Okay-State Defeats Utah 81-78 – Yahoo Sports activities

[ad_1] The Kansas State Wildcats obtained 71 factors from its beginning guards to beat Utah 81-78 Tuesday evening in Bramlage Coliseum.

With out the providers of Abdi Bashir Jr. and Khamari McGriff, who each missed the sport with accidents, the Wildcats (10-9, 1-5 Massive 12) needed to depend on P.J. Haggerty, David Castillo, and Nate Johnson to hold the scoring load. Their effort, together with 10 factors from the supporting solid, proved simply barely sufficient to beat the Utes (9-10, 1-5).

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Castillo did his greatest Abdi impression early on, scoring 11 of the Cats’ first 13, canning 5 of his 7 three-point makes an attempt, and pouring in 17 factors by halftime. Johnson joined within the early enjoyable, making 3 of 4 from deep and scoring 15 within the first interval. They completed the sport with 20 and 17, respectively.

The second half featured P.J. doing P.J. issues, establishing defenders and getting short-range jumpers and floaters to drop. He scored 28 of his game-high 34 within the second half. The one participant apart from Haggerty, Castillo, or Johnson, to attain after halftime was Taj Manning, who took a pleasant high-low move down the lane from Johnson for a simple lay-up.

The Cats shot 31-62 (50%) from the ground, together with 12-23 (52.2%) from outdoors the arc. They dedicated solely 10 turnovers and scored a sturdy 1.209 factors per possession.

Although Okay-State led by as many as 10 within the first half, the Wildcats may by no means bury the Utes as a result of (cease me should you’ve heard this earlier than), they gave up far too many straightforward photographs and second-chance factors. Utah exploited defensive switches and assist in the lane for a lot of layups and stick-backs. They scored 40 factors within the paint.

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Utah missed a three-point try on the buzzer to fall one shot wanting 50% themselves, ending 32-65 from the ground. They had been solely 8-23 (34.8%) from outdoors, however they stored tempo by profitable the second-chance battle 12-6 and incomes a 14-8 benefit in factors off turnovers.

The Wildcats may neither cease nor sluggish Utah’s Terrence Brown, who dropped in 33 factors in 32 minutes of enjoying time. Two different Utes had 15 every.

For the second straight evening, P.J. Haggerty was Okay-State’s main rebounder with 8. As a crew, the Cats had been out-rebounded 34-29.

Three within the Key

After the gut-shot Saturday in Stillwater, it’s good to win a recreation that got here right down to the wire. It will be even nicer to win a recreation with out sweating late. As if we now have the luxurious of being choosy.

At this level, calling for the protection to enhance is futile. Let’s collectively hope the Cats can drop at the very least 80 in the remainder of its video games and see what number of opponents they will maintain to 79 or fewer. Darkish humor or realism? You be the choose.

What cosmic curmudgeon did we offend, and the way? As if the season weren't disappointing sufficient, Bashir is misplaced for at the very least a month (phrase is he had surgical procedure for a stress fracture in his foot and can miss 4-6 weeks). We don’t learn about McGriff’s damage, however he has been the lone stalwart within the paint, and the dearth of scoring from anybody not named P.J., David, or Nate and the dearth of skilled measurement on the defensive finish will make the duty of incomes extra convention wins particularly tough.

NEXT UP:

No. 19 Kansas comes calling at 7:00 Saturday. The Jayhawks have performed very effectively in straightforward wins towards No. 2 Iowa State and Baylor. They're presently in a detailed contest at Colorado, a recreation that the absurdity of convention realignment and TV obligations dictated ought to tip off at 10:00 p.m. Central Time. However keep in mind: We care about our “student-athletes.”