The No. 22 Kansas Jayhawks suffered an 86-75 road loss to West Virginia on Saturday, dropping to 1-2 in Big 12 conference play. West Virginia mounted a decisive 16-0 run in the second half to secure the victory, marking first-year coach Ross Hodge's first signature win. Kansas star Darryn Peterson scored 23 points but struggled late in the game.
In a matchup at Hope Coliseum in Morgantown, West Virginia, the Mountaineers improved to 11-5 overall and 2-1 in the Big 12 with their efficient offensive performance against Kansas. West Virginia posted 1.28 points per possession, the highest against a high-major opponent this season, surpassing marks like 1.12 against Pittsburgh and 1.08 against Wake Forest.
Brenen Lorient led West Virginia in the first half with 18 points, while Honor Huff took over in the second, finishing with 23 points on 4-of-11 shooting from three-point range. Huff's hot shooting exploited Kansas's defensive lapses, a pattern seen four days earlier when TCU's Liutauras Lelevicius hit five triples.
For Kansas, now 11-5 overall, Darryn Peterson delivered 23 points in 31 minutes, reaching 158 points in 190 minutes this season. His connection with Melvin Council Jr. showed improvement, with both guards contributing positively at times. However, Peterson fouled out late while defending Huff on a three-pointer and sat out most of the final six minutes, appearing under the weather.
Kansas's defense faltered, allowing West Virginia's 16-0 second-half run that shifted momentum. Despite strong individual defenders like Council at point-of-attack, Tre White and Peterson on the perimeter, Flory Bidunga at the rim, and Bryson Tiller's length, the team lacked cohesion. This loss, following defeats to UCF and TCU, highlights ongoing issues ahead of Tuesday's game against No. 3 Iowa State and sharpshooter Milan Momcilovic.
