MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State knocked down 9-of-10 free throws in the final minute to hold off a furious Texas rally, 65-62, in the Big 12 opener for both schools on Friday night before a sellout crowd of 12,528 at Bramlage Coliseum.
Trailing 56-46 with 2:30 remaining, Texas (6-7, 0-1 Big 12) caught fire from the field, knocking down its final seven field goals to close with one possession twice in the final 7 seconds. However, K-State (12-1, 1-0 Big 12) was able to take advantage of its opportunities from the free throw line, as four different players combined to hit seven in row in the final minute before a miss by sophomore Barry Brown with 17 seconds remaining. Fellow sophomore Kamau Stokes connected on a pair of free throws to ice the game at 65-60 with 7 seconds.
The Wildcats, which had connected on 65.6 percent of its free throws entering the game, finished 26-of-33 (78.8 percent) from the line, including 11-of-14 (78.6) in the second half.
The victory pushed K-State’s winning streak to seven games, which is the longest win streak since a 10-game streak from Nov. 24, 2013 to Jan. 7, 2014, and helped the Wildcats end a four-game losing streak to the Longhorns (6-7, 0-1 Big 12) and a two-game skid in Big 12 openers. The 12-1 start is the best since the 2009-10 season.
The clutch shooting from the line masked a subpar offensive performance, as the Wildcats connected on a season-low 36.2 percent (17-of-47) from the field, including 25 percent (5-of-20) from 3-point range. The team did not make a field goal in the final 4:34, missing their final four shots.
Sophomore Dean Wade paced three Wildcats in double figures with 18 points, his second highest scoring total of the season, on 7-of-10 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Senior Wesley Iwundu matched a season high in scoring with 16 points, while Stokes added 15 points and a game-high 6 assists in 39 minutes of action.
Texas was led by freshman Jarret Allen, who posted a double-double with 14 points and 13 rebounds.
The Basics
- Final Score: Kansas State 65, Texas 62
- Records: Kansas State 12-1, 1-0 Big 12 // Texas 6-7, 0-1 Big 12
- Attendance: 12,528
- Next Game: Tuesday, Jan. 3 // at 3/3 Kansas // 8 p.m. CT // ESPN2
The Short Story
- Kansas State won its seventh-straight game as it held off a late Texas rally to defeat the Longhorns, 65-62, in front of a sold-out crowd of 12,528 at Bramlage Coliseum on Friday.
- The Wildcats was stellar from the free throw line, knocking down 9-of-10 in the final 59 seconds.
- K-State improved to 12-1 on the season, their best start since the 2009-10 season.