The most frustrating thing about this defeat for K-State is that the Wildcats played well enough to win for much of the afternoon. But they fell behind 14-0 in the opening moments and were unable to cut the deficit closer than six the rest of the way.

The Jayhawks led by as many as 16 on Saturday, never trailing in an 84-74 win over the Wildcats. From the time it was 20-4 until the final buzzer, the No. 9 Jayhawks played cool, calm and collected, answering each K-State run with timely buckets.

The Kansas Jayhawks (12-4, 3-2 Big 12) are set to host their in-state rivals, the Kansas State Wildcats (7-9, 1-4 Big 12), in this year’s first edition of the Sunflower Showdown. The game tips off at Allen Fieldhouse, where Kansas will look to right the ship after a recent stretch of inconsistency.