Kansas senior Frank Mason’s clutch 16 of 18 free-throw shooting performance certainly proved instrumental in the Jayhawks’ 84-80 overtime victory over West Virginia on Monday night at Allen Fieldhouse.
His 16 makes — most by a Jayhawk since Wayne Simien swished 18 against UAB on March 26, 2004, in the NCAA Tournament — were quite remarkable considering the tosses seemingly came out of nowhere.
“The last time we played West Virginia, he didn’t shoot a free throw. He never got to the line,” KU coach Bill Self said Tuesday on his weekly Hawk Talk radio show.
Indeed, the 5-foot-11 Mason scored 15 points but attempted no free throws in KU’s 85-69 loss to the Mountaineers on Jan.