AUSTIN, Texas -- Daniel Gibson stood at the free throw line with the chance to put the game out of reach.
But the freshman guard missed two shots with 26 seconds left and Kansas State scored at the other end to force overtime. Once again, No. 23 Texas had failed to finish off an opponent.
Already on a three-game losing streak, another bad finish threatened to all but end the Longhorns' hopes of making the NCAA tournament.
But unlike a week earlier against Iowa State, Gibson and the Longhorns recovered from the late mistake to pull out a 75-72 win, snapping the losing skid with a victory they desperately needed to turn around their sinking season.
Gibson scored 14 of his 23 points in the overtime. He scored eight straight points to open the extra period and iced the game for the Longhorns (16-7, 5-5 Big 12) with six straight free throws in the final minute.
"After I missed the free throws, I got a little down," Gibson said. "But I felt like it's a whole other game and it was time for us to go all out and leave it on the floor."
Kansas State (13-8, 3-7) sent it to overtime when Jeremiah Massey was fouled and made two free throws with 6.5 seconds left. His layup to start the overtime gave Kansas State its first lead, 59-57.
Gibson then sandwiched two 3-pointers around a driving layup and Sydmill Harris hit another 3-pointer to quickly regain the lead for Texas.
The win was a huge boost for the Longhorns, who are pushing to finish at least 8-8 in conference play to bolster their chances of making the NCAA tournament after academic problems and injuries wreaked havoc with their lineup.
Texas had lost four of its last five games and the win kept the Longhorns from their first four-game losing streak since the start of the 1998-99 season.
"This game was big for us to turn that bus around in the right direction," said Brad Buckman, who had 17 points and 10 rebounds, his third double-double in as many games.
The Longhorns also got a big game from Harris, who shook off a nagging groin injury to score 17 points with five 3-pointers.
Harris, who doesn't practice because of his sore leg, hit a falling 3-pointer from the left corner late in the second half and made another in overtime. He limped around the court for a career-high 36 minutes.
"I'm made of rubber," he said.
The senior also got in Gibson's ear when the freshman missed the free throws at the end of regulation.
"I'm going to kill you," Harris said he jokingly told Gibson.
"The team didn't get on me seriously. Syd was the main one that told me `Don't worry,"' Gibson said.
Fred Peete scored 28 points to lead Kansas State. He was 7-of-14 from 3-point range, but was held to just two free throws in overtime.
"The defense tightened up and we tried to find different ways to get it to him," Wildcats coach Jim Wooldridge said. "I wish we had."
Massey, who finished with 14 points, gave Kansas State a 63-62 lead with his first 3-pointer of the season. Gibson immediately answered it and the Longhorns were nearly perfect in overtime, going 4-of-4 from the field and 7-of-8 from the line.
"Overtime showed the kind of heart, the kind of grit he has," Texas coach Rick Barnes said of Gibson. "Someone had to make plays and he did."
Kansas State announced before the game that junior Marques Hayden, who missed the last four games because of migraine headaches will not return this season. A decision about his future with the team will be made later, the school said.
