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Ben McLemore, No. 4 Kansas escape with win in Big 12 road test vs. Texas

Ben McLemore

In one swift transition sequence, the momentum shifted in Austin, Texas.

Down by as many as 11 points Saturday, a Jeff Withey block with 4:34 remaining in the second half led to a thunderous dunk off of an alley-oop by freshman Ben McLemore to put Kansas ahead by one point, 54-53, on its way to a 64-59 win over Texas Saturday.

Down by three points, 62-59, with 0:15 to play, Texas’ Julien Lewis missed a three-pointer from the right corner and Kansas grabbed the rebound, sealing the victory.

The Jayhawks shot just 39 percent from the field, but used the free throw line to their advantage. Kansas shot 21-of-25 from the line (84 percent), compared to just 2-of-8 for Texas.

Texas sophomore Jonathan Holmes scored all of his 10 points in the second half, helping to spark a 12-0 run early in the second half that turned a one-point deficit into a solid 11-point Longhorn lead with 15:22 to play.

Over that three-minute stretch, Kansas turned the ball over on five straight possessions and Holmes had seven points.

Texas’ intensity on both the offensive and defensive ends helped to dictate the pace in the first and part of the second half. Kansas’ ability to turn the tables and use Jeff Withey’s defense to its advantage was a turning point in the game.

Withey finished with 14 points, nine rebounds, and three blocks.

Kansas guard Elijah Johnson did not score until the 8:47 mark of the second half, ending his 0-of-9 shooting drought to begin the game. That layup sparked a 15-4 run for the Jayhawks that put Kansas ahead for good.

Daniel Martin is a writer and editor at JohnnyJungle.com, covering St. John’s. You can find him on Twitter:@DanielJMartin_