Kansas beats OSU in showdown
STILLWATER – Frank Mason sat stone-faced in the bowels of Gallagher-Iba Arena. Looked like he had just finished taking out the trash, not taking out the Cowboys on Senior Night.
His demeanor didn’t change, whether it was talking about finally winning in Stillwater or epically dueling Jawun Evans or playing perhaps Mason’s greatest game in a fabulous career.
But that’s the deal with pitbulls. Doesn’t matter how they look. What matters is how they are.
Mason willed topranked Kansas to a rousing, 90-85 Big 12 basketball victory Saturday, perhaps stamping himself as the favorite for national player of the year. Mason had 27 points, eight rebounds, nine assists and dogged defense, even if his OSU counterpart, Evans, had a monster game, too.
“Frank probably solidified a lot of things today,” KU coach Bill Self said. “He was great.”
Kansas center Landen Lucas, who’s been around all four Jayhawk years with Mason, said it had to be one of Mason’s greatest games. “This was like Russ Westbrook numbers out there,” Lucas said.
Nice analogy. So here’s another. Evans put up Chris Paul-like numbers – 22 points and 15 assists, the latter total believed to be the second-most in NCAA Division I this season and the most by a Cowboy since Doug Gottlieb had 16 assists against North Texas in 1999.
“I thought Jawun was off the chart tonight,” OSU coach Brad Underwood said. “Got off to a slow start (scoreless the first 13-½ minutes), but Jawun does what great players do. Make their teammates better. Fifteen assists is incredible.”
This game was nonstop entertainment. Kansas played superb and controlled the scoreboard; OSU led for only 33 seconds the entire night. But the Cowboys always scratched back. Even cut KU’s lead to three with 18.3 seconds left, before Lagerald Vick’s breakaway layup sealed it for the Jayhawks. And the point guards were at the center of this showdown of ancient rivals.
Mason kept his scoring average over 20 points a game and raised his assist average to 5.0 a game; no Big 12 player has ever finished a season with those standards.
Meanwhile, Evans capped a week in which he dueled two historically-great point guards – Iowa State’s Monte Morris, then Mason – and produced numbers of 51 points, 21 assists, seven turnovers and 47 percent shooting.
OSU’s Phil Forte, possibly overlooking Morris, said Mason and Evans “might be the two best point guards in the country. They’re just delivering blow by blow. Competing. I thought Jawun played great. He’s done that all year.”
Underwood said Evans has been “at a different level” for five or six weeks. “He’s guarding. Doesn’t show tonight, by Frank’s numbers, but Jawun’s really good. Man, the guy’s a good player.”
So is Mason. With a variety of 3-point shots, drives to the basket and fast breaks, Mason repeatedly either scored or set up teammates. Kansas scored on 57.4 percent of its possessions with Mason on the floor.
Underwood said he puts “dog” right next to Mason’s name in the scouting report, “because he’s an unbelievable competitor. He just competes. He wills his team. He’s their best defender. The guy does whatever it takes for his team to win. He’s just the ultimate and consummate competitor. Now you put 22 years of age, and you put a guy who’s had as much game experience as he’s had, it’s like having Tom Brady at quarterback. Good luck.”
Underwood has something better than luck in combatting Mason. He’s got Evans, who gives OSU a fighting chance not only in the Big 12 Tournament (opening against, interestingly enough, Iowa State, with KU up next), but in the NCAAs after that, where the games will mean more but will be hardpressed to match the sizzle of Saturday night in Gallagher-Iba.