Kansas State men’s basketball returned to the win column on Tuesday, downing Mississippi Valley State 74-56 at home despite a lackluster offensive performance.
“Tonight, we worked on a couple of things the last few days, and I thought we executed those things,” head coach Jerome Tang said. “We have a building block to move forward from. I’m excited about that. Was very pleased with the execution of the things that we worked on.”
The Wildcats (3-1) started with a poor performance from three-point range. Luckily for K-State, the Delta Devils (1-4) had their issues on offense as well, leading to a 2-2 mark about five minutes into regulation.
After a timeout, the ball movement from K-State started to pick up.
Center Ugonna Onyenso, a bright spot offensively, found looks in the paint as the big man scored four layups in a row from assists. He finished with a team-high 16 points off the bench.
“His teammates did a really good job of finding him,” Tang said. “He ran early and established position. That’s something we’ve been on him about.”
Although down most of the first half, Mississippi Valley tied the game late at 23 apiece. With 19 seconds left, freshman guard David Castillo hit a mid-range jumper to take the lead back at 25-23 going into the half.
More K-State players got involved early in the second half. Transfer guards Brendan Hausen and Max Jones both got their first points as the Wildcats built a solid 33-25 lead.
Hausen notched a four-point play to increase the lead to 50-34 and Onyenso continued hustling for points in the paint, finishing with 6-7 field goal shooting.
“You know, I’m happy I could help the team win,” Onyenso said. “I’m really excited I could contribute to tonight’s win.”
There was late life for Mississippi Valley again, cutting the deficit to 10, but the Wildcats’ defense stepped up and didn’t allow many more points the rest of the game.
With a height advantage, the offensive rebounding from K-State was noticeable, finishing with 21 offensive rebounds compared to Mississippi Valley State’s seven.
Following Onyenso, guard CJ Jones finished with 12 points and four rebounds. Center David N’Guessan was third in points, totaling 10 points and five rebounds.
Next on K-State’s schedule is George Washington University in the Paradise Jam tournament, available on ESPN+. The Wildcats will play at 7 p.m. Friday in the U.S. Virgin Islands.