Kansas Guts Out a Road Win in Lubbock Behind Darryn Peterson’s Late-Game Heroics
This one had all the makings of a road loss: a hostile crowd, a second-half collapse, and a double-digit deficit with under eight minutes to play. But Kansas didn’t fold. Instead, the Jayhawks leaned on a gritty defensive stretch, timely shot-making, and a freshman who refused to let the game slip away.
In a 64-61 win over Texas Tech, Kansas notched what might be its most impressive road victory in recent memory-and its first win over a top-20 KenPom opponent in more than two years. The Jayhawks didn’t play pretty, and they certainly didn’t play perfect. But they made the plays when it mattered most.
Let’s dive into what stood out from Monday night’s thriller in Lubbock.
Kansas Missed Early Opportunities
Before the ball was even tipped, the Jayhawks caught a break. Texas Tech guard Christian Anderson was ruled out due to illness, and his backcourt running mate JT Toppin turned in one of his quietest halves of the season-two fouls, two points, and just one made bucket in 11 minutes. The Red Raiders, usually a strong three-point shooting team (39% coming in), couldn’t find the range early either, hitting just 6-of-21 from deep in the first half.
So the door was open for Kansas to take control early. But instead of capitalizing, the Jayhawks stumbled out of the gate offensively.
They shot just 42% from the field and went 2-for-11 from beyond the arc. Darryn Peterson led the way with 11 first-half points, but needed free throws to get there.
Only Flory Bidunga and KJ Council scored more than three points outside of Peterson.
This wasn’t a case of a team getting outplayed-it was more about Kansas not fully seizing the moment. With Tech shorthanded and struggling, KU had a chance to build a cushion. Instead, they took a slim 32-30 lead into the break, and that missed opportunity nearly came back to haunt them.
Rebounds and Turnovers Flipped the Script
The second half started with Kansas holding a slight edge on the glass-23-18 after the first 20 minutes-and that was a big reason why they led at halftime. But things shifted quickly after the break.
Texas Tech came out with renewed energy on the boards, grabbing nine of the first 12 rebounds in the second half. That included multiple second-chance opportunities that led directly to points.
By the time the Red Raiders had built a nine-rebound advantage in the half, the momentum had fully flipped. Kansas struggled to secure stops and couldn’t generate consistent offense on the other end.
Turnovers didn’t help either. The Jayhawks had six giveaways in the first half and coughed it up three more times in the first five minutes of the second.
Texas Tech capitalized with a 14-2 run that spanned just over two minutes-from 16:54 to 14:26-and suddenly, KU was staring at a 10-point deficit. The Red Raiders were hitting threes, dominating the glass, and dictating the tempo. It felt like the game was slipping away.
But Kansas never panicked. They tightened up defensively, limited Tech to just four points over the final eight minutes, and slowly chipped away. And when the moment called for a closer, Darryn Peterson answered.
Peterson Delivers in the Clutch
For most of the night, Peterson looked out of rhythm. He entered the final 90 seconds with 13 points on 3-of-12 shooting. Not exactly the stat line you’d expect from your go-to scorer in crunch time.
But great players have a way of showing up when it matters most.
With Kansas trailing by three and the offense sputtering, Peterson came off a screen, gave a subtle pump fake, and buried a contested three with JT Toppin draped all over him. Tie game, 61-61.
On the next trip down, after Toppin missed twice on the same possession thanks to an offensive rebound, Peterson seized the moment again. He brought the ball up, dribbled left, rose up, and drilled a pull-up jumper to give Kansas the lead-his first back-to-back makes of the game, and the two shots that ultimately sealed the win.
It was a defining moment for the freshman, especially after the questions that followed his unusual exit during the BYU game. On Monday night, he played 35 minutes.
He was on the floor when the game ended. And he was the reason Kansas walked out of Lubbock with a win.
Final Thoughts
This wasn’t Kansas at its cleanest or most efficient. But it was Kansas at its toughest. They overcame a sluggish offensive start, weathered a second-half storm, and leaned on a freshman to close out a game that easily could’ve gone the other way.
There’s still plenty to clean up-rebounding consistency, turnover control, and offensive rhythm among them. But if Monday night showed us anything, it’s that this Jayhawks team has the mental toughness to win ugly on the road. And with Peterson proving he can deliver in the clutch, Kansas may have found its late-game heartbeat.