LAWRENCE, Kan., 3 January 2005 — It took Kansas more than a half to realize it could beat a good team without Wayne Simien.
Keith Langford’s twisting shot in the lane with 3 seconds left in overtime lifted short-handed No. 2 Kansas past No. 9 Georgia Tech 70-68 Saturday, capping the Jayhawks’ rally from a 16-point deficit.
Simien, Kansas’ leading scorer and rebounder, is out for at least a month with a thumb injury. The Jayhawks were playing for the second time without their star, and Georgia Tech was their first ranked opponent since he went out.
At the outset, the Jayhawks (9-0) seemed to be entirely out of sync.
It was a physical, fast-paced rematch of a regional final in the 2004 NCAA tournament — the Yellow Jackets won that one in overtime en route to the national championship game. Georgia Tech (9-2) was also missing a key player after guard B.J. Elder, its leading scorer, went out in the first half with a strained hamstring. Coach Paul Hewitt said he was not sure how long Elder would be gone.
Kansas did not take its first lead until the extra period. Langford had a hand in that, too, stealing the ball to set up Alex Galindo’s basket that gave the hosts a 66-65 edge with 1:38 left in OT.
Then, with the capacity crowd at Allen Fieldhouse screaming, Langford put a spin move on defender Mario West and launched the game-winner.
Langford, who had only two points at halftime, led the Jayhawks with 18, while J.R. Giddens had 16 and Miles finished with 14 in his 116th straight start at point guard.
Miles had eight assists, giving him 808 for his career and breaking the school record of 804, set by Jacque Vaughn in 1993-97.
Jarrett Jack, who led Georgia Tech with 26 points, spoke hurriedly with Langford just before the game.
During the lopsided first half, Kansas coach Bill Self didn’t feel he was doing anything right.
Georgia Tech, which beat Kansas 79-71 in the NCAA regional finals but lost to Connecticut in the title game, went up quickly in overtime on Anthony Morrow’s basket. With 2:42 left, Isma’il Muhammad hit a 5-footer in the lane for a 65-61 lead. Galindo, who helped lead Kansas’ second-half comeback, answered with a 3-pointer that cut the deficit to 65-64.
A moment later, Langford’s bucket made it 68-67, then Muhammad’s free throw with 27 seconds to play tied it at 68.
After trimming the deficit to seven points at halftime, Kansas got it down to one point three times. But Luke Schenscher answered with two free throws the first time and Jack came down and scored twice to keep Kansas at bay.
Finally, with 1:15 left in regulation, Langford bounced in a 3-pointer that knotted it at 61-all.The Jayhawks hit only five of their first 19 shots and trailed 31-15 when Miles missed a layup and Muhammad drove in for a crowd-silencing dunk.
At Tuscaloosa, Ala., Earnest Shelton scored 14 points to lead three Alabama players in double figures, as the 18th-ranked Crimson Tide remained unbeaten at home with a 68-57 victory over the New Orleans Privateers in a non-conference contest at Coleman Coliseum.
Shelton connected on 4-of-11 field goal attempts and hit five free throws as Alabama improved to 11-2, including a perfect 7-0 mark at home. Jermareo Davidson scored 12 points and had nine rebounds in the victory, while Ronald Steele chipped in 10 points.
Bo McCalebb scored a game-high 26 points, including 16 after halftime, to lead New Orleans (5-8) which had its two-game win streak snapped. Jamie McNeilly added 11 points on 5-of-6 shooting from the floor in the loss.
