Melvin Council Jr.’s Nine-Second Surge Lifts Kansas Over Colorado in Pivotal Big 12 Clash
When Kansas needed a spark, Melvin Council Jr. delivered a jolt.
In a game that had all the makings of a grind-it-out Big 12 battle, Council’s four-point burst in just nine seconds flipped the momentum and helped seal a 75-69 win for the Jayhawks over Colorado on Tuesday night in Boulder. It was the kind of sequence that doesn’t just change a game - it defines it.
With just over five minutes to play and Kansas clinging to a 60-59 lead, freshman forward Bryson Tiller came up with a clutch block on Colorado’s Alon Michaeli. Council snagged the rebound and wasted no time, taking it coast-to-coast for a layup that gave KU a three-point cushion with 5:07 remaining.
And then came the moment that had the CU Events Center buzzing - and not in a good way for the home crowd.
On the ensuing inbounds play, Council made a heads-up read and picked off a pass from Sebastian Rancik near the sideline. In one smooth motion, he spun and banked in another layup. Just like that, Kansas led 64-59 with 4:08 left, and the energy in the building shifted.
“I was trying to get back, but something happened. My hands were up and I got the ball,” Council said postgame.
“That’s really what it was. I wasn’t even thinking about stealing it or anything.”
Council finished with 18 points, seven rebounds, and three assists in 35 minutes of action - a stat line that only tells part of the story. His impact in crunch time was the difference-maker.
“I feel like that kind of won the game for us,” said senior guard Tre White, who had a monster night himself with 17 points and a career-best 15 rebounds. “Kind of set the energy and, yeah, that’s Melvin.”
From there, Kansas kept its foot on the gas, stretching the lead to 11 with under a minute to play before Colorado made a late push that ultimately fell short. The win moves KU to 14-5 overall and 4-2 in Big 12 play, while Colorado drops to 12-7 and 2-4, now mired in a four-game conference skid.
Colorado’s players acknowledged the sting of Council’s back-to-back buckets - especially the inbounds steal, which sparked plenty of debate among fans in the arena.
“Melvin Council Jr. made a good play defensively. The ref didn’t call it.
It was a great play for him and he finished the layup. It happens,” said CU guard Isaiah Johnson, who led all scorers with 19 points.
“It’s tough. We had the momentum.
We had a swing coming. With those plays happening, it takes a toll on your mental, but we have to learn how to keep fighting and bounce back.”
Fellow guard Barrington Hargress, who added 17 points, echoed that sentiment.
“Tad (Boyle) is never going to look at us and ask the refs for any type of mercy,” Hargress said. “Whatever happens in between those lines is what happens, and we have to find a way to win the game in between there.
I saw the play. I thought it wasn’t allowed.
At the end of the day, whatever happens between those lines, we have to get the job done.”
Colorado head coach Tad Boyle, a Kansas alum, didn’t mince words about the turning point.
“That four-point sequence was the deciding factor of the game,” Boyle said. “Part of it is, we didn’t finish our transition.
KU was the better transition team on offense and defense. We got numbers.
We got an advantage break and we didn’t score. They got an advantage break and they did score.”
Boyle also pointed to a late dagger - a banked three-pointer from KU’s Darryn Peterson with 2:11 left that pushed the lead to 69-60 - as another backbreaker.
“We just couldn’t get over the hump,” Boyle said. “Sometimes the breaks go your way, and sometimes they don’t, and this year they haven’t, so far, not in these close, close games.”
Despite the loss, Boyle praised his team’s effort and resilience, even as the Buffs continue to search for answers during a rough stretch.
“Tough loss for the Buffaloes. Kansas was better tonight.
Obviously, they out-rebounded us (45-33),” he said. “I love the fight of our guys.
I love the fight of this team, and we cannot lose that, and we will not lose that.”
Boyle also gave credit to Council’s defensive presence and KU’s ability to switch effectively on defense after Colorado big man Elijah Malone exited early with an injury.
“Council is a good defender. I think they’ve got multiple guys that can guard, and their bigs do a good job,” Boyle said.
“With Elijah out, they were able to switch a lot in the second half, and that was effective for them. Our guards have to do a better job of attacking their bigs, and our bigs have to take advantage of those mismatches.
But we didn’t do enough of that tonight.”
Kansas now turns its attention to a Saturday night showdown with in-state rival Kansas State. And if Council’s late-game heroics are any indication, the Jayhawks are starting to find that extra gear - just in time for the heart of the Big 12 schedule.