KANSAS CITY, Mo. – Sophomore guard Barry Brown poured in a near career-high 21 points, as Kansas State knocked off No. 9/10 Baylor, 70-64, in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Thursday evening before 18,972 fans at the Sprint Center.
The win not only clinched the Wildcats (20-12, 8-10 Big 12) a berth in the semifinals for the first time since 2013, it also gave them a Top 10 victory at the Championship for the first time since knocking off No. 7 Kansas, 74-67, in the second round of the Big Eight Championship on March 13, 1993.
Tied at 33-all with 14:13 left to play, K-State used a 7-0 run over a 3-minute span early in the second half to take control of the contest, which was capped by a Brown 3-pointer at the 11:26 mark. The sophomore scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half, hitting both 3-point attempts and going an impressive 9-of-11 from the free throw line, including 6-of-8 in the last 49 seconds.
Baylor (25-7, 12-6 Big 12) closed to within 48-43 on a jumper by Big 12 Newcomer of the Year Manu Lecomte with 6:35remaining, however, K-State responded with a 9-3 spurt to take a 57-46 advantage with 4:10 to play on a jumper by senior forward D.J. Johnson, who scored 11 of his 13 points in the second half.
The Wildcats connected on 52.3 percent (23-of-44) from the field, including 42.9 percent (6-of-14) from 3-point range, and went 18-of-27 (66.7 percent) from the free throw line. It marked the 12th time this season that the team has shot better than 50 percent from the field, which is the highest such total since the 1988-89 season.
Baylor was held to 64 points on 45.5 percent shooting (25-of-55), including 41.2 percent (7-of-17) from 3-point range, as K-State moved to 14-0 this season when holding an opponent to 65 points or less.
The win was also significant, as it gave the Wildcats a 20-win season for the 28th time in school history, including the third time in 5 seasons under head coach Bruce Weber, who collected his 99th win in his tenure on Thursday.
Junior guard Al Freeman led three Bears in double figures with 16 points off the bench on 5-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-6 from 3-point range, while fellow junior guard Manu Lecomte scored 13 points on 5-of-7 shooting, including 3-of-4 from long range. All-American Johnathan Motley posted 13 points, while junior forward Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr. grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds and sophomore Jake Lindsey dished out a game-high 11 assists.
K-State, which knocked off a Top 10 Baylor team for the second time this season, moved to 3-4 against the AP Top 25 this season, including 3-3 against the Top 10.
The Basics
- Final Score: Kansas State 70, 9/10 Baylor 64
- Records: Kansas State 20-12, 8-10 Big 12 // Baylor 25-7, 12-6 Big 12
- Attendance: 18,972 (sold out)
- Next Game: Friday, March 10 // vs. 11/11 West Virginia // 8 p.m. CT // ESPN2
The Short Story
- Sophomore Barry Brown scored a near career-high 21 points, as Kansas State earned its third win over a Top 10 team this season with a 70-64 win over No. 9/10 Baylor in the quarterfinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Thursday night before a sold-out crowd of 18,972 fans at the Sprint Center.
- K-State advances to the semifinals of the championship for the first time since 2013.
- Brown scored 15 of his 21 points in the second half, as he knocked down both his 3-point attempts and went an impressive 9-of-11 from the free throw line. It was his fourth career 20-point game.
- Johnson joined Brown in double figures, scoring 11 of his 13 points after halftime on perfect 4-of-4 field goals and 5-of-6 from the line to go with 7 rebounds, 2 blocks and 2 steals.
- Junior Al Freeman led three Bears in double figures with 16 points off the bench, while fellow junior Manu Lecomte added 13 points. Junior Jo Lual-Acuil, Jr. grabbed a game-high 11 rebounds.
- With the win, K-State earns a 20-win season for the 28th time in school history, including third time in 5 seasons under head coach Bruce Weber.