March 15, 2013

Kansas 88, Iowa State 73 Postgame Notes

March 15, 2013

No. 7/6 KANSAS 88, Iowa State 73
Postgame Notes
March 15, 2013

KANSAS STARTERS (Career/Season):

Kevin Young (29/29), Ben McLemore (33/33), Elijah Johnson (79/33), Travis Releford (75/33) and Jeff Withey (73/33).

THE KANSAS’ WIN:

Kansas improves to 10-5 in Big 12 Championship semifinals games. The Jayhawks are now 4-1 in games played on neutral floors this season. KU is now 64-24 all-time in league tournament play, including 34-8 at the Big 12 Championship. The Jayhawks have reached the finals 10 times in the 17 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championships and have advanced to 18 conference tournament championships. Kansas is 19-4 all-time at the Sprint Center, including a 5-0 mark this season. Coach Self’s record improves to 297-58 at Kansas and 504-163 overall. KU is now 2,098-811 all-time. Kansas now leads the all-time series against Iowa State, 174-59, and has won 16 of the last 17 meetings against the Cyclones. KU is now 6-3 against ISU in conference tournament play and 3-0 in the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship. KU is 17-7 against Iowa State when playing in Kansas City. Kansas is 28-5 on the season and boasts 28 wins for the fourth-straight season and the sixth time in the Bill Self-era. KU is 11-4 this season in games away from Allen Fieldhouse (7-3 in true road games and 4-1 on neutral floors). Kansas is 25-1 when leading at the half this season.

TEAM NOTES:

When Ben McLemore scored his first points on a running layup, Kansas took its first lead, 13-12 at the 11:08 mark. KU is led in all but one game this season (at TCU). McLemore’s three-point field goal at the 8:40 mark ended a 0-for-8 shooting start from beyond the arc. Kansas shot 2-for-15 (.133) from three in the first half, after shooting a combined 21-for-44 (.477) against Iowa State in the two regular-season meetings. Kansas finished with a 5-for-19 effort from three. Kansas committed five turnovers in the first 6:45 of the first half, but only one in the final 13:15. Following the intentional foul call on ISU’s Korie Lucious, Kansas took a 44-33 lead with 17:28 left in the game. As a result, Kansas has now held a double-digit lead in all but seven games this season. Kansas overcame a 12-4 deficit early in the first half, which was Iowa State’s largest lead in the three meetings against KU this season. When Naadir Tharpe sank a layup at the 12:24 mark in the second half, Kansas took a 55-39 advantage, which was the largest lead by either team in the three meetings this season. It was the 14th game this season where the Jayhawks have shot 50 percent or better. Kansas has now outrebounded 26 of 33 opponents this season and owns a 24-2 record when grabbing more boards than its foes. KU held a 40-29 rebounding edge over Iowa State. In the two games at the 2013 Big 12 Championship, Kansas is shooting a combined 64-for-109 (.587). Kansas and Iowa State combined to score 551 points in their three meetings this season, with Kansas scoring 293. KU’s 179 points scored in its first two games of the 2013 Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship are the most since the Jayhawks poured in a combined 192 points against Colorado and Texas Tech in the 2002 event.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
vBen McLemore committed three turnovers in the game’s first six minutes and 45 seconds. In the two previous meetings against Iowa State, McLemore had a total of three turnovers.

After McLemore was whistled for a technical foul, his second personal foul of the first half, freshman Perry Ellis scored six-straight points for the Jayhawks. He finished the first half with a team-high eight points. Head coach Bill Self was assessed his second technical foul of the season. His first was in the last meeting against Iowa State on Feb. 25, 2013 in Ames, Iowa. Ellis finished with a career-best 23 points, marking his sixth double-digit effort of the season and his second in the last three games. His previous career-high was 15 against Southeast Missouri State (Nov. 9, 2012), making this his first 20-point game. Ellis scored a combined 10 points in the first two meetings against the Cyclones. Senior Elijah Johnson scored the first seven points of the second half for Kansas. He finished with 14. Johnson has 15 double-digit scoring efforts this season, including three against Iowa State, and 40 in his career. Johnson also dished out seven assists and has had three or more assists in 24 games this season and 62 in his career. Senior Jeff Withey collected 14 points on the night for his 26th double-figure scoring effort of the season and the 44th of his career. Sophomore Naadir Tharpe posted a game-high eight assists, which equaled his second-highest assist total of the season. McLemore scored 10 points and has been in double-digits 29 times this season, including five-straight games.