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Jayhawk jubilation
Chalmers sends Kansas to 75-68 championship overtime victory over Memphis
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Kansas' Matt Kleinmann (54), Darrell Arthur, center, and Mario Chalmers, right, celebrate their 75-68 victory over Memphis in overtime in the championship game at the NCAA college basketball Final Four Monday, April 7, 2008, in San Antonio.
AP Photo
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BY THE ASSOCIATED PRESS
April 7, 2008
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SAN ANTONIO — So patient for 20 years, Kansas had no problem working an extra five minutes to bring a long-awaited championship back to the heartland.
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 in one of the best title games in recent memory.
The shot earned Chalmers the most outstanding player honor.
It was the first title for Kansas since 1988, when Danny Manning, now an assistant coach for the Jayhawks, led them to an upset of Oklahoma.
The most memorable performance in this one came from freshman Derrick Rose of Memphis, 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.
But Kansas (37-3) used the strategy any smart opponent of Memphis’ would — fouling the heck out of one of the country’s worst free-throw-shooting teams — and when Rose and Chris Douglas-Roberts combined to miss four of five over the last 1:12, it left the door open for KU.
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 from the top.
It hit nothing but net and tied the score at 63.
Robert Dozier missed a desperation shot at the buzzer, and Rose went limping to the bench, favoring his right leg.
Brandon Rush, Darrell Arthur and Darnell Jackson scored the first six points of overtime to put Kansas ahead 69-63.
Memphis, clearly exhausted, didn’t pull within three again.
Arthur was dominant inside, finishing with 20 points and 10 rebounds, lots on dunks and easy lay-ups off lob passes.
Chalmers finished with 18 points. Rush had 12 and Collins had 11 points, six assists and did a wonderful job shutting Rose for the first 28 minutes.
Rose wound up with 18 points in a game that showed how ready he is for the NBA.
He was 3-for-4 from the line, however, and that one miss with 10.8 seconds left is what almost certainly would have sealed the game and given the Tigers (38-2) their first title.
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CLOUDY 38° 
