Manhattan Meltdown

The Kansas State Wildcats hosted second ranked Kansas in Manhattan Saturday. The Jayhawks outlasted the home team in overtime 81-79 even after the Wildcats took a one point lead with 2:24 remaining in the extra session. Freshman forward, Wally Judge knocked in a pair of free throws to give the Wildcats a 76-75 edge. Kansas scored on their final three possessions to escape the upset in a gritty epic interstate battle. Cole Adrich secured a hook shot, and Sherron Collins played through back spasms to scoop a layup down the stretch. Collins’ shot with 9 seconds on the clock gave Kansas a three point lead. Adrich finished with 18 points, 11 rebounds and three blocked shots as the Jayhawks survived a tough road test to remain undefeated in the Big 12.
Kansas State junior guard, Jacob Pullen, chipped in 22 points as the Wildcats chipped away at Kansas’ leads. The back-and-forth bout featured 20 lead changes and both teams fought off early jitters to settle into a rhythm. The tense finish was only fitting after the teams managed to tie the game 14 times Saturday. Kansas State trailed 40-32 at the half but took a 49-45 lead in the third period. Pullen’s defense and clutch baskets helped the Wildcats pull ahead, much to the delight of the Fred Bramlage Coliseum crowd. Pullen made four from downtown and led the Wildcats with five assists. Denis Clemente was 4 of 15 on shooting, but bucketed 13 points for K-State. Curtis Kelly added 10 points and grabbed six rebounds for the Wildcats and Marcus Morris snared a double-double for the Jayhawks. The Wildcats have already beaten four ranked teams this season, so it was hardly a surprise to Bill Self and the Jayhawks when they forced overtime. Kansas took a 69-66 lead when Rodney McGruder’s and-one layup tied the game with just over thirty seconds in regulation. Collins incidentally turned the ball over with the game notched at 69 and K-State recovered. Domnique Sutton made a steal just before the buzzer and tried to put the winning shot in the basket in the closing seconds. Kansas’ feisty defense thwarted Sutton’s last-ditch attempt.
Kansas had to play a critical portion of the overtime session without Collins. Self’s senior staple was replaced by Tyshawn Taylor. Taylor committed the costly turnover that resulted in McGruder’s three point shot at the end of regulation. Collins returned after working out the kinks in his back. K-State immediately fouled the veteran guard, but Collins missed the free throw. Adrich intercepted the rebound and Brady Morningstar finished off the Wildcats with two successful shots from the line. Morningstar finished with 14 points and three steals. The Jayhawks are winners of 26 in their last 27 games and have a commanding two game lead in the Big 12. Kansas State dropped to 17-4 overall and is 4-3 in conference play. The Kansas State Wildcats have nothing to be ashamed of because they hung tough with the best team in the conference. The Kansas-Kansas State rivalry is becoming paramount in the Big 12. The Wildcats have legitimately made a name for themselves in college hoops. The men from Manhattan are poised to win 20 or more games for the fourth straight season. You could argue the Wildcats deserved to win on Saturday because their strategy was effective and their offense flowed smoothly. They outrebounded the Jayhawks and had more assists and 3-pointers. But K-State melted down in the overtime. Their ball movement and shot selection was poor. You cannot make mistakes against the Jayhawks. Kansas will burn you every time, and yesterday they did.

Parting Points: Kurt Warner retired from the NFL this past Friday after 12 solid and memorable seasons. Class act.