Darryn Peterson did not hide his disappointment.
“I wouldn’t say anything changed [in the second half],” the Kansas freshman said. “They started rolling, kind of just rolling.”
For much of the night, Peterson was the one constant for the No. 19 Jayhawks. The freshman guard poured in 22 points with three rebounds, three assists and two steals in 28 minutes, a breakout performance on one of college basketball’s biggest stages.
Kansas led 37–29 at halftime, but No. 25 North Carolina surged past in the second half, outscoring the Jayhawks 58–37 to win 87–74.
MORE: UNC makes history in win against Kansas, first over Jayhawks in 23 years
Coach Bill Self’s pregame message was clear in that the Jayhawks needed to limit Carolina’s transition game. When asked how well they did, Peterson did not hesitate. “Not good enough,” he said.
The tone was calm and measured but honest.
“We didn’t play smart enough,” Peterson said. “We’ve got to clean that up before the next game.”
On Carolina star freshman Caleb Wilson, who delivered 24 points, seven rebounds, four assists and four steals, Peterson gave full credit. “Obviously great player on the team,” he said. “Yeah, I think they got the best of us tonight.”
Still, Peterson viewed the atmosphere, his first true road game, as a valuable experience.
“We’ll have a lot of other away games where the crowds won’t be against us,” Peterson said. “This was my first time playing in a game like this, so it’s good for us, something to learn from.”
Kansas redshirt freshman Bryson Tiller, who battled foul trouble in the second half, echoed the frustration. “It was definitely frustrating…I’ve just got to play smarter.”
Peterson’s final message showed maturity beyond his age.
“Go back to the drawing board, watch film, see what we did wrong, and try to clean it up,” he said. “It’s in the past now. All we’ve got to do is lock in as a team, go hard in practice, and be prepared for the next game.”
For a freshman who’s just 18, Peterson sounded every bit like Kansas’ voice of accountability, even in defeat.
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