LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — KJ Adams matched a career-high 22 points and No. 1 Kansas used a 30-9 run at the end of the first half and the beginning of the second to beat Furman 86-51 on Saturday night inside Allen Fieldhouse.
Hunter Dickinson had 10 points and six rebounds for the Jayhawks (7-0), who handled the trap game nestled between last week’s win over No. 11 Duke in Las Vegas and next week’s trip to No. 21 Creighton for the Big 12-Big East Battle.
The Jayhawks and Paladins (7-1) began the day as two of 23 unbeatens left in men’s Division I basketball.
Kansas led just 27-26 before Flory Bidunga’s basket completed a 12-2 run to end the first half. The charge continued in the second, and Adams eventually converted a three-point play to give the Jayhawks a 57-35 lead with 13 1/2 minutes to go.
Eddrin Bronson scored 14 points and Garrett Hien had 12 points for the Paladins.
Takeaways
Furman: The Paladins are seventh nationally in 3s per game, and they knocked down four of their first seven to hang around. But the Paladins were just 2 of 16 the rest of the first half, and that resulted in a 39-28 deficit that they could never overcome.
Kansas: The Jayhawks pulled away early in the second half despite missing their first six 3-point attempts. The Jayhawks didn’t hit one until Zeke Mayo’s 3-pointer with 15:14 remaining gave them a 54-35 lead.
Key moment
In the first half, Mayo kicked the ball, which ricocheted and nearly hit Ted Lasso actor and Jayhawks fan Jason Sudeikis.
Key stat
Adams was 10 of 12 from the field and 2 of 2 at the foul line.
Up next
Furman visits Florida Gulf Coast on Wednesday night, and Kansas visits the Bluejays the same night.
