Kansas State men’s basketball capped off its two-game homestead with a blowout 85-57 win over Oklahoma State, earning two consecutive wins for the first time since December.
“We needed to get better and develop a level of humility,” head coach Jerome Tang said. “I see guys are starting to realize they need each other and when you have humility or you’re thankful for the opportunity you play better.”
The Wildcats (9-11, 3-6 Big 12) stole the show, totaling 15 steals on defense while turning in its best Big 12 offensive performance with 85 points in an all-around masterclass. The Cowboys (10-10, 2-7 Big 12) finished the game with 21 turnovers. K-State connected on 52.6 percent (30-of-57) from the field, including 52.2 percent (12-of-23) from 3-point range.
K-State started scoring early, going up 10-0 quickly. The Wildcats got some of its points through Oklahoma State’s fouling issues. Guard Brendan Hausen and forward Coleman Hawkins each made an and-one layup, and both made their free throws.
Hawkins was an issue for the Cowboys on the defensive end, picking up two early steals. He finished everywhere on the court, recording had a stat line of 15 points, nine rebounds and six assists, three steals and three blocks.
“He’s a very special player,” Hausen said. “He’s a 6’10 point guard and can shoot, pick and pop, and wants to hit guys when they’re open.”
K-State’s ability to score off turnovers made it difficult for the Cowboys to create momentum. A deep last second three from Hawkins as the shot clock expired killed more momentum for Oklahoma State, as it seemed like the Wildcats could not miss. Bramlage exploded after the impressive three from Hawkins.
“I saw the shot clock going down, and I thought CJ [Jones] was going to shoot it,” Hawkins said. “But he threw it at me, I just spun around and released it. It was a cool moment.”
Oklahoma State started going on a small scoring run, putting the score at 25-18. Guard Dug Mcdaniel would end the slight scoring drought for K-State. The Michigan transfer hit two three-pointers in the first and got fast break layups effortlessly. When the Cowboys did show life, K-State made sure to keep scoring and create turnovers.
Center David N’Guessan got a last second put-back bucket as the first half ended for his first points of the game. The score was 45-23 going into halftime.
The second half was more of the same as the lead continued to grow. The Wildcats scored 28 points off OSU’s 21 turnovers, allowing four different Wildcats to score in double figures. A final 10-4 run helped propel K-State to 80 points.
“We wanted to keep them out of the paint and keep them out of transition.” Tang said.
Hausen finished his night with 18 points on a perfect 5-of-5 from 3-point range while McDaniel had 10 points with 6 assists. Guard Max Jones brought in 14 points. Sophomore Mobi Ikegwuruka finished with his best game of the season with 8 points to go with 3 rebounds, 3 steals and a block in 12 minutes off the bench.
The 28-point victory was the second largest of the season and the largest in Big 12 play under Tang. It is the largest Big 12 win since an 85-46 win over Oklahoma State at home on Feb. 23, 2019, while avenging an early loss to the Cowboys in Stillwater this season.
K-State has one of its biggest challenges up next on the schedule, as it heads No. 3 Iowa State at 1 p.m. on Saturday.
