April 7, 2008

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SAN ANTONIO (AP) -- Kansas guard Mario Chalmers hit a 3-pointer with 2.1 seconds left in regulation to push the game into overtime, and the Jayhawks grinded it out from there for a 75-68 victory Monday night over Memphis.

The shot earned Chalmers the most outstanding player honor.

"We got the ball in our most clutch player's hands, and he delivered," Kansas coach Bill Self said.

It gave Kansas its first title since 1988, when Danny Manning, now an assistant coach for the Jayhawks, led them to an upset of Oklahoma. And the shot earned Chalmers the most outstanding player honor.

"I had a good look at it," Chalmers said. "When it left my hands it felt like it was good, and it just went in."

The most memorable performance in this one, though, came from Rose, the Memphis freshman, 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 with 2:12 left.

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. It hit nothing but net and tied the score at 63.

"Ten seconds to go, we're thinking we're national champs, all of a sudden a kid makes a shot and we're not," Calipari said.

Robert Dozier missed a desperation shot at the buzzer. Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson scored the first six points of overtime to put Kansas ahead 69-63. Memphis didn't pull any closer than three the rest of the way.

"Overtime, they kind of beat us down," Calipari said. "I didn't sub a whole lot, because I was trying to win the game at the end."

Arthur was strong inside, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds, lots on dunks and lay-ups off lob passes. Chalmers finished with 18 points. Rush had 12 and Collins had 11 points and six assists.

Rose wound up with 18 points.

"If we played 10 times, it'd probably go five and five," Self said. "We got fortunate late."

This game was not about coaches or sidestories, though. It was about the game, and what a dandy it was.

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

For the first five of the second half Kansas couldn't pull away. Douglas-Roberts made sure of it, winning enough of the 1-on-1 matchups that the Memphis offense creates to keep the Tigers in range.

Then, finally Rose took over -- a 3-pointer here, a scooping layup for a three-point play next. Then, the capper, an off-balance, 18-foot shot off glass with the shot-clock buzzer sounding. Officials at first credited Rose with a 3, but went to the replay monitor and saw he was clearly inside the line.