Kansas has last word

No matter the location, no matter the style, No. 2 Kansas keeps showing it’s the premier basketball program in the state.

The Jayhawks held off a second-half charge from Kansas State to win, 67-61, Saturday at Oklahoma City and advance to the Big 12 Conference championship game. They’ll play No. 15 Texas, which beat Oklahoma State, 69-64.

Kansas (29-4) won for the 35th time in its last 36 games against Kansas State, and this victory came as the teams met for only the second time outside of Kansas City, Mo., or their home state.

The Jayhawks won in the only other venue in the century-old rivalry -- a 1988 NCAA tournament regional final in Pontiac, Mich. -- and they’re now 1-0 against the Wildcats at Oklahoma City’s Ford Center, too. All 261 other games have been played in Kansas or just across the Missouri border.

“Today had a different feel to me,” Jayhawks Coach Bill Self said. “It wasn’t as much of a rivalry game as it was a game where two teams had goals and they are trying to reach them. It wasn’t a hatred-type game today.”

The Jayhawks, who average 78.5 points, weren’t able to showcase their athletic skills with their usual barrage of highlight-reel plays and transition baskets. Instead, they beat the Wildcats at their own grind-it-out game and bolstered their case for a No. 1 seed on the NCAA bracket.

“We always have a style and tempo we want to play,” said Kansas forward Julian Wright, who had 12 points and eight rebounds.

“But whatever the mode of the game is, we have to be able to make adjustments in tournament games. You’ve got to feel out the situation and just try to execute, especially down the stretch.”

Mario Chalmers put Kansas in control with consecutive three-point baskets to make it 43-31 in the opening minutes of the second half, and the Jayhawks eventually pushed ahead by 14 on a three-pointer by Brandon Rush.

Cartier Martin capped an 8-0 run with a three-pointer from the top of the key to get the fourth-seeded Wildcats within 56-52 with 4:11 remaining, and they had a chance to bring it closer in the final two minutes, but Rush dove to create a jumpball, regaining possession for the Jayhawks.

Wright responded with a spinning jumper in the lane that extended Kansas’ lead to 62-54 with 1:05 to play. Kansas State couldn’t get closer than six after that.

In Bob Huggins’ first season as coach, the Wildcats (22-11) were left to hope that a quarterfinal win against fellow bubble team Texas Tech was enough to put them over the top for their first NCAA tournament bid since 1996.

“Correct me if I’m wrong. Don’t they say play the best competition you can play? I mean, everybody has Kansas as a No. 1 seed,” Huggins said. “Does losing to a No. 1 seed knock you out? I wouldn’t think so.”

No. 5 Memphis 71, Houston 59 -- The Tigers rolled into the NCAA tournament in style, beating the Cougars at Memphis, Tenn., to extend the nation’s longest winning streak to 22 in a row and winning their second straight Conference USA tournament championship.

The Tigers (30-3) already had their NCAA tournament spot assured without the automatic berth.

But they may have earned a No. 2 seeding for making their second straight and 20th NCAA appearance overall after clinching their second straight 30-win season, improving to 63-7 over the last two seasons.

Memphis became the first Conference USA to go undefeated during the regular season, then win the tournament title. Cincinnati went 16-0 in 1999-2000 but lost in the quarterfinals when Kenyon Martin broke his leg.

Houston (18-15) hadn’t played in a conference tournament championship since 1992 when the Cougars won their fifth and final Southwest Conference tournament.

No. 6 Florida 80, Mississippi 59 -- The Gators (28-5) are one win away from a three-peat at the Southeastern Conference tournament.

The Gators put on another dominating display to beat the Rebels (20-12) in the SEC semifinals at Atlanta.

The defending national champions jumped out to a quick 11-point lead and were never seriously challenged.

Florida has won its first two games in the tournament by an average of 19 points to reach its fourth straight final. The Gators won the last two championships and have a chance to be the first team since Kentucky in 1997-99 to win three consecutive tournament titles.

No. 15 Texas 69, Oklahoma State 64 -- Kevin Durant scored 26 points, including a decisive three-point basket to help the Longhorns hold off the Cowboys in the other Big 12 semifinal.

Playing in front of a partisan Oklahoma State crowd at the Ford Center in Oklahoma City, Texas (24-8) dealt the Cowboys their first loss in their seven games in the building.

Oklahoma State (22-12), ranked as high as ninth earlier this season, likely dropped out of NCAA tournament consideration with the loss

George Washington 78, Rhode Island 69 -- The Colonials’ formula for success at the Atlantic 10 tournament in Atlantic City, N.J., was simple -- use pressure defense to force turnovers and turn the takeaways into points.

It worked well enough that the Colonials (23-8) earned their third consecutive NCAA tournament berth by beating the Rams (19-14) for the conference title.

Carl Elliott scored 17 points and three teammates also scored in double figures for George Washington, but it was the Colonials’ defensive intensity that bothered opponents from the opening tap of the tournament.

In all three of its three games, George Washington forced at least 20 turnovers.

Miami (Ohio) 53, Akron 52 -- Doug Penno banked the RedHawks (18-14) into the NCAA tournament. With a hand in his face, the RedHawks’ guard made a three-point basket off the glass as the horn sounded to give them the victory in the championship of the Mid-American Conference tournament at Cleveland.

Florida A&M; 58, Delaware State 56 -- Brian Greene’s buzzer-beating layup lifted the Rattlers (21-13) past the Hornets in the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference championship game at Raleigh, N.C., sending them into the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2004.

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Northern Illinois fired Coach Rob Judson three days after the Huskies completed their season with a first-round loss to Western Michigan in the Mid-American Conference tournament. The Huskies were 7-23 this season and 74-101 in six seasons under Judson.