Seriously in danger of dropping its second straight game, Kansas guard Frank Mason again willed his team to a win, silencing a frenzied Kansas State crowd in the Jayhawks' 74-71 victory Tuesday.

With the score tied at 63-all and 2 minutes and 30 seconds remaining, Mason took over the game. He controlled the pace, out-hustled everyone, and starred in the most unique of ways, as only a veteran guard of Mason's caliber could do.

In that span, Mason didn't make a single field goal. In fact, he only took one shot from the floor: An attempted layup that sent him to the free-throw line. But he was everywhere on the floor. After saving the ball from flying out of bounds and tossing it straight to a Kansas State defender under the Wildcats basket, Mason came soaring from three rows deep in the stands -- literally -- to make the hustle play of the night. He recovered like an NFL cornerback to make this interception.

"Mason is tough," Kansas coach Bill Self said. "For him to go save the ball and then jump over the table and steal it .. he showed a bit of everything."

You know what happened right after this steal? He dribbled the ball out of bounds.

Hey, you play 38 minutes and fatigue can set in. It looked like he'd gone 12 rounds in the ring, too, gasping for air and gripping his knees. Yet he kept coming.

The veteran leader and player of the year candidate didn't tap out.

Instead, after gathering a Kansas State turnover on the other end, Mason smartly charged down the floor in front of a Wildcats trailer and pulled back on the reins, drawing contact that sent Mason to the free-throw line. A Chris Paul-esque move if there were one, knowing the situation and getting a look at two easy shots.

He nailed the front end of his trip to the free-throw line, giving his team added cushion with 43 seconds.

On the night, Mason finished 7-for-17 from the floor. A game that many would consider an off night that ended with 21 points, including five made free-throws in the game's final 5 minutes. And despite the aesthetics of his game against Kansas State, he may have produced his masterpiece for his national player of the year campaign.