Wayne Selden Jr’s career night leads Kansas over Kentucky in OT

Time after time, possession after possession, No. 4 Kansas proved incapable of preventing Kentucky guard Tyler Ulis and other Wildcats from getting into the lane Saturday and it was costing the Jayhawks dearly. 

Time after time, Kansas made its way to the free throw line only to see balls bounce off the iron, giving life to the Wildcats in a close game. 

All of it might have conspired to end the second longest home-court winning streak in the nation at 34 games if not for Wayne Selden Jr. The Jayhawks’ junior guard scored a career-best 33 points leading Kansas to a 90-84 victory in a battle between the winningest programs in college basketball history at Allen Fieldhouse in the Big 12/SEC Challenge.

[Virginia stifles Louisville holding starters to 20 combined points]

Selden’s effort made a prophet out of Kentucky coach John Calipari who did an interview with KU students Friday and said Kansas would likely win the game.

No. 20 Kentucky had chances to win in regulation and couldn’t get it done, despite the Jayhawks best efforts to help by missing free throws. At times, Kentucky seemed to be comfortably in control in the second half, but there was far too much time remaining and it just felt as if Kansas would come to life sooner or later.

Kansas trailed by eight with more than 13 minutes remaining in the game but Ulis frustrating the Jayhawks on nearly every possession. Then Selden scored on consecutive possessions and eventually 10 points in the span of three minutes and Kansas was right back in it. The Jayhawks eventually regained the lead with 4 minutes, 51 seconds showing and it was a back-and-forth game from there.

[Roosevelt Jones hits 70-foot heave for first career 3-pointer]

Perry Ellis wasn’t a huge factor in regulation but made a free throw with nine seconds left to tie it. It set a different tone for the Jayhawks in overtime. Ulis turned the ball over on Kentucky’s final possession in regulation without every getting a shot off.

Ellis finished with 10 points and Frank Mason III added 13 points eight rebounds and four assists.

When overtime arrived, the Wildcats appeared to be in deep trouble with forwards Derek Willis and Marcus Lee having fouled out in regulation. Selden took over the game, scoring five of the Jayhawks’ first six points, including a driving dunk causing a reaction that nearly blew the roof off the building. Kansas made 12 of 16 free throws in the extra five minutes to win the game, finishing the night 30-for-47 at the line.

Kentucky made only five of 23 shots from behind the arc and Ulis, who played every minute of regulation, led the Wildcats with 26 points.

– – – – – – –

[Kyle Ringo is the assistant editor of The Dagger on Yahoo Sports. Have a tip? Email him at [email protected] or follow him on Twitter! Follow @KyleRingo