Ben Woodside almost chops down Kansas

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MINNEAPOLIS -- Observations from the Midwest Metrodome while waiting for the afternoon media buffet followed by No. 10 USC vs. No.7 Boston College...

Hey, there are other schools playing here! And what a morning game I stumbled onto.

OK, so Fargo didn’t go far.

North Dakota State lost its first-ever NCAA tournament game to Kansas today, but not before putting a jolt in the Jayhawks.

No shock third-seeded Kansas won, 84-74.

North Dakota State is coming off the Summit Conference title; Kansas is coming off Mt. Everest as defending NCAA champions.

But it was a six-point game with 2:25 left.

Ben Woodside, the Bison’s buzz-cut senior guard, who scored 60 points in a game this year against Stephen F. Austin, scored a game-high 37 in front of an estimated 20,000 green-and-yellow-clad Fargo fans who made the drive down I-94.

Woodside, a black belt in karate, nearly performed the Rock Chalk Jay Chop in front of what seemed like half the state (population 600,000).

Wondering: Did the last person turn the lights out on his way out of the state line?

Unfortunately, Kansas brought guard Sherron Collins, who staved off the upset with a 32-point effort.

Kansas also brought 6-11 center Cole Aldrich, who finished with nine baskets -- eight of them slam dunks.

North Dakota State Coach Saul Phillips passed Aldrich in the hallway on his way to the postgame interview.

‘I think I went into the fetal position thinking that he was going to dunk on us again,’ Phillips said. ‘What can you do. Life’s not always fair.’

These Bison could not be buffaloed.

Woodside is only 5-11 and 185, but he sure looked like he was ready for the next level.

Get this: The last two players to score 37 or more points against Kansas were Michael Beasley (Kansas State) and Kevin Durant (Texas).

Tyshawn Taylor, Tyrel Reed and Tyrone Appleton all took turns trying to guard Woodside.

‘Put all our Tys on him,’ Kansas Coach Bill Self said.

For Woodside, it was a fitting finish to a fabulous college career.

‘It was fun competing against Kansas and guys you see on ESPN all the time,’ he said.

Phillips only wishes his Bison could have extended their NCAA stay.

‘Everything but the loss is storybook,’ he said.

-- Chris Dufresne