Dec. 22, 2012

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NO. 9/8 KANSAS 74, NO. 7/7 OHIO STATE 66
Postgame Notes
Dec. 22, 2012

KU STARTERS (Season/Career Starts): C Jeff Withey (11/51), G Elijah Johnson (11/57), G Ben McLemore (11/11), F Travis Releford (11/53), F Kevin Young (8/8)

SERIES INFO: Kansas leads 8-3
ATTENDANCE: 19,049 (sold out)

KANSAS' WIN:
• Made Kansas 10-1 on the season, giving the team a 10-1 record for the third time in the last four seasons and the fifth time in the 10-year Bill Self era

• Gave KU its ninth-straight victory

• Made Kansas 1-0 in true road games and 4-1 in games away from Allen Fieldhouse this season

• Handed KU a 1-1 record against ranked opponents in 2012-13

• Improved KU to 8-3 all-time against OSU

• Gave Kansas its sixth-straight win against Ohio State

• Moved Coach Self to 279-54 at Kansas and 486-159 overall

• Made KU 2,080-807 all-time

TEAM NOTES: • A three-pointer for junior forward Deshaun Thomas put Ohio State ahead, 24-23, marking the first time in eight games that the Jayhawks have trailed in a game. Thomas' shot ended KU's streak at 306:05-consecutive minutes dating back to the Nov. 15 win over Chattanooga.

• Kansas opened the game with a 9-6 lead, keeping the trend of fast starts this season. The Jayhawks are outscoring opponents 116-56 in the opening five minutes of their games this year.

• KU fell behind (31-23) due to an 11-0 OSU scoring run and immediately regained the lead (32-31) with its own 9-0 scoring run. In the last 6:13 of the first half, the Jayhawks outscored the Buckeyes, 14-4.

• The 37-35 first-half score in favor of the Jayhawks marked the first time this season that Ohio State has trailed at halftime. Prior to Saturday, OSU led Duke, 31-23, at the half before ultimately falling to the Blue Devils.

• Kansas held Ohio State to a season-low 30.8 shooting percentage, while the Jayhawks themselves shot over 50 percent for the fifth-straight game.

• OSU's 6-for-13 from three-point range in the first half is just third time KU has surrendered six or more threes in a half (6 vs. Saint Louis, 2nd half; 8 vs. Chattanooga, 1st half).

• KU's 3-for-8 (37.5 percent) from the free-throw line in the first half tied a season-low (vs. Chattanooga, 1st half). The Jayhawks went on to shoot a much improved 16-for-22 (72.7 percent) for the second half.

• Kansas finished the afternoon shooting 25-for-49 (51.0 percent), marking the fifth-straight game KU has shot 50 percent or better.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES:
• Senior C Jeff Withey recorded his second-consecutive double-double (10 points, 10 rebounds) in the win, for his second consecutive, fifth of the season and 11th of his career. It marked the first time since vs. Oklahoma State (2/11/12) and at Kansas State (2/13) that Withey has recorded back-to-back double-doubles.

• Withey collected one block on Saturday to raise his total to 55 rejections on the year and 220 for his career for fifth all-time on the KU career blocks list.

• Withey has now recorded at least one block in 21-consecutive games.

• Withey grabbed his sixth rebound of the game - and 400th in his career - at the 5:17 mark in the first half. He finished the afternoon with 10.

• Freshman G Ben McLemore went 3-for -5 from three-point territory on Saturday. He has now connected on multiple threes in five-straight contests, going 14-for-23 (61 percent) during that stretch.

• For the sixth time in 11 games, McLemore scored KU's first points. Saturday's was a three-point bucket at the 19:26 mark.

• McLemore's 22 points mark his fourth 20-plus scoring performance of the year and the 10th-straight time he's scored in double-figures.

• Senior G Travis Releford, the Big 12 free-throw percentage leader, missed his first free throws in more than a month (5-for-6 vs. Saint Louis, 11/20). After going 2-for-4 from the line on Saturday, Releford has only missed four free throws all year (28-for-32).