Kansas State basketball pulls away late for win
By Andrew Towne
Nov 21, 2014; Long Beach, CA, USA; Kansas State Wildcats forward Nino Williams (11) and Long Beach State 49ers forward Jack Williams (35) battle for the rebound during the first half at The Pyramid. Mandatory Credit: Kelvin Kuo-USA TODAY Sports
It took the Kansas State Wildcats (6-4) nearly the entire game, but the ‘Cats finally delivered the knockout punch it had been unable to give the first 30 minutes against the Savannah State Tigers (3-8).
The visitors were still within six midway through the second half following an 8-0 run, but that’s when K-State finally got the offense clicking in the 73-53 final Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum.
It looked as if the Wildcats were going to make the game a joke with an alley-oop to Justin Edwards from Marcus Foster in the opening seconds of the game.
K-State followed that up with a turnover on the defensive end as they looked to put away the visitors early, but the Wildcats allowed the Tigers to hang around for most of the game.
Savannah State, winless on the road this season, held a brief 3-2 lead before the Wildcats regained the lead for good in the following moments.
K-State will host Texas A&M in the Wildcat Classic on Dec. 20 at the Sprint Center in Kansas City. Tipoff is scheduled for 6 p.m. Central Time. The game will be broadcast on ESPNU.
B-. The second half made the difference in the game. The Wildcats shot 70 percent from the field over the final 20 minutes. K-State still turned the ball over 20 times, which is something that has been a problem and, obviously, needs to be fixed and soon too.. Offense. . KANSAS STATE
C+. The defense allowed a poor offensive team stay around way too long. The Wildcats allowed a team that shoots under 40 percent to make 44 percent of their baskets tonight. However, K-State dominated the defensive boards 25-12 and tallied five shot blocks. Walk-on Brian Rohleder came off the bench and took three charges in the first two minutes on the floor.. Defense. . KANSAS STATE
Guard. Kansas State. NINO WILLIAMS. A+. Solid night for the senior with 20 points on 6-of-8 shooting to go along with seven rebounds to lead the Wildcats both statistical categories.
A+. A seldom used walk-on made the most of his 16 minutes tonight. He took three charges in his first two minutes on the floor. He also recorded a key shot block in the second half.. Guard. Kansas State. BRIAN ROHLEDER