NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Travis Releford stepped into the spotlight when the Kansas stars faded, his performance as much as any other the reason the Jayhawks are playing for a national championship.
The junior guard, so often overshadowed by teammates Thomas Robinson and Tyshawn Taylor, had 15 points and six rebounds on Saturday night, boosting Kansas to a 64-62 Final Four victory over Ohio State.
The Jayhawks will play Kentucky on Monday night for their sixth national championship.
It wouldn’t have been possible without Releford, whose two fouls shots with under 3 minutes to go gave the Jayhawks a 56-55 lead, and who made two more with 1:13 left for a 62-59 advantage.
And when the Buckeyes’ Aaron Craft intentionally missed the second of two free throws with 2.9 seconds left but was called for a lane violation, and the final seconds ticked off the clock on the inbound pass, it was Releford who raced to midcourt to lead the Jayhawks in celebration.
