MANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior Dean Wade pulled down game-highs in both points (20) and rebounds (10) to help Kansas State wrap up exhibition play with a 77-44 win over Emporia State on Friday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
Wade’s double-double paced three Wildcats in double figures, along with sophomore Xavier Sneed (13) and junior Amaad Wainright (12). Wainright also added a team-tying 4 assists and 3 steals in 22 minutes.
The Wildcats finished exhibition with a 3-0 record and extended their home exhibition win streak to 23 games dating back to the 2004.
HOW IT HAPPENED
K-State found a defensive spark early in the first half, forcing 9 turnovers that resulted in 12 points in the early minutes to jump out to an advantage. Junior guard Barry Brown forced two turnovers early in the first half, and accounted for two assists, including one that led to a Kamau Stokes layup in transition. The Wildcats used their opportune defense to shoot 50 percent from the field on 15-of-30 shooting in the first half.
Wade led scorers early shooting with high efficiency from the field in the first half, shooting 6-of-7 and leading all scorers with 15 points, and 9 boards at the break. The Wildcats opened up their largest lead of the half with three-straight three pointers, including back-to-back from Sneed, as the Wildcats led at halftime by a score of 37-21.
Wade expanded on his day in the second half, reaching a double-double off 20 points and 10 rebounds in the game. Wade led all players in both statistical categories, and added 3 assists to his stat-line. Sneed added 13 points, followed by Wainwright with 12 points, as the Wildcats entered three scorers in double-digits in the game.
K-State kept their hot-shooting rolling from the first half, shooting over 52 percent from the field in the game (27-of-51). The hot-spot offensively came in the paint for the Wildcats, scoring nearly half of their points (38) in the key. The Wildcat offense totaled 20 assists in the game, spurred by three individuals, Wainright, Stokes and Cartier Diarra, who each recorded 4 assists.
Defensively, K-State held Emporia State to 29 percent shooting on 14-of-48 shooting, and forced 18 turnovers throughout the span of the game. The Wildcats also crashed the boards with intensity, out-rebounding the Hornets, 37-23. Wade and Mawdo Sallah each recorded one block, as K-State held Emporia State to 44 points in the game, the lowest points allowed through exhibition play.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Wade’s stat-line of 20-10-3 records his first double-double of exhibition play, and just the second in any of his K-State career. He also led all players in both points and rebounds in the game, in what was a dominant effort from the junior.
STAT OF THE GAME
29.2 percent – K-State held Emporia State to just 29.2 percent on 14-of-48 shooting on the day, including 4-of-20 (20 percent) from behind the arc. The Wildcats’ stifling defense held the Hornets to an exhibition season-best 44 allowed points in the game