Kansas University point guard Erica Hallman took one step inside Hadl Auditorium on Tuesday and proclaimed, “Whew, it’s hot in here.”

Indeed, a pronounced heat blazed from an amped-up thermostat.

Kansas University's Kaylee Brown, right, drives against Denver's Tasha Jones in the second half of the Jayhawks' 67-44 victory. KU claimed its third straight victory Tuesday in Allen Fieldhouse.

But if it was warm inside the room where the Jayhawks and media mingled after Kansas’ sizzling 67-44 victory over Denver, it had to feel like an absolute inferno to the visiting Pioneers inside Allen Fieldhouse earlier in the evening.

Kansas (3-1) was red-hot in the first half, hardly missing an uncontested shot as the Jayhawks scorched the nets — draining 64 percent of their field goals — en route to winning their third straight game at home.

KU, which hadn’t shot over 40 percent on the season before Tuesday’s lopsided victory, hit 50.9 percent from the field by game’s end and nearly doubled its season average in the first half when it connected on 16 of 25 attempts.

The Jayhawks also more than doubled their season three-point shooting percentage against the Pioneers (0-3) in the first half, when they knocked down six of 11 treys. KU was even perfect from the free-throw line, even though it barely had been hitting 50 percent before the game.

And no Jayhawk’s shot was falling more than Hallman’s, who tallied 11 of her 17 points in the first half, including a 3-for-3 three-point performance in the first half.

“I was way overdue, like a book at the library,” said a grinning Hallman, who scored 17 points, three shy of matching her career-high, and also collected five rebounds and five assists with just one turnover.

“We didn’t do anything different tonight. I just think we were due,” she said. “It was just one of those nights when you just kind of feel it, and we all felt it.”

Kansas University's Blair Waltz, left, shoots against Denver's Sara Benham in the second half of the Jayhawks' 67-44 victory. KU claimed its third straight victory on Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.

The Jayhawks hadn’t had that scenario yet this season under first-year coach Bonnie Henrickson, instead having to secure their first two victories last week off of their defensive prowess.

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“It’s nice to know for our shooters that the rim looked like an ocean tonight,” said Henrickson, whose team jumped to a 20-8 lead in the first 10 minutes and led by as much as 33 early in the second half before playing mostly reserves in the last 20 minutes. “I think it’s looked a lot smaller than that lately. But we shoot too well in practice to shoot like we have.”

Of course, KU’s most consistent scorer — Crystal Kemp — again was a model of consistency, although she did miss one of her 10 attempts in scoring a game-high 18 points.

“I think I’ll lose a little sleep over that one tonight,” quipped Kemp, who also had five rebounds in just 21 minutes. “When everyone shoots well like that, it’s just nice to see the ball going through the net and not have to worry about offensive rebounds and things like that.”

Kansas University women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson cheers on her players in the second half of their 67-44 victory over Denver. The Jayhawks picked up the program's 600th victory on Tuesday at Allen Fieldhouse.

But Kansas stayed true to the defensive formula that helped it defeat Sacred Heart and UMKC.

The Jayhawks easily pulled away in the first half because their pressure limited Denver to just 24 percent shooting in the first half and also forced nine turnovers.

The victory was also a special one statistically because it was the 600th career win for the KU women’s program. Thursday’s game against Washburn will be the 1,000th game for the Jayhawks, a fact not overlooked by Henrickson.

“We’re certainly proud to share in it, but understand we were just a little speck of what’s going on here for a long, long time,” said Henrickson, who credited longtime KU coach Marian Washington, who retired last season, and legendary Jayhawk Lynette Woodard for the blueprint for Kansas’ past and future success.