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LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- If the players weren't crazed for revenge,
the crowd was.
Allen Fieldhouse, known as one of the toughest gyms in college
basketball, was at its loudest Tuesday night as Kansas (No. 5 ESPN/USA Today, No. 4 AP) beat Wake Forest (No. 22 ESPN/USA Today, No. 23 AP) 83-76, getting payback for a 31-point blowout last year.
"The best thing that happened tonight was our crowd," Jayhawks coach Roy Williams said. "They were sensational. At one time in second half, I didn't think they were going to get a shot. Our defense was in a frenzy and the crowd was so into it, it looked like Wake was shook a little bit."
The Jayhawks (5-1) got 16 points from Nick Collison and overcame dreadful foul shooting to beat the Deacons (5-2), who refused to let the game get out of hand but never seemed close to taking control.
"We knew they were going to be excited about playing us," said Wake Forest's Antwan Scott. "They came right at us."
The Jayhawks seized the lead and momentum right from the start
in the long-awaited rematch. Reflecting the intense interest among
fans, there had been 60 "camping groups," where students take turns waiting in the hallways of Allen Fieldhouse from 6 a.m to 10 p.m. to get prime seat locations.
For archrival Missouri, there are usually about 50 groups.
"This was about what we expected," said Darius Songaila, who had 10 points for Wake Forest. "They were very powerful, very good players."
Wake Forest, which had never played at Kansas, trailed by 11 at
halftime but quickly got the lead down to 44-38 on a driving layup
by Broderick Hicks, who had 12 points and was one of five Deacons
in double figures.
Heralded freshman Wayne Simien, who missed the first five games
with an injury, had 10 points and 11 rebounds in just 15 minutes in
his collegiate debut. His huge dunk put the Jayhawks in front 71-61
with 3:27 to go.
Kansas, 20-of-25 from the foul line Saturday in a victory over
then-No. 4 Arizona, was only 20-of-40 against Wake Forest.
"That was a terrible exhibition," Williams said.
Jeff Boschee had 14 points, including 4-of-8 from 3-point range,
while Kirk Hinrich had 13 and Drew Gooden 11.
Scott had 13 points for Wake Forest but fell heavily to the
floor in the final minute and was helped to the bench.
Josh Howard, who had 21 points for Wake Forest in the blowout
last year, was held scoreless until midway through the second half and finished with nine points.
With more than 16,000 fans screaming and stomping as though still smarting from the fourth-worst loss in Kansas history, the Jayhawks bolted to a 10-point lead in the first five minutes, forcing six turnovers.
But the senior-laden Deacons would not let the game get out of hand. Craig Dawson's 3-pointer cut the lead to five two minutes later.
The Jayhawks appeared to be pulling away when Simien's dunk put
them up 28-15, then a Wake Forest surge, fueled by five points from
Steve Lepore and four from Scott, sliced the lead to 30-26 with 3:38 left in the half.
From there, the Jayhawks closed out the half with an 11-4 surge, highlighted by a fastbreak bucket where Hinrich fed Collison for a slam and brought the biggest roar of the half from the crowd.
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Wake Forest vs. Kansas