Kansas exploded out to a 14-0 lead in the first four minutes and didn't look back, eventually taking down Kansas State 84-74 in Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday. The Jayhawks responded after falling to Iowa State earlier in the week and found a way to play without KJ Adams.

Hunter Dickinson led the way with 25 points and eight rebounds. He looked aggressive and got a lot of clean looks in the paint, going on a stretch of 10 straight points to open the second half.

Zeke Mayo got Kansas started early and excelled in his first Sunflower Showdown. The Lawrence native finished with 24 points on 7/13 shooting. Dajuan Harris added 15 points to make up the bulk of the Jayhawks' offense.

Kansas found a way to succeed without Adams on the floor, who is considered week-to-week with a separated shoulder. The Jayhawks mixed and matched lineups more than a traditional conference game but got it done against the Wildcats.

First half

Kansas got as good of a start as it needed, blitzing out to a 7-0 lead in just over two minutes. Zeke Mayo knocked down a three and Flory Bidunga and Hunter Dickinson went to work inside to give the Jayhawks momentum early.

Mayo continued to go scorched earth as Kansas got out to a 14-0 lead in four minutes. He knocked down a three from the corner and another off of a pump fake, leading to another Kansas State timeout.

Kansas built of its early momentum as the Jayhawks went to their bench for the first time. AJ Storr provided a nice impact, stealing an extra possession with an offensive rebound and making a fadeaway jumper. He then threw down a lob dunk in transition to give Kansas a 20-4 lead.

The Wildcats got some things going with their offense after a couple defensive breakdowns by the Kansas defense. Kansas State scored four straight leading into the under-12 timeout, still trailing 20-8.

Kansas State continued to cut into the deficit, going on its first run of the game. The Wildcats' bigs got rolling, as Coleman Hawkins made a nice mid-range and David N'Guessan scored five straight. Bill Self called timeout after a 7-2 run, leading 24-15.

Kansas scored a quick five points in response, including Dajuan Harris knocking down a three. The Wildcats punched back with a 7-0 run to make it a 32-24 Kansas lead. Hawkins and the other Wildcat bigs were able to go at a smaller Jayhawk lineup.

The Jayhawks slightly extended their lead heading into halftime after a quick 7-0 spurt on the backs of another Mayo three and Harris getting to the rim. Kansas held a 39-29 lead at halftime, shooting 47% from the floor.

Second half

The Jayhawks went to Hunter Dickinson early and often to open the second half. Dickinson scored the first 10 points of the half for Kansas, then dished off a dime to Shakeel Moore on a backdoor cut. Jerome Tang was forced to call another timeout early in a half, trailing 51-36 with 15:27 to play.

The two teams essentially played even and Kansas was able to maintain its double-digit lead. Flory Bidunga threw down a lob and AJ Storr made a three while Hawkins continued to exploit the Jayhawks' guards when they opted for a smaller lineup. Kansas held a 59-47 lead at the under-12 timeout.

The game fell into a lull as neither team made a field goal for over three minutes. The offenses eventually awoke from slumber, with Kansas leading 65-54 with 7:21 to play.

Kansas State started to heat up, going on a 10-2 run to cut the deficit to six. David Castillo and Brendan Hausen knocked down threes as the game started to tighten. Kansas took a 72-66 lead into the under-four following a layup from Harris. He followed it up on the other end with a block on a driving Dug McDaniel.

Kansas closed the game strong in an untraditional way, doing a good job of getting to the free throw line. Coming into the game, the Jayhawks ranked last in the country at free throw rate. Hawkins picked up a goaltend to make it a 79-70 game with 42.6 seconds left, putting the game to bed.