Kansas senior forward KJ Adams Jr. catches a lob before completing the alley-oop against Furman on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.
Kansas senior forward KJ Adams Jr. catches a lob before completing the alley-oop against Furman on Saturday, Nov. 30, 2024, at Allen Fieldhouse in Lawrence, Kansas.
In a battle of undefeateds, No.1 Kansas (7-0) used an impressive second half to defeat Furman (7-1), 86-51 on Saturday night inside of Allen Fieldhouse.
The Jayhawks were led by the play of senior forward KJ Adams Jr., who shot 10-for-12, recording 22 points, 6 rebounds, 3 assists and a steal. Senior center Hunter Dickinson chipped into the win with 10 points on 5-for-8 shooting, along with 6 rebounds, an assist and a steal, while junior guard Rylan Griffen also had 10 points, paired with 4 rebounds and 2 steals.
Here’s how it happened.
A tale of two approaches in the first
After shooting 45% (8-for-17) from beyond the arc Tuesday night against Duke, it was a slow start on the outside for Kansas who failed to make one 3-pointer in six attempts in the first 20 minutes.
Despite the perimeter struggles, Kansas had a strong showing on the inside. Adams Jr. shot 6-for-7, missing only a long mid-range attempt on his way to 13 points, while Dickinson was 3-for-5, good for six points in the opening stanza.
It was a different story for the usually hot-shooting Paladins. Coming into the game shooting 41.3% from distance, Furman showed its willingness to shoot, taking 23 attempts from long-range in the first half. Despite the high volume, Furman made just six 3-pointers in the first half.
It was just a 27-26 lead for the Jayhawks with six minutes left after an 8-0 run by the Paladins. The Jayhawks responded to close out the half on a 12-2 run, including a tip drill by freshman Flory Bidunga at the buzzer to take a 39-28 lead at the break.
Extending the lead out of the locker room
Kansas picked up right where it left off, coming out of the locker room, making five of its first six shot attempts, including the first three of the night from senior guard Zeke Mayo to extend the lead to 52-35 five minutes into the second half.
The Jayhawks continued to extend the lead behind the strong play from Adams Jr., as he was on the receiving side of a lob pass from senior point guard Dajuan Harris Jr., before completing an old-fashioned three-point play. Moments later, Bidunga converted on an easy layup and senior guard David Coit drilled a three from the left wing to push the lead to 62-38.
A dominant finish to a dominant performance
With the game well out of reach, Kansas turned to impact bench pieces, such as freshman guard Rakease Passmore. Passmore recorded five quick points after an alley-oop and a three. Griffen extended the lead to 36 after two dunks in transition, bringing the crowd to its feet just before the Jayhawks emptied the bench.
The Jayhawks got the final points of the night after a three from redshirt sophomore guard Wilder Evers to close out the dominating 86-51 win.
What’s to come?
Kansas will hit the road for its first true road game of the season, making the three-hour trip to Omaha, Nebraska, to take on Creighton as part of the Big 12-Big East battle on Wednesday. Tipoff is set for 7:30 p.m. and will be broadcast on FS1.
120 Years of Kansas Basketball
Retired Jerseys
It’s the coliseum that is home to Kansas basketball’s 13-straight titles, Coach, Player and Freshman of the Year. Video by Brandon Cotter/KANSAN
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