K-State men’s basketball earned its first win of the Casey Alexander era Friday night, defeating California State, Northridge 95-78 behind a career-high 26 points from senior guard Brandon Rechsteiner at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats (1-1) dominated the first half and rained down 3-pointers to pull away from the Matadors (0-2). K-State hit 17 3-pointers, including 11 in the first half, to build a 28-point halftime lead.
Rechsteiner set the tone early, hitting three 3-pointers in the opening three minutes. He continued his hot shooting throughout the first half, knocking down five 3-pointers and scoring 19 points before the break.
K-State led 11-9 at the first media timeout before Rechsteiner connected on another 3-pointer coming out of the break. The Wildcats began to find their rhythm offensively, using strong ball movement and defensive pressure to create turnovers and transition opportunities.
The Wildcats also found success attacking the paint, creating open looks and forcing CSUN to scramble defensively. K-State’s defensive intensity limited the Matadors’ offensive opportunities and helped fuel a scoring run that extended the lead.
After five lead changes and two early ties, K-State took control with an 18-6 run to build a 29-17 advantage. The Wildcats continued to extend the lead, eventually pushing it to 20 points after an 8-0 run.
The momentum carried through the remainder of the half. Fifth-year guard Dez Lindsay capped off the first half with a buzzer-beating 3-pointer, giving K-State a 57-29 lead at halftime. The 57 points were the fourth-most in a first half in Wildcats program history.
Rechsteiner led all scorers at the break with 19 points on 6-of-10 shooting, including 5-of-9 from beyond the arc. He also recorded three rebounds and four assists in just over 16 minutes.
The Wildcats opened the second half by extending their lead to 31 points after a 3-pointer from sophomore Matt Gilhool made it 62-31. However, K-State struggled to maintain its first-half momentum as both teams initially searched for an offensive rhythm.
CSUN began finding more success offensively, attacking the glass and creating second-chance opportunities. The Matadors outscored K-State 49-38 in the second half and gradually chipped away at the deficit.
The Wildcats also struggled to contain CSUN’s offensive rebounding and began allowing more open looks. With 3:38 remaining, the Matadors had cut the deficit to 14 points at 87-73.
Rechsteiner helped stop the comeback attempt with his sixth 3-pointer of the night. K-State followed with baskets from Rechsteiner and sophomore Montana Wheeler to push the lead back to 94-75 with 1:48 remaining.
Alexander acknowledged the difference between his team’s two halves, crediting CSUN for its second-half adjustments.
“I felt like we were really dialed in in the first half for most of it, and it showed,” Alexander said. “Second half, we definitely were not as good, and I thought [CSUN] became themselves a lot more.”
Rechsteiner finished with 26 points on 8-of-17 shooting, including 6-of-15 from beyond the arc. He also recorded five assists and three rebounds. His six 3-pointers helped K-State finish with 17 for the game, the fourth-most in a single game in program history.
Alexander said Rechsteiner’s shooting ability gives him the freedom to take chances offensively.
“I’m not surprised at all,” Alexander said. “We’re going to see that a lot. He’s going to be guarded better, but we’re going to see many games where he tends to carry us because of his ability to make shots.”
Gilhool and Wheeler each finished with 12 points, while Schutt added nine. Isaiah Abraham, freshman Jaylen Alexander and Brock Vice each contributed eight points.
Junior Mikah Ballew led CSUN with 23 points. BJ Omot added 14, while Josiah Davis scored 12.
K-State finished the night shooting 49.2% from the field and 41.5% from the 3-point range. The Wildcats also recorded 22 assists and forced 17 turnovers.
The victory marked the first of Alexander’s tenure as head coach and improved K-State’s record to 1-1.
The Wildcats remain at Bramlage Coliseum to host Creighton at 8 p.m. on Tuesday, Nov. 10.
