RALEIGH, N.C. ā In a phenomenal road performance, Melvin Council Jr. exploded for a career-high 36 points, including nine made 3-pointers, to power the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks past the N.C. State Wolfpack, 77-76, in a dramatic overtime contest on Saturday.
The game, played at North Carolina State, saw Council Jr. transform from a struggling outside shooter to the Jayhawks’ undeniable star. Entering the matchup having made just 5 of 27 three-pointers on the season, he took advantage of early opportunities and ultimately carried the Jayhawks (8-3) down the stretch. Council scored Kansas’ final 13 points of regulation and provided the assist for Flory Bidunga’s crucial go-ahead dunk with 51.9 seconds remaining in the extra period.
Council’s 36 points were the most by a Kansas player since Jalen Wilson recorded 38 on January 17, 2023. His nine made three-pointers are the second-most in Jayhawk history, trailing only Terry Brown’s 11, which also came against N.C. State in 1991.
“We had one guy that was probably the best performer that I’ve had on the road in 23 years as the head coach at Kansas,” said Coach Bill Self. “He was unbelievable. He made hard shots. They dared him to shoot and then when he made a couple, he started looking at a big basket. When you look at his entire line, nine threes, seven rebounds, four assists, no turnovers, he played 43 minutes; that’s a pretty good stat line.”
Council finished 13 of 27 from the floor and an efficient 9 of 15 from behind the arc, adding seven rebounds and four assists to his remarkable line.
The Wolfpack (7-4) had one final opportunity to steal the win, inbounding with 1.0 second left, but Darrion Williams’ fading three-point attempt missed everything, sealing the victory for the visiting Jayhawks.
Kansas freshman Darryn Peterson contributed 17 points, five rebounds, and four assists. However, he exited the tight game with 2:15 left and remained on the bench, an abrupt departure coming shortly after he had missed seven games due to a hamstring strain.
Other notable performances for Kansas included Tre White with 12 points, six rebounds, and three assists, and Flory Bidunga, who logged 11 rebounds and eight points in 32 minutes despite picking up two quick fouls early in the game.
For N.C. State, Quadir Copeland led the scoring with 19 points, and Williams finished with a solid outing of 17 points and 10 rebounds.
