STILLWATER, Okla. — The Kansas State men’s basketball team defeated Oklahoma State, 73-68, on Saturday at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
Here are some initial takeaways from the game:
Jerome Tang lit fire under Wildcats with a technical foul
Many were confused when coach Jerome Tang picked up a technical foul for arguing with the officials midway through the first half.
David N’Guessan had just made a driving layup that pulled K-State to within 53-49 of Oklahoma State. The Wildcats had scored four straight points. Momentum was on their side. Why, of all times, did Tang choose then and there to challenge the officiating?
Turns out, there was a method to his madness.
After seeing a number of physical calls (and no-calls) go against K-State he decided enough was enough. He didn’t care if a technical foul sent Oklahoma State to the free-throw line. He had a point to make and a team to motivate.
His strategy worked. The Cowboys sank both free throws to pull ahead 55-49, but then the Wildcats responded with a 10-2 run to take the lead and they never gave it back.
K-State was the better team down the stretch, and Tang’s technical set the stage for the late run.
Road woes end for Wildcats
It has been virtually impossible to beat Kansas State at home this season, but the Wildcats have been far from invincible away from Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State had lost five straight road games entering Saturday’s action. It was 3-7 overall in true away games. Not great.
But the Wildcats changed that narrative with a strong effort that made them look like road warriors at Gallagher-Iba Arena.
The most impressive part of the game was that K-State fell behind by as many as eight points and battled back for the win in the second half. The Wildcats had wilted in the clutch in past road games.
K-State did benefit from some outside help on Saturday. A large contingent of purple-clad fans made the drive into town for this game and filled the upper deck with support of their team. Chants of “K-S-U” were so loud at the end of the game that Oklahoma State had to pump in music to drown them out.
Tang and players celebrated the win by acknowledged the fans and pointing up at them on their way off the court. It was a happy moment for everyone involved.
Desi Sills makes up for sloppy turnover
One of the most memorable moments of Saturday’s game occurred late in the first half when Desi Sills tossed an ill-advised pass out of bounds without anyone else on the court in the neighborhood of the ball.
Sills was on the left wing when he sent a pass to the baseline expecting a teammate to be there for a mid-range jumper. But K-State’s offense had already rotated to the other side of the court, and Oklahoma State defenders followed them. The turnover made it look like Sills had tried to pass to a ghost.
It was the type of silly sequence you might see on featured on “SportsCenter” as a Not Top 10 Play.
Turned out, it was also a costly turnover. Oklahoma State used the miscue to surge ahead by as many as six points. But Sills made up for his mistake by scoring four points in the first half. His most important bucket came at the end of the half when he stole a pass at midcourt and took it the other way for a layup at the buzzer that trimmed Oklahoma State’s lead down to 35-33.
Sills also made a key layup in the final moments.
Bad mistakes like that have hurt K-State in recent road games. Sills and the Wildcats battled back from this one.
