LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) -- This was the game Luke Axtell has been looking for.

The lanky transfer from Texas, struggling with a shooting slump for much of his first season at Kansas, scored 15 points as the eighth-ranked Jayhawks remained unbeaten at home Saturday night with a 97-82 victory over Nebraska.

"The slump is busted. It's official," the 6-foot-10 Axtell said. "I might go back into another slump tomorrow, but for now this one is busted."

Axtell's biggest bucket was a 3-pointer that capped a 17-2 run at the end of the first half and gave Kansas (14-2 overall, 3-0 Big 12) a 49-32 lead.

"That was basically the story of the game, a 17-2 run at the end of the half," Kansas coach Roy Williams said. "We got more active defensively, got some turnovers, got the ball inside and scored. One great spurt right before the half and that was about it."

Axtell made three 3-pointers and hit a pair of free throws that kept the Jayhawks in charge with a 66-46 lead with 12:43 remaining. It was the first time Axtell led his new team in scoring.

The Cornhuskers (7-9, 0-3), trying to avert their first 0-3 start in the conference in seven years, trailed by only two until Kansas took charge in the final three minutes of the half.

The Jayhawks then scored the first four points of the second half to open a 22-point lead over the team that beat them twice last season.

"Kansas' press is terrific," Nebraska coach Danny Nee said. "When we got the 16 turnovers in the first half, I thought that was the turning point of the game."

The biggest lead Kansas managed in the first half was eight when Axtell made a 3-pointer for a 32-24 lead. The Huskers then scored the next six points and trimmed the lead to 32-30 before Kenny Gregory's bucket and Kirk Hinrich's 3-pointer ignited the take-charge run.

Nebraska, 1-16 in its last 17 trips to Allen Fieldhouse, was led by Kimani Ffriend's 23 points and 14 rebounds. Gary Cochran had 17 points, including five 3-pointers.

"We played our hearts out," Ffriend said. "They made a big run and our turnovers did us in in the first half. You don't have to be No. 8 in the nation to beat us when we do that."

Louis Truscott's free throw sliced Kansas' lead to 60-45 before Drew Gooden hit a pair of free throws and Axtell followed with two more. Gooden, a 6-foot-9 freshman, brought the sellout crowd of more than 16,000 to its feet with a follow shot at the 11:47 mark that gave the Jayhawks a 69-48 lead.

A few minutes later, reserve Ashante Johnson scored six of Kansas' next eight points as the Jayhawks improved to 8-0 at home.

Gooden and Gregory had 14 points for Kansas, while Nick Collison had 13.

The Huskers outrebounded Kansas 55-48.