A rare loss to Kansas State had Kansas University’s basketball players feeling mighty low Saturday afternoon in Allen Fieldhouse.
“They are taking it real tough,” freshman Brandon Rush said of his teammates, suffering in the locker room after Saturday’s 59-55 loss to Kansas State, which snapped a 31-game winning streak against the ‘Cats. “Everybody is mad. Jeremy Case is real mad. (Christian) Moody … the seniors are real devastated about the loss.”
If they wished, they could discuss their feelings at a 10 p.m. film session, called by coach Bill Self after KU’s first loss against Kansas State since a 68-64 decision on Jan. 17, 1994, also in Lawrence.
What remains is a 22-game KU winning streak against KSU in games played in Manhattan, where the two teams again will tangle March 4 in Bramlage Coliseum.
“We didn’t really have anything to do with the streak. We were definitely trying to hold it, but we weren’t able to,” sophomore Russell Robinson said.
Self said he didn’t use the streak as motivation.
“It may have been mentioned once, how, ‘There is a streak you guys have not had much or anything to do with. This will be a hungry team coming in here.’ I don’t play that up at all.
“This was an important game for a lot of reasons, in-state rivals, bragging rights. They certainly have that today.”
Rush said he thought the team would be able to bounce back.
“I don’t think it’ll be tough. A streak is a streak. Everybody loses a streak once in awhile,” Rush said.
Of the loss, Mario Chalmers added: “This is the most frustrating loss we’ve had so far because it is in our conference, and our goal is to win the Big 12 championship. This loss really puts a dent in our record.”
