Kansas State Men’s Basketball Returns Home But Can’t Grab A Victory

2 jam yang lalu

Kansas State came into Wednesday’s crippled against UCF looking to break into nan triumph file successful nan Big 12 aft 3 consecutive losses.

After a sloppy first half that saw nan Wildcats way by 14 astatine halftime, K-State rallied successful nan 2nd half. But nan Wildcats’ comeback wasn’t capable and UCF defeated Kansas State, 82-73, astatine Bramlage Coliseum. The nonaccomplishment near nan Wildcats (9-8, 0-4 Big 12) arsenic 1 of only 2 Big 12 teams winless successful nan conference. Utah is nan different winless squad astatine 0-4.

“We conscionable didn’t deliver, right?” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said successful a postgame news conference.

“We had opportunities and we didn't return advantage. We started nan game, nan first 8 minutes we had 8 turnovers and a mates shots that mightiness arsenic good person been turnovers.

“When you excavation yourself a spread it’s conscionable hard.”

Kansas State’s defense, a interest this season, could not incorporate UCF (14-2, 3-1). The Knights changeable 52 percent from nan section and 47 percent from distance.

It was UCF’s first triumph astatine Bramlage Coliseum successful 3 games.

Another Wildcats issue, shooting from distance, was a problem against UCF. K-State made only 6-of-30 shots from region (20 percent). In its 4 convention losses, K-State changeable poorly from region successful 3 of them.

K-State’s starring scorer P.J. Haggerty led nan measurement pinch 23 points. But his first constituent came astir 14 minutes into nan first half, and his first section extremity came astir 16 minutes into nan half.

Haggerty bounced backmost successful nan 2nd half and nan Wildcats made nan crippled adjacent and competitory but couldn’t drawback coach Johnny Dawkins’ Knights.

K-State’s rally was reminiscent of its rally Saturday astatine Arizona State, erstwhile nan Wildcats came backmost from 9 points down precocious successful nan crippled only to lose, 87-84.

“The 2nd half we were amended but we couldn’t get a stop,” Tang said. “We sewage to support grinding and nan awesome point is we sewage a batch of games up of us.

“I conscionable watched games yesterday and watching games today. The astir hopeless teams win. The bunch of different teams successful our situation, they were each much hopeless than their force and were capable to get wins.

“We didn’t commencement nan game. We didn’t play nan full crippled much hopeless than them. There were definite times that we did, but location were times we didn’t and truthful we person to create a awesome desperation to alteration this point and we’re moving successful that guidance and we will get there.”

McGriff successful nan game

Last week, Tang talked astir really he hoped for much accumulation from forward Khamari McGriff, who had struggled pinch foul issues.

Tang suggested a afloat crippled from McGriff would springiness nan Wildcats different double-digit scorer. McGriff only committed 2 fouls and played 33 minutes. He did deed double digits pinch 15 points connected 7-of-9 shooting. He besides helped nan Wildcats pinch his rebounding. UCF only outrebounded nan Wildcats by 35-34.

K-State came into nan crippled classed past successful nan Big 12 successful rebounding separator (minus-16.3).

The Wildcats had 2 different players successful double figures — Abdi Bashir Jr. (12 points) and Taj Manning (10 points).

K-State’s adjacent crippled is Saturday nighttime astatine Oklahoma State (9 CT, CBSSN).