Dickinson scores 25, Mayo goes for 24 to lead No. 9 Kansas over Kansas St. 84-74

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Hunter Dickinson had 25 points and Zeke Mayo scored 24 to lead No. 9 Kansas over Kansas State 84-74 on Saturday.

Kansas (13-4, 4-2 Big 12) built a big lead to start the game and then kept K-State at arm’s length. The Wildcats (7-10, 1-5) never got closer than six points.

Mayo had 14 points in the first half. Dajuan Harris Jr. had nine in the first half and six in the second.

With a chance to cut the Wildcats’ deficit to five, Max Jones missed a corner 3-pointer with 2:32 remaining.

Coleman Hawkins led the Wildcats with 15 points and 10 assists.

Kansas guard Zeke Mayo (5) celebrates with Dajuan Harris Jr. (3) after hitting a 3-point basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas State, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Takeaways

Kansas State: The Wildcats need to avoid big runs. A 14-0 run to start the game made it an up-hill climb all day. The Jayhawks’ biggest lead was 16 points.

Kansas: The Jayhawks need KJ Adams Jr. to heal quickly. Adams suffered a partially separated right shoulder against Iowa State on Wednesday and is expected to miss several games. The Jayhawks got little production outside of Dickinson from their inside players.

Key moment

The 14-0 run. Kansas hit five of its first six shots, including going 3 of 3 from beyond the arc, while K-State missed its first seven shots. The Wildcats went into halftime trailing 39-29.

Kansas guard Zeke Mayo (5) reacts after hitting a 3-point basket during the first half of an NCAA college basketball game against Kansas State, Saturday, Jan. 18, 2025, in Lawrence, Kan. (AP Photo/Colin E. Braley)

Key stat

K-State managed to stay in the game despite shooting just 23.1% from 3-point range. The Wildcats were just 2 of 15 in the first half. They shot 4 of 11 after halftime.

Up next

Kansas State remains on the road Wednesday night at No. 25 Baylor. Kansas visits TCU on Wednesday night.