COLUMBUS, Ohio — Redshirt freshman guard Ben McLemore scored 22 points, and the ninth-ranked Kansas Jayhawks beat the seventh-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes 74-66 on Saturday afternoon at Value City Arena.
Kansas (10-1, 1-0 away) jumped out to an early lead, and sophomore guard Naadir Tharpe’s three-pointer gave the Jayhawks a 23-17 lead with 10:13 to play in the first half.
Ohio State (9-2, 7-1 home) answered with a 14-0 run, and took a 31-23 lead on a three by Shannon Scott. McLemore’s sensational dunk before halftime gave the Jayhawks a 37-35 lead at the break.
The Jayhawks led for most of the second half, and held the Buckeyes scoreless for over 10 minutes. Another high-flying dunk by McLemore gave the Hawks a 10-point lead with 5:22 to play. They maintained that 10-point cushion for the rest of the game.
KU shot the lights out, finishing with 51% shooting from the field, and 45.5% from three-point range. They also held the Buckeyes to just 30.8% shooting from the field, and 25.8% from three.
McLemore led the Hawks with 22 points and six rebounds. Senior Jeff Withey turned in a double-double with 14 points and 10 rebounds.
This marks the third time in a one-year span that Kansas has defeated Ohio State. Last season, Kansas beat Ohio State at Allen Fieldhouse, and in the Final Four at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome in New Orleans.
Kansas takes on American in Allen Fieldhouse next Saturday.