Memphis of Conference USA and Kansas of the Big 12 Conference, tip off to determine the 2008 national champion.

SAN ANTONIO (AP) - So patient for 20 years, Kansas had no problem working an extra five minutes to bring a long-awaited championship back to the heartland.

Mario Chalmers hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation to push the game into overtime, and the Jayhawks ground it out from there for a 75-68 victory Monday night over Memphis in one of the best title games in recent memory.


The shot earned Chalmers the most outstanding player honor.

It was the first title for Kansas since 1988, when Danny Manning, now an assistant coach for the Jayhawks, led them to an upset of Oklahoma.

Kansas' Darrell Arthur dunks the ball over Memphis' Joey Dorsey during the first half.

The most memorable performance in this one came from freshman Derrick Rose of Memphis, who completely took over the game in the second half, scoring 14 of his team's 16 points during one stretch to lift the Tigers to a 60-51 lead.

Memphis fans cheer wildly as their team goes up by nine with a little over two minutes to play in regulation.

But Kansas (37-3) used the strategy any smart opponent of Memphis' would - fouling the heck out of one of the country's worst free-throw-shooting teams - and when Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts combined to miss four of five over the last 1:12, it left the door open for KU.

Hustling the ball down the court with 10.8 seconds left and no timeouts, Sherron Collins handed off to Chalmers at the top of the 3-point line and Chalmers took the shot from the top. It hit nothing but net and tied the score at 63.

Robert Dozier missed a desperation shot at the buzzer, and Rose went limping to the bench, favoring his right leg. Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson scored the first six points of overtime to put Kansas ahead 69-63. Memphis, clearly exhausted, didn't pull within three again.

Kansas cheerleaders lead a pap rally on the Riverwalk.

Arthur was dominant inside, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds, lots on dunks and easy lay-ups off lob passes. Chalmers finished with 18 points. Rush had 12 and Collins had 11 points, six assists and did a wonderful job shutting down Rose for the first 28 minutes.

Rose wound up with 18 points in a game that showed how ready he is for the NBA. He was 3-for-4 from the line, however, and that one miss with 10.8 seconds left is what almost certainly would have sealed the game and given the Tigers (38-2) their first title.

Instead, the title goes back to Lawrence for the third time in the fabled program's history.

The inventor of the game, James Naismith, was the first Jayhawks coach. It's the school that made household names of Wilt Chamberlain, Manning - and yes, even North Carolina's Roy Williams, the coach who famously left the Jayhawks, lost to them in the semifinals, but was, indeed, in the Kansas cheering section to watch Bill Self bring the title back that he never could.

This game was not about coaches or sidestories, though. It was about the game, and what a dandy it was - a well-needed reprieve from a more-or-less blah tournament in which 42 of 63 games were decided by double digits.

This was the first overtime in the title game since 1997, when Arizona beat Kentucky 84-79.

Comments:

Great pictures! I love basketball! Don't get to see it much these days, though... It sounded like a great game!

comment by sunlight on Apr 8, 2008 8:52 PM ()

Happy you liked the pictures. It was such an exciting game. Imagine! Overtime to determine the national championship. It can't get much better than that. I too love basketball, but I am also a big football fan too.

reply by redimpala on Apr 8, 2008 10:59 PM ()

My son-in-law in Memphis was so involved with the Tigers all season that I had to root for them (besides my school Mizzou and KU are long time rivals). Memphis was hitting their frees in the previous game and I thought when KU started fouling at 2 minutes, the coach was nuts. He proved that wrong!. I could not believe that Memphis coolest and best gunners missed frees that would have iced it. Oh well KU really was the better team last night and deserved to win

comment by baseeker on Apr 8, 2008 4:36 PM ()

re free throws, (see below): my dad used to say the same thing - both good observers

reply by baseeker on Apr 9, 2008 9:35 AM ()

As my dad was fond of saying when my brother and I played, "It will be won or lost at the free throw line!!!"

reply by redimpala on Apr 8, 2008 11:01 PM ()

Yea,good for them and you.

comment by fredo on Apr 8, 2008 10:09 AM ()

I was excited to see a Big 12 school win the national championship!!

reply by redimpala on Apr 8, 2008 11:02 PM ()

James Naismith was their first coach! Wonderfully done piece.

comment by angiedw on Apr 8, 2008 2:18 AM ()

Thanks, Angie! I know, Isn't that interesting that their first coach was the inventor of basketball.

reply by redimpala on Apr 8, 2008 11:03 PM ()

Fabulous game! Love my Jayhawks!
P.S. Great minds think alike! Check out my post: "Jayhawks Rock!"

comment by marta on Apr 7, 2008 11:47 PM ()

It was a fabulous game. I was, of course, pulling for the Jayhawks because they are from the Big 12 Conference.

reply by redimpala on Apr 8, 2008 12:10 AM ()