Earlier this season Kansas coach Bill Self said Ben McLemore makes plays he can't coach.
The freshman made the biggest play of the Jayhawks' season to date Wednesday banking in a game-tying, 3-pointer to tie Iowa State with 1 second remaining in regulation. The Jayhawks went on a 12-0 run with McLemore's shot and the first nine points in overtime and won 97-89.
McLemore scored a career-high 33 points and added to his resume as possible Freshman of the Year by hitting 10 of 12 shots and all six 3-pointers he attempted, including the big shot of the night in college basketball. He also hit a 3-pointer to start the scoring in overtime.
McLemore's shot ripped out the hearts of the Cyclones who hit 14 3-pointers and had six players score in double figures. Iowa State was trying to beat Kansas for the second consecutive time. It ended a a 13-game losing streak against the Jayhawks last season in Ames, Iowa, and played Kansas tough in Lawrence last season as well.
A win on the road at Kansas could have been a defining moment for the Cyclones' season. Instead coach Fred Hoiberg's team is 10-4 and lacking a signature victory. The Cyclones have lost to all three ranked teams they've played, despite playing Cincinnati, UNLV and Kansas tough.
Kansas just seems to find a way to win at Allen Fieldhouse where it has won 31 straight and 100 of 101. The Jayhawks overcame a 9-minute stretch in which they scored just three points from the free throw line. McLemore kept his team in the game scoring 10 points during one 3-minute span in the second half when his teammates seemed to be struggling.
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