Kansas State hung on to beat Ole Miss Saturday, 69-64, in the Big 12 SEC Challenge at Bramlage Coliseum.

The Wildcats trailed just once in the game when Ole Miss went on a small run starting around the nine minute mark in the first half, the same time K-State’s Kamau Stokes was helped off the court with an apparent knee injury. He wouldn’t return. Kansas State eventually fought back to take a 38-36 lead into halftime.

“We don’t know what’s wrong with Kamau at this point. They’re going to do an MRI,” reported Bruce Weber following the game.

Losing Stokes took away one of K-State’s scoring threats, but allowed Carlbe Ervin II to come in and play a larger role than normal.

“You know you don’t have to make the big play, he made the simple basketball plays. Him and Austin Budke in the zone made some great passes, there again it’s not a spectacular thing it’s just solid, square up, see things, maybe pass fake, make the play. It was good for him, he needed that.”

With the win Kansas State’s non-conference final now rests at 11-2, and they now move into the back half of their schedule that features home games against Oklahoma, Baylor, Kansas and Texas. They are in action again Wednesday evening on the road in Lawrence for the Sunflower Showdown with Kansas. That game is slated for an 8 pm tip off from Allen Fieldhouse.