The triumph, a surprisingly simple addition ot the amazing Jayhawk string, moved the defending national champs into tonight's finals against Indiana, which thumped Louisiana State, 80-67, in the opening of the semifinal twinbill.

Washington, Pacific Coast champion and owner of a 29-2 record going into the game, never knew what hit when Phog Allen's gangsters slammed home their famed press, and opened the throttle wide on their special brand of fight and hustle.

The Jayhawk roared into an 8-0 lead in the first three minutes and, after the Huskies climbed back to tie it three times in the first period, went ahead to stay at 21-19 with a minute left in the opening round.

Kansas stepped up the pace to hold a 45-34 lead at halftime, and then turned the game into a rout in the second half. The Big Seven champs led by more than 20 points most of the last period, and opened the gap to 28 points seconds before the end.

The sizzling Jayhawks hit 30 of 69 shots for a 43 per cen shooting night, while Washington, harried and bewildered all night, hit 19 of 62 for 36 per cent.

The crowding Kansas defense, never better, netted 18 clean thefts of the ball, and forced Washington into 11 mistakes that cost them possession during the game.

The last Huskie hope went down the drain early in the third period when Bob Houbregs, great Huskie All-America, fouled out -- for the first time in 58 games -- with only two minutes and 14 seconds gone in the second half.

When he went out, Houbregs had 18 points, all in the first half, and had carried Washington's futile hopes with his unstoppable hook shots off the post.

But even before Houbregs was whistled out, Kansas had built a 51-34 lead with six straight points to open the second half, and it's highly doubtfulthat even Houbregs would have made much difference the rest of the way.

Kansas again had enough heroes to stock a modest hall of fame, but two of the biggest were the Kelley -- Dean and Al -- who made St. Patrick proud of his day.

The combined with Gil Reich to trigger the relentless frontline pursuit that is a Kansas trademark, and kept Washington constantly off balance with ball hawking.

Dean, back in the form that made him a standout on the national kings of last season, hit 16 points -- 12 in the first half -- and Al chipped in 11 more.

But it was big B.H. Born who shook off the towering Huskie defenders to grab scoring honors. Born fired in nine fielders and added seven free throws for 25 points, tops for the game, and eight of them in the final three minutes. Reich, the fifth starter, hit six.

The Kansas defense, operating like an octopus with twice its allotment of tenacles, forced the Huskies into six mistakes that lost the ball, and nailed eight clean thefts of the ball in the first half.

The confused Pacific Coast Champs were behind, 8-0, before they knew what hit them. Then, with almost three minutes gone, they hit their first point and pulled into a 9-9 tie midway in the period. The score was tied twice more and Washington owned a brief lead at 18-17 before the Jayhawks put the pressure back on and once more moved into a commanding lead.

At the end of the first period KU held a 24-20 margin, and quickly built that to eight points at 28-20 when Born and Dean Kelley hit to open the second round. With these same two setting the pace, the Jayhawks poured on the coal, and mounted a 13-point lead twice late in the period. It was 45-34 at the half, and Kansas was smelling the roses again.

In the second period, Washington hit only four field goals, and these were well-spaced. Houbregs canned three of them, all with his famed hook.

More fear was thrown into the Washington ranks when Houbregs, who had 17 of the Huskies' 34 points at the half, drew his fourth foul with 1:19 to play in the second. His third had come with 4:38 left in the first quarter.

Both Dean and Al Kelley turned in sparkling performances in the first half. Dean hit 12 points and Al nine, and both were giving the Washington back line a fit trying to keep the ball. Kansas hit 16 of 34 from the field in the half for 47 per cent, and Washington 12 of 36 for 33 per cent.

Houbregs, flashing his All-America shooting form, canned eight of 11 from the field in the two periods.

Born hit a quick layup and a free toss to open the seond half and boost the lead to 14 points at 48-34, and after Patterson canned a free toss, Born hit again to widen the gap to 17 points. It was here that Houbregs fouled out, whistled down for applying a harmless block. It was the first time since early last season he had drawn five fouls.

The best Washington ever did again was to climb to within 10 points at 51-41 with the third period half gane. But Al Kelley hit again to start the Jayhawks down the stretch, and it turned into a rout. The lead was 14 points at the end of the third period at 58-44, and the Huskies never came any closer the rest of the way.