Pierce Makes Some Noise, Hears It in Kansas Victory

Seniors Raef LaFrentz, Billy Thomas and C.B. McGrath ended their home seasons never having lost in Lawrence, Kan., but the noise was being made for a junior who has another season of eligibility.

If he takes it.

Paul Pierce scored 31 points for No. 4 Kansas, which made Oklahoma its 60th consecutive victim at Allen Fieldhouse, beating the Sooners, 83-70, in a Big 12 game Monday night.

Pierce scored 15 points in a row during a dramatic surge in the second half and had the usual sellout crowd chanting, “One more year! One more year!”

There is a possibility that Pierce will forego his senior season and make himself eligible for the NBA draft, though he has not commented on his basketball future.

“I don’t think I can remember anything like that,” said Pierce of his shooting. “I shot the ball like that just one other time, when I was in high school. I think that was the best I’ve shot it since I’ve been here.”

The Jayhawks, 30-3 overall and 14-1 in the Big 12, clinched their second regular-season conference title in a row.

Oklahoma (19-9, 10-5) trailed, 48-33, early in the second half after Thomas made a three-point basket, but the Sooners went on a 12-2 run.

It was 55-45 with 9:29 to play when Pierce drove the lane to score on a short jump shot and took over the game.

No. 6 Connecticut 77, Providence 68--The Huskies’ Richard Hamilton missed 15 of 21 shots, but had 10 rebounds and made a key four-point play and some free throws in the waning moments of a Big East game at Hartford, Conn.

Connecticut (25-4, 14-3) outrebounded Providence, 40-27, led by Jake Voskuhl’s 13.

Jamel Thomas scored 22 points and Justin Farley had 19 for Providence (11-15, 6-11), which dominated the first half, leading by five points three times, before Connecticut got going.

OTHER GAMES

Toby Madison scored 23 points to lead South Alabama (18-6, 14-4) to a 61-43 Sun Belt Conference victory over Arkansas Little Rock (14-12, 10-8) at Little Rock in a game that guaranteed the Jaguars will be top-seeded in the conference tournament.