In a region gripped by a blizzard, the Kansas Jayhawks might find themselves staying in Orlando longer than planned. However, they’ll do so savoring a 99-48 blowout victory over UCF, one of their most dominant performances in recent memory.
Key Plays
Kansas started strong, immediately bettering their performance against West Virginia. Hunter Dickinson opened the scoring on the first possession, followed by KJ Adams finishing at the rim after a defensive stop. KU dominated the boards early, out-rebounding UCF 9-3 in the first four minutes and securing three offensive rebounds, leading to an 8-3 lead.
Flory Bidunga entered the game and continued his impact with an offensive rebound put-back. Dickinson was pivotal, scoring 10 of KU’s first 18 points. With 16 of the first 18 points coming in the paint, Rylan Griffin hit KU’s first three-pointer, pushing the lead to 10. The first half was Dickinson’s showcase, as he accumulated 18 points to UCF’s 15.
Second Half Domination
Kansas maintained momentum in the second half. Dickinson scored four of KU’s first six points and assisted on a Zeke Mayo backdoor cut. Mayo excelled in passing, assisting on a pick-and-roll dunk to Adams and an open three-pointer to Dajuan Harris, his eighth assist with 15 minutes remaining.
KU’s effort was evident throughout, with Harris rebounding his own missed three and scoring. Shak Moore drained a three, and Griffin followed with another, extending the lead to 34. Bidunga highlighted the game with a coast-to-coast slam after a block, and Griffin hit another three, making it 77-38. Moore added another three after a UCF timeout, continuing KU’s dominance.
Eye-Catching Stat Lines
Dickinson nearly outscored UCF single-handedly in the first half, finishing with 21 points and seven rebounds, while UCF had only 25 points. He wrapped up the game with 27 points and nine rebounds. Bidunga was stellar with 12 points, five rebounds, and six blocks. Adams contributed defensively with nine rebounds, two blocks, and seven points.
Transfer guards made a significant impact in the second half. Griffin went 4-4 from deep, scoring 14 points with four rebounds. Storr had an impressive game with 11 points, three boards, and two assists, while Moore added six points and six assists in his first start.
Kansas had almost as many blocks as UCF had field goals, recording 12 blocks to UCF’s 14 field goals. KU dominated the boards with a 60-31 advantage, including 21 offensive rebounds, and shot 50.6% from the field with nine three-pointers on 23 attempts.
Takeaways
This game showcased KU’s mentality and dominance. Kansas was effective in every phase, displaying effort and focus that led to quality shots. The team’s performance should boost the confidence of players like Moore, Storr, Griffin, and particularly Bidunga, whose stock continues to rise rapidly.