Kansas made sure its seniors went out in style. No. 14 Kansas rolled past Kansas State 104-85 on Saturday in Lawrence, turning Senior Day into exactly the kind of celebration the occasion called for. The victory extended the Jayhawks’ remarkable home winning streak over their in-state rivals to 20 consecutive games and clinched a double-bye heading into next week’s Big 12 Tournament a timely confidence boost for a team that had dropped four of its previous six games entering the afternoon.
The win was the 43rd consecutive Senior Day victory for Kansas at Allen Fieldhouse, a streak that speaks to the program’s ability to rise for the moment regardless of what surrounds it on the schedule.
Peterson puts on a show in his likely Allen Fieldhouse finale
Darryn Peterson, the freshman guard widely projected as a potential No. 1 pick in this year’s NBA Draft, delivered the kind of performance that has made him one of the most watched players in the country this season. He finished with 27 points on an efficient 10-of-15 shooting from the field, controlling the game at both ends and consistently making the right play in high-leverage moments.
For a player of Peterson’s profile, Saturday’s game carried added significance. With the postseason approaching and professional basketball on the horizon, the afternoon at Allen Fieldhouse may well have been his final home appearance in a Kansas uniform and he treated it accordingly.
3 seniors deliver unforgettable farewell performances
While Peterson provided the headlining number, three seniors ensured the day belonged to more than one player.
Tre White, a transfer from Illinois completing his lone regular season in Lawrence, finished with 23 points and 11 rebounds in a performance that showcased exactly why he made the move to Kansas. His double-double contribution gave the Jayhawks a reliable second option alongside Peterson throughout the afternoon.
Melvin Council Jr., who arrived from St. Bonaventure, came within reach of a triple-double in his final game at the Phog, posting 17 points, eight rebounds and 10 assists. The assist total alone reflected his ability to read the game and put teammates in position to succeed, and his farewell performance drew exactly the kind of response from the Allen Fieldhouse crowd that a senior deserves.
The collective effort from the senior group gave the Jayhawks an emotional current that ran through the entire afternoon, and Kansas fed off it from the opening tip.
How the game unfolded
The contest was competitive only through the early portion of the first half. Kansas then rattled off nine consecutive points to establish separation, pushing the advantage to 46-33 by halftime. The lead swelled to nearly 20 points in the opening minutes of the second half, and Kansas State made a couple of pushes to cut it to 11 but could never sustain the momentum required to make things genuinely uncomfortable.
The decisive moment came with approximately 12 minutes remaining, when C.J. Jones fouled Peterson and was then assessed a technical foul. The free throws that followed ignited a Kansas run that pushed the lead to 78-54 with under 10 minutes left, effectively ending any remaining drama.
For Kansas State, P.J. Haggerty led the way with 21 points in his return from an undisclosed injury that had kept him out of last week’s game against West Virginia. Nate Johnson also contributed 21 points and Khamari McGriff added 15, but the Wildcats now 12-19 on the season had no answer for Kansas’s depth or its energy on Senior Day.
What comes next for both programs
Kansas State will enter the Big 12 Tournament as the No. 15 seed and open play in a first-round game on Tuesday. The Jayhawks, now 22-9 overall and 12-6 in conference play, will learn their seeding later Saturday and are set to open tournament play in the quarterfinals on Thursday. With momentum restored and the senior class having delivered when it mattered most, Kansas heads into the postseason with considerably more confidence than it carried into Saturday’s tip.
