UK Basketball 2009 : Kentucky tops Stanford 73-65 in overtime

stanford basketball

CANCUN, Mexico (AP) — Freshman sensation John Wall scored a season-best 23 points, including clutch shots in the final minute that sent the game to overtime, and No. 5 Kentucky closed with an eight-point run for a 73-65 victory over gritty Stanford on Wednesday night in the championship game of the Cancun Challenge at the Moon Palace Resort.

Playing his fifth college game, Wall capped a big night with a slam dunk at the final horn, setting off a wild celebration by Kentucky players before a crowd of 1,425.

Wall hit a 12-foot fadeaway jumper from the right wing to tie the score at 61 with 30.6 seconds remaining in regulation, then two free throws with 2.4 seconds left to send the game to overtime.

Fellow freshman Eric Bledsoe made an NBA-length 3-pointer with 33 seconds to go that gave Kentucky a 69-65 lead it did not relinquish.

Stanford’s Landry Fields was fouled by Ramon Harris during a scramble and hit both ends of a 1-and-1 to give Stanford a 63-61 lead with 28.2 seconds on the clock.

The Wildcats opted not to call a timeout and went to freshman forward DeMarcus Cousins, who was fouled on the block. The 53.6 percent free throw shooter missed the first free throw and then the second on purpose, but fouled Stanford’s Jarrett Mann on the rebound.

Mann, a 53 percent free throw shooter, then missed both of his free-throw attempts, setting up a final flurry. Wall drew a blocking call on Andrew Zimmermann with 2.4 seconds left and calmly swished both free throws to tie it again.

Stanford’s full-court pass was batted off the backboard by Patrick Patterson and corralled by Wall to send the game to overtime.

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