Kansas Outlasts Colorado in Gritty Road Win Behind Council’s Spark and Peterson’s Poise
BOULDER, CO - No Bill Self? No problem. At least for one night.
With their Hall of Fame head coach back home under the weather, the Kansas Jayhawks leaned on depth, grit, and a timely spark from Melvin Council Jr. to grind out a hard-fought 75-69 win over Colorado at the CU Events Center on Tuesday night. Council poured in 18 points to lead a balanced attack that saw four Jayhawks finish in double figures, and interim coach Jacque Vaughn - stepping in for Self - helped steady the ship in a raucous road environment.
“I told the guys the best part of team sports is that everyone has a role,” Vaughn said after the win. “Tonight, mine was to fill in for coach.”
And fill in he did, guiding a Kansas team that had to navigate a hostile blackout crowd, a brief injury scare to its freshman star, and a Colorado squad that simply wouldn’t go away.
Fast Start, Fast Response
Colorado struck first with an Isaiah Johnson three that got the home crowd buzzing, but Kansas didn’t waste time quieting the noise. Back-to-back triples from freshman Darryn Peterson ignited a 15-5 Jayhawk run that gave Kansas early control - and gave the traveling Kansas fans something to cheer about.
“Seeing that we had fans here, it felt like a home game,” Council said. “I didn’t know we were going to have all these fans here.”
“I was surprised,” added Flory Bidunga. “I appreciate it from the Kansas fans.”
That early cushion didn’t last long. Colorado, feeding off its student section, punched back with a 5-0 run, forcing Vaughn into his first timeout. The Jayhawks regrouped, rebuilt the lead to eight, only to see it trimmed right back down by Barrington Hargress and Sebastian Rancik.
From there, it was a game of runs. Kansas found early rhythm from deep - five threes in the first 11 minutes, including two apiece from Peterson and Tre White - and made the most of their trips to the line, converting 10 of 12 first-half free throws. Colorado, meanwhile, hung around with timely buckets and relentless effort on the glass.
The Buffaloes kept chipping away, and a buzzer-beating tip-in from Hargress sent the home crowd into halftime with renewed energy, trailing just 40-38.
Jayhawks Weather the Storm - and the Noise
Kansas came out of the break looking for a spark, and once again, they turned to Peterson. The freshman delivered, scoring four straight to push Kansas back in front after Colorado briefly tied it.
But just as the Jayhawks were finding their rhythm, Peterson limped off the floor with just under 15 minutes left, grabbing his leg and heading to the bench. The moment could’ve unraveled Kansas - instead, they stayed composed. Peterson returned a few minutes later, and the Jayhawks kept grinding.
A corner three from Jamari McDowell gave Kansas a 51-44 lead - their second-largest of the night - but Colorado refused to fade. A couple of quick scores, a steal, and a trip to the line from Johnson cut the lead back to three and brought the CU Events Center to life.
Then came the turning point.
After a Kansas turnover, Colorado looked poised to take control. But the Jayhawks responded with a sequence that flipped the game: a Bidunga block, a Council layup, a Council steal on the inbounds, and another Council bucket. Just like that, the lead was back to five - and the momentum had swung.
The play wasn’t without controversy - replays showed Council may have stepped out of bounds before the steal - but the basket stood, and the Jayhawks took full advantage.
Council added another layup out of the timeout, and when Peterson buried a deep three with two minutes to go, Kansas had its largest lead of the night at 69-60.
From there, it was about closing the door - and Kansas did just that. A late layup from Colorado cut it to single digits, but the Buffaloes were forced to foul, and Council slammed the door shut - literally - with a final dunk to seal the 75-69 win.
Balanced Attack, Big-Time Composure
Council led the way with 18 points, but this was a total team effort. Peterson finished with 16, White added 17, and Bidunga chipped in 11. Kansas hit timely shots, got to the line (and converted), and made enough plays defensively to keep Colorado from ever fully seizing control.
It wasn’t always pretty, but on the road, in a tough environment, without their head coach, the Jayhawks did what good teams do - they found a way.
Next up: the Sunflower Showdown. Kansas heads to Manhattan on Saturday, Jan. 24 to face in-state rival Kansas State.
Tip-off is set for 7 p.m. on Fox. Kansas State defended their home court in this matchup last year - the Jayhawks will be looking to return the favor.