LAWRENCE, Kan. – Hunter Dickinson led the way with 19 points as the No. 17 Kansas Jayhawks defeated the Colorado Buffaloes 71-59 on Tuesday night, extending Colorado’s losing streak to 13 games. Despite the final score, the game proved to be a tougher contest than the final margin suggested.
Kansas (17-7, 8-5 Big 12) saw four players reach double figures. Alongside Dickinson, Zeke Mayo contributed 13 points, while Dajuan Harris Jr. and KJ Adams each added 10. Head Coach Bill Self acknowledged the team’s victory but pointed out areas for improvement. “We did some good things,” Self commented. “Statistically, we guarded them pretty well. But that first three minutes of the second half was about as poor as we can play. I thought our bench tonight was okay. But, other than David (Coit) and Flory (Bidunga), we didn’t get many other contributions.” The win comes amidst an inconsistent stretch for the Jayhawks, who have alternated wins and losses in their last seven games.
Colorado (9-15, 0-13) struggled throughout the game but showed resilience in the second half. After trailing by 14 points at halftime, the Buffaloes opened the second half with a 10-2 run, shrinking the deficit to just six points. Kansas didn’t regain a comfortable lead until late in the game when Adams hit a jumper with 1:31 remaining, pushing the lead to 69-56. Sebastian Rancik led Colorado with a season-high 19 points, while Bangot Dak added 11 and Elijah Malone scored 10.
A key moment in the game came in the first half when Kansas held Colorado scoreless from the field for nearly seven minutes, allowing the Jayhawks to build their largest lead. During this stretch, the Buffaloes missed 10 consecutive shots. Colorado’s struggles were further highlighted by their poor shooting from beyond the arc, connecting on only 17.4% (4-of-23) of their three-point attempts.
Looking ahead, Colorado will return home to face UCF on Saturday. Kansas will travel to Salt Lake City to take on Utah.
