Darryn Peterson expressed his excitement after playing a complete game for the No. 11 Kansas Jayhawks, who needed every bit of his talent to secure a win against No. 13 Texas Tech. “This is the first game I got through to the end,” Peterson stated. “I”ve been trying to all year, so to finally be able to do it, it”s a blessing.”
Peterson scored 19 points during the game while logging a season-high of 35 minutes on the court. Notably, his two field goals in the second half came in the form of crucial late three-pointers. He tied the game with a contested shot from the right corner with 1:20 remaining, then followed it up with another three from the left wing just 44 seconds later, helping the Jayhawks to a 64-61 victory on Monday night.
Just two days prior, Peterson showcased his scoring prowess with 18 points in the first half against BYU, but he was sidelined for the last 16:46 of that match due to cramping. Currently, he holds an average of 21.1 points per game. As a highly anticipated prospect for the upcoming NBA draft in June, Peterson sat out the previous game against Kansas State due to an ankle injury and has dealt with various physical issues this season, missing a total of 10 games for Kansas, which now stands at 17-5 with a 7-2 record in the Big 12.
Before hitting those pivotal threes, Peterson struggled with his shooting, going just 3-of-12 against the Red Raiders. “He”s got something that I guess you”re born with and can”t teach. He”s got just an unbelievable ability to raise his level when it counts the most,” said Bill Self, the head coach of the Jayhawks. “That”s what he did tonight. I mean, those two plays he made were obviously the two biggest plays of the game for us.”
The tying shot came after a turnover by Texas Tech and was made over preseason AP All-America forward JT Toppin, who then had his shot blocked on the other end by Flory Bidunga before missing a second attempt. Peterson”s second three-pointer proved to be the game-winner. “Two crucial threes… that was crazy,” Bidunga remarked afterward. Peterson reflected on his confidence to make those shots, attributing it to “the work I put in and then my teammates and coaches.” He added, “I had a bad game… shots weren”t really going. They guarded me kind of well, but I just trusted the work, so those shots I feel like I should make.” His performance was instrumental in leading the Jayhawks to their sixth consecutive victory.
