In a decisive matchup on Monday night, the No. 16 Kansas Jayhawks secured a 69-52 victory against the eighth-ranked Iowa State, showcasing their defensive prowess. Zeke Mayo led the way for Kansas, contributing 17 points, while Hunter Dickinson supported with 14 points and nine rebounds. Dajuan Harris Jr. also played a critical role, adding 12 points to the scoreboard as the Jayhawks improved to a 16-6 overall record and 7-4 in the Big 12.
This victory allowed Kansas to avenge an earlier 74-57 defeat they suffered against Iowa State in Ames earlier this season. For Iowa State, now at 17-5 and 7-4 in the conference, the loss marks their third straight, highlighting their struggles on the offensive side of the game.
Iowa State’s scoring efforts came from Tamin Lipsey, Keshon Gilbert, and Joshua Jefferson, each netting 11 points, although they struggled significantly, shooting 13 out of 42 overall and just 2 of 14 from three-point range. In addition, Curtis Jones, who usually leads the Cyclones in scoring, had a disappointing performance with only seven points, making just 3 of 11 field goal attempts.
Kansas established a solid foundation for their win by restricting Iowa State to their lowest-scoring half of the season, leading 35-19 at halftime. One standout moment from the first half was when Dajuan Harris Jr. made a diving play to recover a loose ball, leading to a stunning alley-oop dunk by KJ Adams that electrified the crowd at Allen Fieldhouse.
Throughout the second half, Kansas maintained control, preventing Iowa State from staging a strong comeback. Despite a brief surge where Iowa State closed the gap to 64-49 late in the game, Mayo’s timely three-pointer extinguished any hopes of a Cyclone revival, ultimately solidifying Kansas’s lead.
A critical takeaway from the game was Iowa State’s ongoing offensive issues, as they’ve struggled to score in recent outings—even managing only 75 points in an overtime loss to Arizona and 61 points in a substantial defeat to Kansas State last weekend. Kansas, on the other hand, demonstrated their ability to sustain a lead against Big 12 opponents, having faltered in a previous game against Baylor after leading at halftime.
As for key statistics, Iowa State’s three-point shooting was notably poor, finishing the game with just 3 out of 21 attempts, a stark contrast to the Jayhawks’ steadier production. Looking ahead, Iowa State will face TCU on Saturday, while Kansas prepares to take on Kansas State on the same day.
