AMES, Iowa _ Kansas' No. 3-ranked basketball team set up an intriguing, early-season Big 12 Conference showdown against No. 4 Baylor by knocking off unranked Iowa State, 79-53, on Wednesday night at Hilton Coliseum.
Devon Dotson scored 20 points with six assists and five rebounds, while Ochai Agbaji and David McCormack scored 16 points apiece. Udoka Azubuike scored 10 points and grabbed seven rebounds as the Jayhawks (12-2, 2-0) avenged last year's 17-point loss in Ames and improved to 12-5 in Hilton in the Bill Self era.
McCormack, who had a vicious one-hand dunk off a rebound of a Dotson miss with four minutes left, grabbed seven rebounds as KU kept pace with Baylor at 2-0 in the league. The Bears, who beat Texas at home in their opener, upended Texas Tech, 57-52, on Tuesday night in Lubbock.
Baylor (12-1) will visit Allen Fieldhouse on Saturday for a noon tipoff versus the Jayhawks, who followed their opening victory over West Virginia with a win over ISU (7-7, 0-2).
KU had an early scare when junior guard Marcus Garrett (four points) stepped on Azubuike's foot with 12:27 left in the first half and KU up 19-17. Garrett injured his left ankle but walked to the locker room under his own power and returned to the game with 1:54 left in the first half and KU up by a wide margin, 42-26. He was available the rest of the game.
Azubuike hit 3 of 5 floor shots. He was 4 of 5 from the line.
Michael Jacobson scored 10 points for the Cyclones, who fell to 6-3 at home this season. KU held Tyrese Haliburton to five points. This year's game at Hilton Coliseum did not resemble last year's 17-point Jayhawks loss. KU was without Azubuike in that game. He had suffered what turned out to be a season-ending injury the day before the game.
This year, fans started leaving with 7:48 left and KU up 65-37.
KU used an impressive 21-3 run to stretch a 25-23 lead at 7:59 to 46-26 at halftime. Dotson opened the run with a free throw, followed by a bucket by Azubuike. Christian Braun and Dotson followed with 3s. Azubuike then hit a bucket and free throw and Braun another 3. McCormack had a bucket, Dotson and Azubuike a free throw apiece and Azubuike two more free throws to close the first half scoring.
Dotson had 11 points and four rebounds in the half while Azubuike had 10 points and six boards. Braun hit two 3s as KU made 6 of 8 3s in the half to ISU's 4 of 15. Jacobson had eight points for ISU. Haliburton missed three shots and did not score in the half. Garrett opened defensively on Haliburton.
KU led early by scores of 14-9, 19-17 and 21-19.
