Close. And then…not close.
The Kansas State Wildcats hung tough against the No. 19 Kansas Jayhawks most of the night but could not sustain the momentum, ultimately falling 86-62.
The Wildcats held an early lead, and actually regained the upper hand three times in the game. Though they played from behind much of the night, the contest remained close until less than 8 minutes remained.
With 7:52 to play, P.J. Haggerty hit a three-point bucket to pull the Wildcats (10-10, 1-6 Big 12) within four points, 59-55. But Kansas (15-5, 5-2) outscored the Cats 26-7 the rest of the way to make what had been a hard-fought game a laugher.
In the opening minutes, K-State played inspired basketball and got help from unexpected sources. Dorin Buca affected play around the rim, forcing KU to shoot midrange shots, and he grabbed 8 offensive rebounds in the game, including a couple of nice putbacks around the rim. Andrej Kostic made 4 three-point buckets in the first half, and Nate Johnson and David Castillo each connected from outside to keep the Wildcats in the game, even though Haggerty did not score during the first 18 minutes.
Haggerty figured things out after halftime, scoring 18 of his game-high 23 in the period. But the supporting cast faded, contributing only 9 points in the second half.
The usual issues wound up being the issues. Kansas outrebounded the Cats 39-28 and shot 53.5% (31-58) from the floor (4-16 from three). K-State made 21 of 61 attempts (34.4%), including 10-29 (34.5%) from deep.
Kansas star Darryn Peterson, nursing a sprained ankle, did not play. Much as that absence worked to K-State’s favor, the Cats were missing Abdi Bashir Jr., Khamari McGriff, and Mobi Ikegwuruka. Mobi and Khamari were sorely missed, as KU outscored K-State by a whopping 46-18 margin in the paint. The Jayhawks also had a 10-point advantage at the free throw line, courtesy of 20-24 shooting, compared to the Cats’ 10-14.
In the end, despite promising early results, it was too much to overcome.
Kostic did not score in the second half, but finished as K-State’s second-leading scorer with 12. No other Wildcat scored in double figures.
Five Jayhawks reached double-digits, led by Flory Bidunga, who mostly dunked his way to 21.
NEXT GAME
The Wildcats will try again Tuesday in the house of horrors that is WVU Coliseum in Morgantown. Game tips at 7:30 and will be broadcast on FS1.
Category: General Sports
