The Kansas State Wildcats held Kennesaw State to just 14 points in the second half enroute to a 56-41 men’s basketball victory in the K-State season opener at Bramlage Coliseum. The win came in the first round of the Paradise Jam tournament.

Wildcat coach Bruce Weber saw his team lead by just four points at halftime. “Got to give credit to Kennesaw State. Coach Skinner has been around a long time, he’s got a system, he believes in the system he works it, the kids execute, they made us guard it, they made us guard them. They grinded it out and we weren’t used to that.”

One bright spot was the play of newcomer Austin Trice, a junior from Chicago. He had 12 rebounds in the contest, six on offense and six on defense. Trice said rebounding is what he focuses on the most. “I just try to grab as many as possible and just live with the end result.” He brings energy to the court. “I take a lot of pride in energy. I try to be the loudest person on the bench if I’m not in the game, and then in the game I try to be the loudest person on the court.”

One player who is normally a starter, Xavier Sneed, did not play. Bruce Weber said that Sneed sprained an ankle on Thursday night so K-State rested him. Weber Sneed actually did it twice in the past week.

The Wildcats host Denver Monday night at 8 p.m.