If Monday night’s loss at the hands of Missouri is a cloud hanging over the Jayhawks, then I’m begging you to find the silver lining.

It’s not that I haven’t tried myself. I’ve spent the bulk of my time since the final buzzer sounded trying to find a way to write a generally positive column. I wanted to find an angle on the game other people would miss, one that would allow Kansas fans to take some comfort in the loss. It’s too easy to be overly cynical, too easy to damn a losing team. Given that, I really wanted to find that silver lining.

But the thing is, I just can’t do it.

Losing to Missouri is always difficult for Jayhawk Nation to stomach, not surprisingly, given the intensity of the rivalry. The teams hate each other, you can throw out the records, etc. I don’t need to reiterate the cliches; anyone reading this already knows them. The simple fact is a loss to Missouri is much more significant than a tally in a column. Granted, Missouri is ranked and undefeated at home. Were it some other team — any other team — that might be enough to make this loss palatable. But Missouri is different.

All that holds true any time Kansas loses to Missouri, though. It lacks the specific context in which this loss took place. That context matters, because this loss puts Kansas a game behind Oklahoma in the Big 12 title race. With the win, Missouri crept to within a half-game of Kansas’ second-place spot.

But it’s not enough that Kansas lost — it had to unfold in the way it did. The Jayhawks had the Tigers at arm’s length for most of the game only to surrender the lead late. Mario Little provided a moment of solace, until Zaire Taylor’s midrange jumper bounced home. The ball couldn’t just go in, mind you. The malicious thing had to milk the moment, antagonizing Kansas fans for as long as possible before driving the dagger home.

Perhaps worst of all, the late-game dramatics that felled Kansas likely could have been avoided all together if Sherron Collins had simply made two free throws. I say simply, but they were anything but. Missouri’s fans provided ample distractions, and the pressure was immense. No doubt, his job was a difficult one, but it’s one he’s expected to perform. This is Collins’ team. He’s said as much and publicly taken the responsibility that comes with being “the man.”

Part of being the man is making the shots others don’t want to take and willing your team to victory in circumstances like Monday’s. Collins is a great player, no doubt, but he’s got to deliver.

Find a silver lining yet? If not, the reason may be that there isn’t one to find. But even a cloud with no silver lining eventually drifts away and dissipates.

For Kansas, that’s the good news. The team will have another shot at winning a road game against a rival this Saturday, when it plays Kansas State. Further on the horizon is Missouri’s visit to Allen Fieldhouse. And it’s worth noting that getting revenge always trumps finding a silver lining.

— — Edited by Chris Horn