The most frustrating thing about this defeat for K-State is that the Wildcats played well enough to win for much of the afternoon. But they fell behind 14-0 in the opening moments and were unable to cut the deficit closer than six the rest of the way.

When the Jayhawks needed their stars to step up, Hunter Dickinson and Dajuan Harris Jr. delivered, especially after recent struggles. Dickinson was dominant inside, scoring 25 points on 12-of-19 shooting while grabbing eight rebounds and dishing out three assists. He set the tone early and kept Kansas steady throughout.

Kansas Jayhawks forward KJ Adams Jr. (No. 24) dunks it during a college basketball game against the Arizona State Sun Devils at Allen Fieldhouse on Wednesday, Jan. 8, 2025, in Lawrence, Kansas. Tammy Ljungblad [email protected]

Kansas basketball never trailed and ran its winning streak against Kansas State basketball in Allen Fieldhouse to 19 games in the Sunflower Showdown.

The Kansas Jayhawks (12-4, 3-2 Big 12) are set to host their in-state rivals, the Kansas State Wildcats (7-9, 1-4 Big 12), in this year’s first edition of the Sunflower Showdown. The game tips off at Allen Fieldhouse, where Kansas will look to right the ship after a recent stretch of inconsistency.

That’s how long it took for the Kansas State Wildcats to score a point on their in-state rival, as the Kansas Jayhawks scored the first 14 points of Saturday’s meeting in Allen Fieldhouse. The Jayhawks led by as many as 16 on Saturday,