Elijah Johnson, who has been criticized all season for some poor play,
had one of the most legendary performances in Kansas history. The senior scored
a career-high 39 points, including eight in the final 29 seconds of regulation
and 12 in overtime. Travis Releford added 19 efficient points, and Jeff Withey
was a force in the paint to help Kansas keep pace with the red-hot Cyclones in
the first half.
Iowa State nearly pulled off the win by hitting an insane 17 three
pointers – a school record. The Cyclones’ 22-game home winning streak was
snapped when Iowa State went cold in overtime as Johnson continued to score at
will for the Jayhawks.
The Iowa State fans proceeded to throw plastic megaphones and
concessions at the Kansas players after the game, due to Johnson dunking the
ball with only a few seconds remaining on the clock. Johnson and Self both
apologized for the dunk after the game.
Kansas has now passed the two toughest games it had on the backend of
its schedule – on the road against Oklahoma State and Iowa State. Kansas hosts
West Virginia and Texas Tech in its next two games, and the Mountaineers and
Red Raiders are two of the weakest teams in the conference. The Jayhawks finish
the season on the road against Baylor, who has been inconsistent all season. Kansas
State, currently tied with Kansas in first, still has to travel to Stillwater
to face Oklahoma State and also plays Baylor on the road. The road wins over
OSU and ISU have put Kansas in a great position to once again win a Big 12
championship and earn a high seed for the NCAA tournament.
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