Cole Aldrich has seen an opposing team’s fans rush the court in celebration after beating Kansas only three times, but he remembers all of them in vivid detail.

The first two came last season in road defeats to Kansas State and Oklahoma State. It happened a third time Monday after Missouri beat Kansas 62-60 at Mizzou Arena.

Aldrich, a sophomore center, won’t forget about it anytime soon.

“It’s one of the worst feelings you could ever feel,” Aldrich said.

Photo Gallery

Kansas Basketball vs. Missouri

Photo gallery of basketball game against Missouri, Monday, Feb. 9, 2009, at Mizzou Arena.

Aldrich said the latest one felt even worse because it was against a rival and marked Kansas’ first Big 12 Conference loss of the season. The way the Jayhawks lost didn’t help, either.

They led by 14 at halftime and trailed for less than a minute the whole game. The Jayhawks spoke in subdued tones after the game and expressed uncertainty on how they would respond to the loss.

Kansas coach Bill Self had the most optimistic outlook.

“We can handle a loss and move on,” Self said. “Heck, that’s basketball. Everybody goes through that.”

But multiple Jayhawks used the word “linger” when describing the effect they thought the defeat would have on the team. Even Self softened his stance a few seconds after promising Kansas would be fine.

“I don’t know how we’ll handle it,” Self said. “It’s probably a good thing we have five days off, to be honest with you.”

Kansas’ only solace seems to be the looming matchup against Kansas State on Saturday in Manhattan. Self and the Jayhawks are impressed with the Wildcats’ current five-game winning streak — which includes an 88-72 victory against Missouri.

They know Bramlage Coliseum will be every bit as hostile as Mizzou Arena. And if the Jayhawks were to lose their second game in a row, they would likely see another court flooded with opposing fans.

But it’s about more than that. To Kansas, a victory in Manhattan would get its season back on track. That’s why the players adopted a motto after the loss in Columbia, Mo.

“You can’t turn one loss into two,” sophomore guard Tyrel Reed said.

It almost sounded rehearsed as Aldrich and junior guard Sherron Collins described the game against Kansas State the same way.

None of them thought motivation would be a problem. Not only because it’s a showdown against an in-state rival, but also because of how the Missouri game played out.

“If you get beat,” Reed said, “next game you’ve got to come out with a bad taste in your mouth and be ready to play.”

Reed described the Missouri defeat as “tough to swallow.” Aldrich took it a step further and said it “eats at me.”

Although the image of fans in black and gold flooding the court after a loss isn’t going anywhere, Aldrich said it must be used as a positive.

“We’ve got to learn from it,” Aldrich said. “That’s the bottom line.”

— — Edited by Brandy Entsminger