Ninth-ranked Kansas rallies past No. 24 Iowa State, 80-76

Forward Dedric Lawson contributed 29 points and 15 rebounds as the ninth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks rallied past No. 24 Iowa State 80-76 on ESPN Big Monday.

Playing in front of a rowdy home crowd at Allen Fieldhouse, Lawson hit 13 of 17 shots from the floor to turn back the upstart Cyclones.

Lawson’s biggest moment came with 23 seconds remaining and with Kansas clinging to a two-point lead. He nailed a three-pointer from the top of the circle to make it 77-72.

Records

Kansas 16-3, 5-2
Iowa State 14-5, 4-3

Making a run

Iowa State controlled the action for much of the night, but Kansas responded in the second half with a defensive stand that held the Cyclones scoreless for more than five minutes. On the other end of the floor, the Jayhawks scored 14 consecutive points to take a 61-53 lead.

Avenging a loss

A little more than two weeks ago, Iowa State stunned Kansas, 77-60. Playing at home, the Cyclones hit 13 three-point baskets to rout the Jayhawks. Kansas turned the tables on its home court. While Iowa State made another 12 threes, Kansas responded with 51.6 percent shooting from the field overall to avoid a sweep in the regular-season series.

Avoiding a slump

Bidding for a 15th-straight Big 12 title this season, Kansas needed a victory in the worst way after going on the road Saturday and losing to last-place West Virginia, 65-64. They got it with supporting act performances from Marcus Garrett (16 points, 5 rebounds, 3 steals) and Lagerald Vick (14 points) and Devon Dotson (11 points, 8 assists).

Having an impact

Senior guard Marial Shayok entered the game leading the Big 12 in scoring at 19.4 points per game. He more than lived up to the billing with 26 points on 9 of 18 shooting. Shayok, a senior transfer from Virginia, also hurt Kansas in the first meeting with 24 points. Lawson, who entered second in the conference in scoring at 18.9, is a transfer from the University of Memphis.