As Thanksgiving break concluded and students returned to campus, so did the Kansas State basketball squads in a Sunday double-header of dominant performances.
The K-State men set a single-game scoring record with a 120-73 win over Arkansas Pine Bluff, while the No. 9 K-State women continued to cruise over non-power conference opponents with an 86-39 victory over Central Arkansas.
The men, who moved to 6-2, opened the double-header and broke the previous mark of 116 set in head coach Jerome Tang’s first season in an overtime win at No. 6 Texas. It was the 41st 100-point game in school history and the third under Tang.
“Well, I felt like we asked the guys to play to a standard and that was our approach — I thought the guys took that approach,” Tang said to K-State Athletics. “We wanted to be the team with the most energy and passion, and I thought we did that.”
The Wildcats totaled 21 three-point field goals on a school-record 40 attempts, falling just two triples shy of the school record of 23 set in 1994. Eight players registered at least one made triple, led by a season-high of five from freshman David Castillo.
“David Castillo is going to be an all-conference guard, you know, he’s a winner,” Tang said. “This may be the first time in his life, other than injuries, that he’s had to come off the bench or struggle, like things are not as easy for him, right. And he’s always been able to slow the game down because of his maturity, and it’s not the case right now, but he’s continuing to work.”
Senior forward Achor Achor led six Wildcats in double figures with a season-high 21 points. The Samford transfer collected his 13th career 20-point scoring game and his first as a Wildcat, connecting on 7-of-10 field goals, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range.
K-State plays its first true road game of the season at 10:30 a.m. Saturday against St. John’s.
The K-State women, moving to 7-1, featured five players in double figures led by the roommate duo of guards Serena Sundell and Taryn Sides.
“I think they’re just really good friends,” head coach Jeff Mittie said. “They spend a lot of time together in the gym, which is a big benefit for point guards who are around each other a lot. Serena has been through over 100 games, and having her and Taryn be so close is definitely a benefit.”
Sundell, a senior, carded a game-high 17 points on a 6-of-7 effort from the field and dished out seven assists. Sides, a sophomore, came off the bench to notch a career-high 15 points on 5-of-8 shooting from long range and dish out four assists.
“We’ll go home and we’ll watch the games together, or we’ll watch highlight videos of the other team and scout them together,” Sides said. “I think you build that chemistry naturally when you’re together 24/7.”
Star center Ayoka Lee tallied 12 points with six rebounds and two blocks, lowering the distance between her and the school record for career points. Lee trails Kendra Wecker’s school record mark of 2,333 by 13 points.
Seniors Temira Poindexter and Jaelyn Glenn also added 10 points each to round out double-figure scorers. Poindexter tallied three assists, three steals and two blocks while Glenn registered five rebounds, three assists and three steals.
K-State returns to Bramlage at 6:30 p.m Tuesday to host Eastern Illinois.
