It was an eventful day in college basketball on Saturday, especially in Lawrence, Kansas. For the first time since 2013, the Kansas Jayhawks lost a home game. They fell 92-89 in overtime against Iowa State.
The lost snapped a 54-game home win streak, which was the longest in the country entering the day. It was the Jayhawks' first loss in Lawrence since falling 85-80 to Oklahoma State in February 2013 (a victory capped with a memorable Marcus Smart backflip). Kansas entered Saturday's game as a double-digit favorite.
The loss was just the 10th for Bill Self at Phog Allen Fieldhouse since he took over as Kansas' head coach prior to the 2003-04 season.
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For the struggling Cyclones, this was a much-needed win as they pursue a sixth straight NCAA Tournament bid. Iowa State is now 14-8 overall but entered the game with two straight losses and was desperate for a signature victory. The Cyclones now have that win and could get on a bit of a roll; their next two games are against Texas and Oklahoma, two clubs at the bottom of the Big 12 standings.
Meanwhile, the loss for Kansas comes after what was arguably the most impressive two-game stretch in the sport this season. The Jayhawks won last week at (then) No. 4 Kentucky and followed it up with a home win over No. 2 Baylor on Wednesday. With the loss, the Jayhawks are now 20-3 overall and 8-2 in Big 12 play.
While the loss hurts, Kansas did get a tiny stroke of luck shortly after this game. Baylor - which was tied with the Jayhawks in the Big 12 loss column - lost to Kansas State, allowing Self's team to stay atop the conference standings. They are pursuing their 13th straight Big 12 title.
