K-State Falls at 14/15 Kansas to End Regular Season

Saturday, March 7

Lawrence, KS

1 p.m. CT

Kansas State University

12-19,3-15Big 12

104

Kansas

22-9,12-6Big 12

Kansas St.

Kansas

104

Mar 07, 2026 | Men's Basketball

Box Score Final Stats (.pdf)Postgame Press Conference Photo Gallery

Four Wildcats score in double figures led by 21 points from P.J. Haggerty and Nate Johnson.

LAWRENCE, Kan. – Freshman Darryn Peterson and senior Tre White each posted 20-point games, as No. 14/15 Kansas shot nearly 60 percent from the field en route to 104-85 win over Kansas State in 305th edition of the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at Allen Fieldhouse.

With the win, the Jayhawks (22-9, 12-6 Big 12) extended their amazing streak of winning Senior Day to 43 consecutive seasons, as they won their 20th straight over the Wildcats at home. They also clinched the No. 4 seed and a double-bye at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Tournament.

K-State (12-19, 3-15 Big 12), which had already clinched the 15-seed at next week's Big 12 Tournament, fell to 0-9 on the road in Big 12 play this season. The Wildcats will face 10-seed BYU (20-10, 8-9 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on Tuesday night at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City.

Peterson paced all scorers with 27 points on 10-of-15 shooting, while White added a double-double with 23 points and a game-high 11 rebounds, as the Jayhawks connected on 59.2 percent (42-of-71) from the field, including 76.7 percent (23-of-30) in the second half. The 104 points were the most scored by Kansas in the 305 all-time meetings.

Junior P.J. Haggerty and senior Nate Johnson paced four Wildcats in double figures with 21 points each. Haggerty, who missed Tuesday's game with West Virginia due to injury, tied the legendary Bob Boozer for second place on the single season list with his 22nd 20-point game of the season, while scoring in double figures for the 30th time this season. Johnson, who posted double figures for the seventh straight game, tallied his fourth 20-point game of the season.

Only Michael Beasley (26; 2007-08) has more 20-point games than Haggerty in a single season.

The pair were joined in double figures by senior Khamari McGriff, who had back-to-back double-digit scoring game for the first since mid-January with 17 points, and freshman Andrej Kostic, who posted his second double-digit scoring game vs. Kansas with 11 points.

The teams were nip and tuck in the first half before an 8-2 run before the third media timeout helped the Jayhawks build a 10-point lead that they extended to 13 (46-33) at the break.

An 11-4 run pulled K-State to within 58-47 with 14:35 remaining, but that would be closest it would get, as Kansas built the lead back to 20 points after a pair of free throws by Peterson then extended to as many as 30 (90-60) with just over 9 minutes left.

Peterson and White were joined in double figures by senior Melvin Council Jr., who had a near triple-double in his final game at Allen Fieldhouse with 17 points, a game-high 10 assists and 8 rebounds. Sophomore Flory Bidunga added 13 points, 5 rebounds and 4 blocked shots.

It marked the sixth straight game for interim head coach Matthew Driscoll, who was named to the position on Feb. 15. He is now 2-4 in the role, including 0-1 in his first matchup vs. Kansas.

INTERIM HEAD COACH MATTHEW DRISCOLL
Opening statement…
"I'm really honored to have had the opportunity. However, I think the people that are getting the most overlooked in this whole thing are the staff, like on a daily basis, it's extremely difficult for what they have to do and the way in which they have to do it, and the sands running out. And pretty soon, the keys aren't going to work, and now you've got to figure out what you're going to do with your family, and multiple of them with little ones. And I've been there, I've had two little boys, and I've been there, but the staff has been resilient. As the players, they've done an incredible job making sure these guys are as much on point as possible we could possibly be. And then in game decisions, in game strategies, scouting, all those things that are necessary. I don't love this, and I don't want to do this. This is not what I want to do, and I'm grateful that they understand that, and they keep giving me information and feedback and how we got to do this and how we got to do that. And I'm not perfect by any stretch of imagination. I make mistakes, but those guys get overlooked, and I want to make sure that everyone knows that our staff, like they, deserve a lot of credit for what's transpired these last two, three weeks, and I'm grateful to be beside them."

On what has been the most difficult thing to figure out during this time…
"I think the marketability has been the most troubling. You know, because everything you see is under the microscope. So today you're on national TV, on CBS, so some of these guys are playing for contracts. They're playing for contracts next season in the NCAA; they're playing for contracts professionally. And like, staff are trying to get a job. And like, so there's so many different things where marketability is focused on and what you do is always going to be there, because the video doesn't lie. And so that's been for me. Personally, I'm 61 years old, and I'm grateful because I'm frugal and because I'm a little bit awkward, I can go back to my residence that's two blocks away from the Atlantic Ocean, and I can figure out life, but for others, it's not like that. So, sitting in my seat and being the person that I am, that part has been the most difficult. It's been the hardest part on a daily basis, the understanding about where they are, where they're going, where my mind was when I had two little ones, and we're all going to end up fine, and we're all going to end up in a good place, because God's got greater plans for all of us. However, it's tough, and so I'm trying to navigate that. I'm trying to navigate the players where they are, do guys not want to play? Do they want to play? Do they want to get in? Do they not want to get in? I told PJ at the end of the game, like, reason I'm taking you out. Like, the last thing I want is you to trip accidentally or get hurt accidentally, and next thing you know, your arm is back. Now you can't play Tuesday, so I might have been born yesterday, but I wasn't born last night, and so all that stuff has been really difficult to navigate, because in this, like in the old days, it probably be way different, way different, but you have no leverage. You have no leverage."

On defending Kansas on the lob dunks…
"First of all, 40 (Flory Bidunga). I mean, he's as good as there is. Kansas has always been that team that's always thrown them. They're always that team that always wants to play that way above the rim and play that way off a ball screen, especially with (Melvin) Council. Or last year when it was Harris. He was really good at it. I mean, when I was here in 2009. Collins was really good at it. They have always had dudes who have been really good at that. So, the difficulty is, do you switch it or you don't switch it? If you don't do you have enough backside help that you can get over and like Taj (Manning), stole the one in the second half. So, it's tough because they kept coming at it. I think we cut it to 10 at one point. I thought we missed some shots we normally make in the first half, and I thought we missed some open threes. It could have made it a single digit game at halftime. Then we come out in the second half, and we play well and get it to 10."

On effort compared to the last game vs. Kansas…
"I was extremely proud of the fact that our guys didn't quit again. Like you could have quit when they got up, whatever it is they got up, you could have quit. And then we got it back to 14, I think, I think they got up, like 20, and then we got it back to 14, maybe 14 with the ball. And so, I love the fact that the guys continued to fight. But then they got it up to 30, and at that point, you know, now it becomes a little bit different, right? And so, but you know, guys made shots down the stretch, which is great for us because it looks closer on a scoreboard."

On the matchup with BYU…
"We know who they are and what they're going to try to do, and we know that AJ (Dybantsa) drives the ship. And so, we just got to figure out how to guard that and how to guard against him and then make sure Rob's (Wright) not getting going. So, it's kind of some of the messaging going into Tuesday, just you found your way to motivate these guys over the last few weeks. We try to do the best we can as a staff. We'll be off tomorrow. We'll give them the full day off, no school, no anything. Get their minds, bodies and spirit, right. We'll come in Monday. Everybody's 0-0. And the other thing too is like our women are tipping right now, right there as a 12-seed, playing for a semifinal to get a chance to play for a championship. So, it's happening right in front of you, and at the end of the day, you got to play the games. And so, you play the game, then you figure it out, because you can't play for a championship unless you win the first game."

FIRST HALF
The teams went back-and-forth in the early going, as consecutive 3-pointers by senior Tre White carried Kansas to an 8-7 lead at the first media timeout. A jumper by junior P.J. Haggerty closed the gap to 12-11 before consecutive baskets by the Jayhawks extended the lead to 16-11 and forced Driscoll to call his first timeout with just over 12 minutes remaining.

Back-to-back baskets by junior Taj Manning pulled K-State to within 16-15 before consecutive baskets by KU forced a second timeout by Driscoll with 9:29 left. The lead grew to 10 (25-15) before a 3-pointer by freshman Andrej Kostic and a jumper by Haggerty cut the lead in half. The lead stayed 5 points before an 8-2 Jayhawk run made it 37-26 at the final media timeout.

The Wildcats got to within 10 twice in the last few minutes before a pair of free throws by freshman Darryn Peterson carried the Jayhawks to a 46-33 lead at the break.

Peterson and Melvin Council Jr. led all scorers with 11 points, while Haggerty had 10.

SECOND HALF
A 3-point play by senior Nate Johnson cut the deficit to 10 points, but it was short-lived as Kansas rattled off 8 straight points to extend the lead to 54-36. A second-chance basket by Manning started a 10-4 run that pulled K-State to within 58-47 after a 3-point play by Haggerty.

The teams traded 3-point baskets before a 9-2 response by the Jayhawks made it 70-52 just after the under-12 media timeout. The lead continued to grow from there, as a pair of Peterson free throws made it a 20-point game (72-52) before a corner 3-pointer by Council extended it to 25 (80-55) with just over 9 minutes remaining.

From there, the lead grew to as many as 30 points (90-60) with 5:47 to play. K-State was able to trim the deficit to 19 points in the waning seconds for the 104-85 final margin.

The teams combined for 110 points in the second half, as the Jayhawks shot 76.7 percent (23-of-30) compared to 56.7 percent (17-of-30) for the Wildcats.

Peterson led all scorers with 16 points, while Johnson led K-State with 13 points.

BEYOND THE BOXSCORE

K-State saw its road losing streak hit 9 games with a 104-85 loss at No. 14/15 Kansas.
K-State finishes the regular season with a 12-19 overall record, including a 3-15 mark in Big 12 play… This is the fewest Big 12 wins since 2019-20.
It marked the sixth straight game for interim head coach Matthew Driscoll, who is now 2-4 with the Wildcats… He is now 276-345 as a head coach, including 0-1 vs. Kansas.
Kansas now leads the all-time series, 208-97, including 61-9 in the Big 12 era, 97-35 in Lawrence and 55-17 at Allen Fieldhouse… The Jayhawks have now won 20 consecutive games over the Wildcats at home with the last win coming in 2006.
K-State finishes 1-10 on the road, including 0-9 in Big 12 play.
K-State used a starting lineup of junior P.J. Haggerty, senior Nate Johnson, sophomore David Castillo, junior Taj Manning and senior Khamari McGriff… This is the sixth time using this lineup and the sixth different lineup used this season.
Johnson is the only Wildcat to start in all 31 games.
Haggerty now has 96 career starts (Tulsa/Memphis/K-State), Johnson now has 91 career starts (Akron/K-State), McGriff now has 69 career starts (UNC Wilmington/K-State), Castillo and Manning now have 17 career starts each.
Haggerty returned to the lineup after missing the West Virginia game due to injury.

TEAM NOTES

K-State scored its 85 points on 44.8 percent (30-of-67) shooting, including 36.4 percent (8-of-22) from 3-point range, while hitting on 81 percent (17-of-21) from free throw line.
K-State has now scored 80 or more points in 16 games this season, which is the second-most games of 80 or more points in school history behind the 22 in 2009-10.
The 104 points were the most points ever given up to Kansas.
K-State made eight 3-pointers on the night to extend its school-record to 289 on the season.
K-State had just 8 turnovers, resulting in 14 points for Kansas.
K-State held a 17-13 edge in fast-break points.
Kansas outscored K-State, 48-36, in the paint and 56-14 off the bench.
Kansas held a 45-28 advantage on the glass with a 16-14 edge in second-chance points.
K-State trailed 46-33 at the half and is now 2-17 on the season when trailing at the break.

INDIVIDUAL NOTES

Four Wildcats scored in double figures, including 21 points from junior P.J. Haggerty, 21 points from senior Nate Johnson, 17 from senior Khamari McGriff and 11 points from freshman Andrej Kostic.
Haggerty scored his 21 points on 8-of-18 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws to go with 5 rebounds, 4 steals and 2 assists in 34 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in all 30 games he has played this season… He has double figures in 94 of 102 games played.
Haggerty now has 22 games of 20 or more points this season, which ranks ties Bob Boozer (1958-59) for the second-most in school history.
Haggerty now has 698 points on the season, which ranks fifth on the school's all-time list... It is the most points in a single season since Jacob Pullen had 715 in 2009-10.
Johnson scored his 21 points on 7-of-15 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, and 5-of-5 free throws to go with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 37 minutes… He scored in double figures for the seventh consecutive game and 21st time this season.
McGriff scored his 17 points on 6-of-13 field goals and 5-of-8 free throws with 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and a steal in 25 minutes… He now has double figures in consecutive games and 11 times this season… He has done it 34 times in his career.
Kostic scored his 11 points on 3-of-4 field goals, all from 3-point range, and 2-of-2 free throws with 3 rebounds in 18 minutes off the bench… It marked his third time in double figures, including his second time this season vs. Kansas.

WHAT'S NEXT
K-State has already clinched the No. 15 seed at next week's Phillips 6 Big 12 Tournament in Kansas City, as the Wildcats will play BYU (20-10, 8-9 Big 12) at 6 p.m., CT on Tuesday. K-State lost its only meeting with BYU, 83-73, on Jan. 3.

How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on X, Instagram and Facebook.