March 4, 2001

Box Score

By DOUG TUCKER
AP Sports Writer

LAWRENCE, Kan. - Kareem Rush's sore thumb probably had more to do with No. 10 Kansas' 75-59 victory over Missouri than the roaring crowd in Allen Fieldhouse which was fired up for Senior Day.

Rush, the Big 12's leading scorer who had 27 points and 11 rebounds in a 75-66 victory over Kansas in January, returned in Sunday's regular-season finale after missing seven games with a thumb injury.

But he played only 15 minutes and was 1-of-7 from the field, scoring a season-low two points. At the end of the game, the 6-foot-6 sophomore was on the bench with a bag of ice on the thumb.

"With my dominant hand gone ... I didn't go out there to score 21 tonight. I just wanted to help my team," said Rush, who had a light cast on the thumb for support.

With Rush a non-factor, the Jayhawks (23-5, 12-4 Big 12) used a 21-7 run midway through the second half to erase a 31-30 halftime deficit and split their season series with their border rivals for the sixth straight year.

"It's always good to beat Missouri," said center Eric Chenowith, one of three seniors who bid emotional farewells in their final home game. "We hate them and they hate us, too."

Drew Gooden, a 6-10 sophomore who spent eight games on the injured list himself until this week, had 19 points and seven rebounds, leading a charge in the second half by the Jayhawks' taller front line.

"I know Kareem struggled a little with his first game back," Gooden said. "Basically he was out there shooting with four fingers. He kind of scared me when he made that first one."

The Jayhawks, who finished second in the Big 12 regular-season race to Iowa State, will be the No. 2 seed and play the winner of the Nebraska-Kansas State game in the conference tournament on Friday.

Missouri (18-11, 9-7) shot just 32 percent and had 21 turnovers. As the No. 6 seed, the Tigers will face No. 11 seed Texas A&M on Thursday.

Missouri coach Quin Snyder said he expected Rush to be ready for the tournament.

"It was good to get Kareem back," Snyder said. "He looked uncomfortable when he released his shots, though. I'm sure he wasn't happy with his results."

Rush said Kansas guard Kirk Hinrich hit his thumb in the second half, sending him to the locker room in pain.

"I got in the locker room and it stopped hurting," he said. "I don't know if it was deliberate."

Kansas won on Senior Day for the 18th straight time and reached the 23-victory plateau for the 12th straight season.

"I thought our crowd was sensational," Jayhawks coach Roy Williams said. "Kansas basketball is important to a lot of people. The support we get is what makes college basketball fun."

Nick Collison had 13 points and 13 rebounds for the Jayhawks, while Chenowith and Jeff Boschee each had 11 points.

Missouri's Clarence Gilbert had 19 points and was 5-of-11 from 3-point range, while freshman Rickey Paulding tied a career best with 16 points.

Kansas was just 1-of-13 from 3-point range.

"That's about as bad as we've ever shot it," Williams said.

Perhaps the most emotional moment of the day came before the game when the parents of seniors lined up on the court and embraced their sons as cheerleaders tossed rose petals onto the floor.

Janey Chenowith, battling breast cancer all year, had made it her goal to be at Senior Day to see her son play his last home game.

The crowd cheered wildly as the two hugged.

"I said, `Thanks for coming out, Mom. I love you very much,"' Chenowith said. "She said I love you back. It was special."