Kansas Outlasts Kansas State 86-62 Behind Strong Finish, Despite Darryn Peterson’s Absence.

MANHATTAN, Kan. — No. 19 Kansas overcame the absence of standout freshman guard Darryn Peterson, finishing with a dominant 27-7 run to defeat Kansas State 86-62 on Saturday night. Flory Bidunga led the Jayhawks with 21 points and 10 rebounds, while Elmarko Jackson added 19 points. Melvin Council Jr. contributed 17 points, and Bryson Tiller added 16 for Kansas (15-5, 5-2 Big 12), who returned to the sideline under coach Bill Self, who missed their previous game due to a health-related matter. Peterson, one of the nation’s top freshmen, was sidelined after spraining his ankle in Tuesday’s win over Colorado. For Kansas State (10-10, 1-6), P.J. Haggerty scored 23 points, including 18 in the second half, and Andrej Kostic added 12 points. The Wildcats were also hampered by injuries, with Khamari McGriff, Mobi Ikegwuruka, and starting guard Abdi Bashir unavailable due to surgery or other injuries. Kostic, a freshman from Serbia, made an immediate impact in the first half, hitting four 3-pointers in about four minutes, helping Kansas State stay close at halftime, 37-35. The game remained competitive until late in the second half. After Haggerty’s three-pointer with 7:50 remaining brought the Wildcats within 59-55, Bidunga scored seven points during a 15-3 Kansas run, including a highlight-reel alley-oop dunk that effectively sealed the victory.

The Jayhawks extended their winning streak to four games, snapping a three-game losing streak against Kansas State in Manhattan. Kansas has now won 16 of the past 20 meetings in the rivalry, the second-longest active series in Division I men’s basketball.

Up Next:Kansas will face No. 13 BYU at Allen Fieldhouse next Saturday. Kansas State travels to West Virginia on Tuesday night.