MANHATTAN, Kan. – Senior guard Xavier Sneed poured in a game-high 18 points, while freshmen Antonio Gordon and Montavious Murphy added 16 and 10 points, respectively, as Kansas State opened exhibition play with an 86-49 victory over Emporia State on Friday night before 8,805 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
The 86 points were the most in a home exhibition game in nearly eight years, as the Wildcats scored nearly half their points in the paint (40) while converting 23 Hornet turnovers into 34 points. The last time the team scored this many points in an exhibition came in a 90-60 win over Fort Hays State on November 6, 2011.
K-State has now 25 consecutive exhibition games at Bramlage Coliseum dating back to 2003.
In addition to the trio in double figures, seven other Wildcats registered at least two field goals on night, as K-State connected on 45.6 percent (36-of-79) from the field, including 35.5 percent (11-of-31) from 3-point range. The 11 made 3-point field goals were the most-ever in an exhibition game, surpassing the 10 against Washburn in 2010 and Pittsburg State in 2016. The team also held a 20-2 edge in fast-break points, thanks in part to 11 steals.
In all, the 36 made field goals came on 27 assists, including a game-high 7 from junior newcomer David Sloan.
Sneed scored his game-high 18 points on 7-of-11 field goals, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range to go with 7 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 24 minutes, while Gordon went 7-of-10 from the field, including 2-of-4 from long range, with 7 rebounds in a little over 20 minutes. Murphy collected a double-double with a game-high 11 rebounds to go with his 10 points.
ESU was led by junior transfer Brenden Van Dyke, who scored 11 points on 4-of-8 shooting in 21 minutes.
HOW IT HAPPENED
After a little erratic play to open the game, K-State settled down behind the play of seniors Xavier Sneed and Makol Mawien to rattle off 11 consecutive points to take a double-digit lead with just 14 minutes to play. Sneed and Mawien each had four points in the 11-0 run.
The Hornets would end the run with a bucket on the next possession, however, the Wildcats answered with 9 straight points to push the advantage to 23-7 with 10:52 to play in the half. During the stretch, freshman Antonio Gordon ignited the offensive attack with five points, including a 3-pointer.
A 5-0 run by ESU closed the gap to 23-12 with just under nine minutes to play, but K-State again answered with a 12-2 run, including 8 in a row from Gordon, to extend the advantage to 35-14 with 3:33 remaining. The lead stood at 23 points at the half, as the Wildcats headed into the locker room with a 42-19 advantage.
K-State connected on 43.9 percent (18-of-41), including 30.8 percent (4-of-13) from 3-point range, while holding ESU to 30 percent (6-of-20) shooting, including 28.6 percent (2-of-7) from long range. The Wildcats scored 18 points off 16 Hornet turnovers and scored 22 of their 42 points in the paint.
Nine different Wildcats scored in the opening half, including a game-high 14 points from Antonio Gordon on 6-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range. Sneed added 7 points, while freshman Montavious Murphy had a team-high 7 rebounds to go with 5 points.
K-State continued to push its lead in the second half, opening up a 53-26 advantage after a fast-break bucket by freshman guard DaJuan Gordon with 14:30 to play.
ESU was able to cut into the deficit with a 16-7 spurt over the next 4 minutes capped by a 3-pointer from redshirt freshman Justin Balcome to close to within 60-42 with just over 10 minutes remaining.
Much like the first half, the Wildcats responded with a run of their own, scoring 14 of the next 19 points to push the lead back to 27 points at 74-47 with 5:10 left on a fast-break bucket by junior Mike McGuirl. The lead would exceed 30 in the waning minutes, as the squad finished on a 12-0 run for the 86-49 victory.
Sneed scored 11 of his game-high 18 points in the second half on 4-of-5 field goals, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, while Sloan scored 6 of his 8 points and 4 of his game-high 7 assists after halftime. The Wildcats connected on 47.4 percent (18-of-38), including 38.9 percent (7-of-18) from 3-point range, in the second half.
PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME
Senior Xavier Sneed led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-11 field goals, including 3-of-6 from 3-point range, while a pair of freshmen – Antonio Gordon and Montavious Murphy – had double-digit scoring efforts. Murphy led all players with 11 rebounds to go with his 10 points, while Gordon’s 16 points came on 7-of-10 shooting.
STAT OF THE GAME
34 – K-State scored 34 points off of 23 Emporia State turnovers, collecting 11 steals on night.