The Jayhawks’ Big 12 title streak still has a pulse.

No, the 64-49 victory for Kansas against rival Kansas State didn’t catapult the seemingly eternal conference champs back into first place. The Sunflower Showdown win didn’t even boost KU to second or knock the Wildcats out of first.

But it kept the Jayhawks alive, which is all they could hope for on this night, the first and requisite step in their four-game road map to perhaps at least a share of the program’s 15th consecutive league crown.

With the stakes as high as they get in the regular season, it showed in the way most of the Jayhawks played early on, too hyped to get even high-percentage looks to drop.

That extra adrenaline hit Marcus Garrett hard enough that he banked in a 3-pointer on his first shot attempt. However, that stroke of luck may have settled his teammates down.

Either that or the inspired play of Mitch Lightfoot reminded the rest of the Jayhawks about the effort level it takes to compete for and win a league championship.

From there, KU’s two best players, Dedric Lawson and Devon Dotson, were able to slide into their typical leading roles, and they made sure the Jayhawks (21-7 overall, 10-5 Big 12) still have somewhat of a shot at extending the Big 12 streak for another year.

But the truth of the matter is, Bill Self’s patchwork lineup that lacks three impactful players — Udoka Azubuike, Lagerald Vick and Silvio De Sousa — still has much work to do before clearing some space for trophy No. 15.

First of all, if this streak holds some form of deep meaning to the players, they will have to demonstrate as much by winning back-to-back road games — at Oklahoma State and at Oklahoma — even though their 2-7 road record up to this point leads one to wonder how likely that scenario is to play out.

“We’ve definitely got to carry it over,” Lawson said of matching their home intensity when their away from the fieldhouse. “We’ve got to take it on the road. And that’s something coach talked about after the game. Have that type of energy we had tonight and just take it on the road, and then if we do that we’ll be fine.”

Then, KU will have to complete this turbulent regular season with a March 9 home win over Baylor, thereby achieving an undefeated record at Allen Fieldhouse and a four-game winning streak headed into the postseason.

Still, that potential series of events, which would qualify as a solid accomplishment for these Jayhawks, assures them of nothing in terms of this heated conference title race.

Currently at 5 Big 12 losses, KU trails both K-State (21-7, 11-4) and Texas Tech (22-5, 10-4) by a game in the loss column.

“A couple of things have to fall in place for us to win 15 straight,” Lawson acknowledged. “But as long as we do what we can do, that’s all we can control.”

So the Jayhawks still need help in the form of some of their Big 12 brethren handing both the Wildcats and Red Raiders at least one loss sometime in the next 12 days.

Texas Tech has road games at TCU and Iowa State left to play, as well as two home matchups with Oklahoma State and Texas.

K-State only leaves Manhattan once in its final three games, playing next Monday at TCU. Bruce Weber’s first-place Wildcats also play host to Baylor and Oklahoma as they look to control their destiny and win out to exact some revenge for their loss at KU on Big Monday.

“Obviously we’ve got to have some good things happen and then there’s no margin for error with us any longer,” Self said. “So we know that. But I’d rather at least still be in the game. We’re capable of playing a heck of a lot better on the road than we have, and we’ll have to to put ourselves in position to at least contend for it.”

Self brought up Tech’s two road trips, as well as K-State’s one, when discussing the season’s final weeks.

“Jamie Dixon and the Horned Frogs are my second favorite team in the league right now, without question,” Self joked.

Of course, the Jayhawks can’t control what happens in any of those games that will ultimately help decide which team(s) get to display this season’s Big 12 hardware.

What they can — and will have to do — in order to keep themselves in contention, is match the urgency and intensity of the one man on the active roster who possesses multiple Big 12 title rings.

But it can’t be Lightfoot setting that tone as a reserve in the next three games.

It needs to be Lawson and it needs to be Dotson. And those two team leaders would tell you the same.

Nothing but the very best from them from here on out will get the Jayhawks within reach of their annual expectations to win the league and extend the program’s already historic streak.

Lawson produced 18 points on 6-for-21 shooting with 14 rebounds and 5 assists in KU’s staying-alive victory. Dotson came through with 16 points on 5-for-12 shooting and 3 assists.

Just as this win was the first necessary step for Kansas as a team on its not yet closed road toward a title, it was also a reminder that the Jayhawks have the one-two punch capable of pulling off the impossible.

Both Lawson and Dotson, great as they’ve been, are capable of even more.

Somehow the Jayhawks’ streak isn’t dead yet. Now it’s time for them to control the controllables — and maybe send some prayers up to the basketball gods for a little help.