MANHATTAN — Jerome Tang’s Wildcats faltered early but held on late to defeat Bob Huggins and West Virginia’s Mountaineers on New Years Eve inside Bramlage Coliseum, 82-76.
The Wildcats (12-1; 1-0) were puzzled early on when they only shot 38.7% from the floor in the first half and were out-rebounded in the opening 20 minutes, 31-12. However, Kansas State would bounce back from a 14-point hole and take the lead halfway through the second half.
Following a Mountaineer (10-3; 0-1) Kedrian Johnson three-pointer to knot the game at the end of regulation, Kansas State would dominate the overtime period and walk away with a six-point victory to cap 2022.
“I was very proud of our composure and our togetherness,” said Kansas State head coach Jerome Tang. “I think anybody who watches these guys play can really see how much they love each other, how much they enjoy playing with each other and there’s a calm spirit about them in the tensest situations. It’s really cool to be around them and work with them.”
The Mountaineers didn’t waste any time getting on the scoreboard as big man Jimmy Bell Jr. went up for a layup to begin the night’s scoring a minute into the game. Bell Jr. was far from done as he drove inside for another layup and a dunk to give the Mountaineers an 8-1 lead.
K-State was hindered by their poor shooting from the floor and their lack of rebounding near the glass to allow West Virginia to control possessions. When West Virginia’s Tre Mitchell knocked down a three five minutes into the game, it extended the margin to 12 points, 13-1.
Wildcat Markquis Nowell helped cut the Kansas State deficit when he went underneath for a layup halfway through the opening half to bring the margin to single digits, 18-9. Keyontae Johnson followed with a free throw a few seconds later to keep the margin at nine points.
Kansas State’s Abayomi Iyiola was his team’s main offensive spark, especially after he helped bring his Wildcats within five points with less than five minutes left before halftime on a layup. Iyiola then went up for another layup only a minute later to keep the deficit within single digits.
The pair of layups off the fingers of Iyiola were part of his eight-point first half performance.
Following a Mountaineer transition slam dunk from Emmitt Matthews Jr. with a minute left in the first half, Kansas State trailed West Virginia at halftime, 32-21.
Nowell and the Wildcats came out scorching hot after halftime when he went on a 5-1 run himself through the opening two minutes of the second half. The scoring run would bring Kansas State even closer within seven points in the opening minutes.
“When you don’t have to coach the ball as much and you can coach the other four guys out there it makes life a lot better for you as a coach,” Tang said. “His (Nowell) willingness to share the ball, his willingness to learn and grow even within the game, seeing what they were doing and how we were going to attack it, that’s a great credit to him as a player and a person.”
Shortly after, Nae’Qwan Tomlin skyrocketed for a slam dunk in transition following a steal of the Mountaineers. Nowell added a layup a couple of minutes later to bring the home team’s deficit down to only five points, 39-34.
A Nowell three-pointer seconds later made it a two-point ballgame which is how close the Wildcats would come until Desi Sills slammed down a dunk in transition to bring the deficit within one point, 42-41.
Kansas State took the lead for the first time with 12 minutes left in gametime when Johnson went up for a layup and the 44-42 advantage. Ismael Massoud knocked down a three a minute later to give Kansas State a three-point lead with 11 minutes left, 47-44.
