Darryn Peterson scored a career-high 32 points, 18 in the second half and shot 8 of 18 from the floor as No. 22 Kansas won its first game of conference play, overcoming a 16-point second-half deficit to win 104-100 over TCU Tuesday night.
Peterson, who played 32 minutes and knocked down 13 of 15 free throws for the Jayhawks (11-4, 1-1 Big 12), led four scorers in double figures alongside Tre White and Melvin Council, who combined for 40.
Jayhawks finish a strong first half, battle tested in the second
Kansas shot 54% from the field in the first half, leading at the break 41-36 following a 9-0 run courtesy of shots by Peterson, Melvin Council and Tre White. The Jayhawks opened the second half giving up six straight points before battling back.
Momentum proved short-lived as a one-possession game quickly turned into a double-digit deficit after 10 unanswered points just five minutes into the second half, following a 1-of-11 shooting stretch by the Horned Frogs.
“TCU was better than us tonight,” Kansas head coach Bill Self said following the game. “They played great, but for some reason the switch flipped and the crowd felt it.”
Kansas cut the deficit to six on a three-pointer by White, giving the Jayhawks a chance to cut the lead to one score. The game was later tied on a foul drawn by Peterson, who sent the game to overtime at the free-throw line.
Taking control when it matters most – overtime.
Entering the third period, Kansas had only led the match for 4:38, struggling to sustain momentum. Even with the chance to flip the switch, the Jayhawks were unable to create separation.
It wasn’t until overtime that Kansas delivered its most efficient stretch, shooting 9 of 11 (57%) from the floor. Council scored nine in the extra five minutes, as the Jayhawks pulled ahead. Once they had the lead, there was no turning back.
“The best thing that happened tonight was [that] we became a team,” head coach Bill Self said. “That was pretty special.”
Liutauras Lelevicius, David Punch keep TCU alive late
Liutarus Lelevicius scored a career-high 23 points for the Horned Frogs, including points on one of three triples that kept TCU alive in the closing minutes. Punch also landed atop the scoring column and the second TCU starter with 20 points shooting 8 of 15 from the floor.
TCU has now lost four straight against the Jayhawks. The Horned Frogs are the first team to hit the century mark against Kansas since Gonzaga in 2020.
“Jamie [Dixon] had them ready,” Self said. “They played great, we just found lightning in a bottle there for ten minutes.”