Following another tough road test against Texas Tech, the Jayhawks notched a 64-61 comeback victory, extending their streak to six games and continuing to prove they’re firing on all cylinders.
Peterson’s back-to-back triples puts Kansas on top
Saturday against BYU in Kansas' 90-82 win over the No. 13 Cougars, true freshman Darryn Peterson scored 18 points in the first half. In the final 20 minutes of that contest, he played just three before sitting due to cramps.
Against the Red Raiders, he scored six of the team’s final eight points, including consecutive triples to put Kansas ahead in the final 0:25.
It wasn’t just that.
Peterson made a difference. He scored 11 in the first half, finishing the game with 19 points, shooting 35% from the floor.
He played his first complete game since the Jan. 12 win over Colorado, and might not have put anyone on a poster like he did to BYU center Keba Keita, but even on an “off night,” the defense knew he was there.
Kansas Defense holding strong
The Jayhawks held Texas Tech scoreless for the final 2:26, during which they scored their final eight unanswered in 2:12. That wasn’t just a one-off either.
Statistics don’t lie either, two blocks each from Flory Bidunga and Bryson Tiller, a pair of steals for Tiller and Peterson, and three different stretches of three minutes or longer without points down the stretch from the Red Raiders.
Kansas also managed 38 boards, 33 on the defensive end of the ball, six more than the team’s total in Saturday’s win over the Cougars.
Where there’s a will, there’s a way.
Kansas isn’t afraid of a comeback, and big second-half surges are familiar territory. What’s rare is erasing a double-digit deficit to take the lead on the road against another nationally ranked opponent.
The Jayhawks trailed by as many as 10, down 57-47, but the deficit didn’t last. Without JT Toppin running the show, Texas Tech’s offense sputtered, while Lejuan Watts delivered a breakout performance after scoring just 12 points in his previous two games combined.
And when Toppin goes quiet? About 75% of your problems vanish.
Up Next
The Jayhawks shift gears for another home stand on Tuesday against Utah before welcoming the top-ranked Arizona Wildcats into The Phog on Monday.
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