Sat Mar 15 19:09:18 2008

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Kansas earns spot in Big 12 title game with win over A&M

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Kansas City, MO (Sports Network) - Brandon Rush scored a career-high 28 points, as fifth-ranked Kansas edged Texas A&M, 77-71, to advance to the championship game of the Big 12 Tournament for the third straight year.

The Jayhawks (30-3) have won this tourney the past two seasons, and will face a familiar opponent in sixth-ranked Texas. The Longhorns, who have lost to Kansas in the title game the past two seasons, dominated Oklahoma in the other semifinal.

Darnell Jackson had 14 points, while Sherron Collins chipped in nine for Kansas.

Bryan Davis finished with 16 points and seven rebounds for Texas A&M (24-10), which had a two-game win streak snapped. Joseph Jones added 14 points, while Dominique Kirk had 12, and Beau Muhlbach 11.

The Aggies' last loss also came against the Jayhawks, by a 72-55 score one week ago.

Texas A&M played from behind for most of the second half, but managed to trim Kansas' lead to 70-66 on a Jones three-pointer with 3:42 remaining. More than a minute later, Kansas' Mario Chalmers corralled the rebound off a Kirk miss, and fed Jackson on the fast break for a dunk.

Jackson then added a free throw with 1:34 left to give the Jayhawks a 73-66 edge. But Muhlbach had a quick answer with a three, bringing the Aggies within four.

Muhlbach then fouled Chalmers, who missed his first free throw, and the rebound came down to Texas A&M. But Jackson fouled Kirk, who went to the line and made a pair to bring the Aggies within 73-71 with 54.9 seconds on the clock.

However, the Texas A&M comeback came up short, as the Aggies defense failed on the ensuing Jayhawks possession, giving Russell Robinson a clear path for a dunk. It restored Kansas' two-possession lead, and Rush made two free throws with under 10 seconds left to ice the win.

The Aggies jumped out to an 11-5 lead on a Derrick Roland jumper, about 4 1/2 minutes into the contest. But the Jayhawks responded with the next six points, and the game became a basket-trading affair for most of the half.

Kansas drew its lead out to 30-22, after Sasha Kaun made a pair from the line, and Robinson dropped in a layup with 4:31 left. But Kirk canned a three and jumper back-to-back to close the first-half scoring, and the teams went into halftime tied at 34-34.

Texas A&M held several leads in the opening stages of the second half, the latest when Davis made a jumper for a 39-37 Aggies lead. But Kansas scored the next nine points to go ahead 46-39 after a Collins layup with 15:48 remaining, and the game stayed close down the stretch.

Game Notes

The Jayhawks shot 53.8 percent (28-of-52) from the field, compared to the Aggies' 44.4 percent (24-of-54)...Each team shot 20 free throws; Kansas made 15, and Texas A&M 14...The Aggies held a 35-25 rebounding advantage.