shots. They cut Iowa State's lead to 24-22 by halftime on a Sean Morris 3 and a jumper by Sauls Baron.

The Cyclones shot just 31 percent in the opening half and committed 16 turnovers for the game. Had Iowa State not shot 18-of-19 from the free-throw line, it might not have even beaten the Huskies.

"The problem is, we allowed them to believe they could be in the game. You do that with any basketball team, I don't care what your record is and what your track record has been before you play. If you get 20 minutes into the game and you're in the game you feel like 'Hey, we've got a chance to win this," McDermott said. "That's the disturbing thing."

Arkansas 67, No. 7 Texas 61

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. -- Texas coach Rick Barnes can think of one way to improve the Big 12.

Just add Arkansas.

Michael Washington scored 22 points, including a driving dunk in the final minute, and the Razorbacks beat the seventh-ranked Longhorns 67-61 Tuesday night. Arkansas has now beaten two top 10 teams from the Big 12 this season. The Hogs knocked off then-No. 4 Oklahoma last week.

"I said coming up here -- this school should be in the Big 12. That's where they should be," Barnes said after the game. "It would make our league better. It would be better for them. Why they're not, I can't answer that. But it would be great, because this is what it's about."

The Razorbacks led their former Southwest Conference rivals 62-61 when their play appeared to break down with the 6-foot-9 Washington holding the ball near the top of the key. He was able to beat his man off the dribble, though, and suddenly had a clear path to the basket. He was fouled as he dunked with 22.5 seconds left, then made the free throw to put Arkansas (12-1) ahead by four.

A.J. Abrams then missed three straight shots at the other end, and Stefan Welsh added a breakaway layup to finish the scoring.

"I'm not going to sit here and tell you we're better than Texas, because I don't know if I believe that," Arkansas coach John Pelphrey said. "But we didn't have to be tonight just to win the basketball game."

Arkansas lost its top five scorers from last season's team that made the second round of the NCAA tournament, but the Razorbacks have been one of the nation's most surprising teams in 2008-09. They've won 10 in a row for the first time since 1995, the year after their national championship.

Welsh scored 20 points for Arkansas. Damion James led Texas (11-3) with 17.

The Longhorns went 1-of-14 from 3-point range. Abrams scored only seven points on 3-of-16 shooting.

"Same shots I've been hitting all year," Abrams said. "Tonight I just wasn't knocking them in. It was just a tough night."

Texas played without 6-foot-10 senior Connor Atchley, who split his tongue in Friday night's win over Appalachian State.

Texas was making its first visit to Fayetteville since 1991, when the Longhorns and Arkansas played in the Southwest Conference. The Razorbacks are in the Southeastern Conference now, but the old rivalry is still alive.

Last year, Texas was sent to North Little Rock for the first weekend of the NCAA tournament. Barnes joked that he'd cancel this year's trip to Fayetteville if the fans weren't nice to his team, but the Arkansas folks booed Texas anyway during its two games.

Tuesday night's crowd included former Arkansas coach Eddie Sutton, and the fans were into it from the start. The action was intense in the first half, although neither team shot well.

Texas led 31-27 after a first half in which the teams combined to shoot 1-of-20 from 3-point range. After the players left the court, a young woman wearing jeans and a T-shirt came out and made about five 3-pointers in a 20-second span as part of a halftime competition.

Abrams went scoreless in the first half, and Washington was limited to nine minutes because of foul trouble.

"Coming out at halftime, we just felt like if we could run any offense at all we might have a chance," Pelphrey said. "It wasn't much easier in the second half."

The Longhorns led 52-46 before Washington's desperation 3-pointer with the shot clock running down hit the rim, bounced high in the air and then dropped in. That shot started an 11-0 run for the Razorbacks, and they took the lead when Marcus Monk's nice pass inside set up Washington's dunk. Courtney Fortson's driving three-point play made it 57-52.

Texas fought back to tie it at 57, but Welsh's 3-pointer from in front of the Arkansas bench put the Razorbacks back ahead.

"After beating Oklahoma, we knew we could come out and play anybody," Welsh said. "And we proved that."

Oklahoma State 83, Savannah State 56

STILLWATER, Okla. -- Oklahoma State collected its sixth victory in a row and won by 27 points, so coach Travis Ford should be happy, right?

Not exactly.

James Anderson scored 23 points to held lead the Cowboys (11-3) to an 83-56 win over Savannah State Tuesday night, but Ford wasn't pleased with the way his team played.

"Just glad to get that game over with," Ford said afterward. "It wasn't our best effort, we didn't execute very well, but we went on enough spurts to spread the game open.

"We just didn't play as well as we have been playing."

With Big 12 Conference play getting under way this week, Ford believes it will take a much better effort to succeed in league games.

Anderson scored in double figures for the 13th time in 14 games this season and pulled down seven rebounds.

"James hit some shots to spread it open for us when they cut it to 11 or 12," Ford said. "I also thought Marshall Moses played well down the stretch. He gave us some good energy."

Obi Muonelo scored 17 and Byron Eaton added 16 for the Cowboys, who play host to Texas A&M on Saturday.

Chris Linton hit a 3-pointer from the top of the key with 13:37 left in the game to pull Savannah State (7-8) within 12 at 48-36. Anderson answered with back-to-back treys and Oklahoma State widened its advantage to 54-38 with just under 13 minutes remaining.

The Cowboys would outscore the Tigers 29-18 the rest of the way.

Linton finished with 16 points to lead Savannah State, which lost its fourth straight contest. Rashad Hassan scored 12 and Raye Bailey added 11 for the Tigers, who outrebounded OSU, 39-31. Hardy and Linton each grabbed six rebounds.

"I'm surprised the game wasn't closer than it was," Ford added. "Take nothing away from Savannah State, but we have got to rebound the basketball better against Big 12 teams. The warm-up is over. The real deal starts now."

Anderson's offensive rebound and put-back gave the Cowboys a 29-15 lead with eight minutes left in the first half.

Patrick Hardy's old-fashioned 3-point play at the 3:40 mark cut Oklahoma State's lead to 11 points and Hassan's soft baseline jumper made it 35-26 with under 2:00 to play.

Muonelo buried a 3-point field goal moments later and Oklahoma State took a 38-26 advantage into halftime.

An Eaton lay-in and a 3-pointer by Muonelo to start the second half pushed the Cowboy lead to 17 and Savannah State would get no closer than 12 the rest of the way.

Texas State 82, N. Colorado 59

SAN MARCOS, Texas -- Corey Jefferson scored 16 points, including four 3-pointers, and had five assists to help Texas State beat Northern Colorado 82-67 Tuesday night.

Cameron Johnson and Brandon Bush each scored 14 points while Brent Benson added 11 points for Texas State (7-6).

Devon Beitzel and Chris Kaba each hit 15 for Northern Colorado (5-11). Mike Proctor added 13 points and eight rebounds.

Texas State scored the first nine points of the game and Northern Colorado never threatened. Texas State led 44-28 at the half.

Missouri women 62, Chicago State 43

COLUMBIA, Mo. -- Jessra Johnson had 15 points and three blocked shots and Missouri opened with a 22-0 run in a 63-42 win over Chicago State on Tuesday.

Shakara Jones added 13 points for the Tigers (9-4), who've won eight straight heading into their Big 12 opener on Saturday at home against No. 3 Texas A&M.

"I can't say it was a beautiful game," Missouri coach Cindy Stein said. "When our starters are in, we click."

Courtney Waldon led Chicago State (8-8) with 16 points. Jasmin Dixon added 11 points and 11 rebounds.

The Cougars missed their first 13 shots and got their first points on two free throws by Laureen Pierson with 11:52 to go in the first half.

Chicago State finished at 22.6 percent from the field and also lost guard Alyssa Waldon to an apparent left knee injury early in the game.