The stars did their part, and the supporting cast joined in for the big win.
Behind stellar efforts from Michigan transfer Dug McDaniel and Illinois transfer Coleman Hawkins, the Kansas State Wildcats upset the No. 16 Cincinnati Bearcats 70-67 Monday evening at Bramlage Coliseum in the Big 12 opener for both teams.
Whether it was renewed focus after the Christmas break, excitement for the start of conference play, the embarrassment of a second half meltdown in their last game at Wichita State, or (maybe?) the scathing takedown of the team’s effort by BoTC’s Eric Rubottom after said WSU meltdown, we will never know. But something brought Coach Jerome Tang’s Wildcats (7-5, 1-1 Big 12) to the floor with improved purpose, flow, and attention to detail.
They needed all of it to prevail over the visiting Bearcats (10-2, 0-1 Big 12).
Riding the emotion of an amped crowd early, the ‘Cats weathered a scoreless drought by both teams to score first at the 17:48 mark. They would open the game on a 12-3 run, with the aforementioned McDaniel (7) and Hawkins (5) doing all of the scoring.
Cincinnati tied the score at 24 each with 3:33 remaining and even took a lead at 27-26 with 2:34 on the clock. But each time the Bearcats threatened, K-State answered to regain the advantage. The Wildcats led 31-29 at intermission.
Though the team has been plagued by slow starts to second halves much of the season, it did not suffer that malady on this night.
Cincy’s Jizzle James made a jumper after the break to knot the score at 31, but K-State answered again, running off another 12-3 burst to open a 43-34 cushion, the largest margin of the game. That run was keyed mostly by McDaniel, who made a midrange jumper off the pull-up, scored a nifty reverse layup to avoid being blocked on a fastbreak, and then drove down the lane, making a picture-perfect fake to David N’Guessan to create space for another left-handed finish at the rim.
Though the next three points were scored by Brendan Haussen, McDaniel was credited with the assist. Haussen then spread the love on the next trip, finding CJ Jones alone in the corner for a three that could have been shot as carefully as a free throw. Just like that, The Cats were up 9.
A couple of three-point buckets by Cincy’s Dan Skillings Jr. (who was hot all night despite entering the game 3-15 from outside on the season) and Day Day Thomas brought The Bearcats back to within 4, at 45-41. But CJ Jones got by his man and drove from the left wing to throw down a thunderous dunk and build the lead back to 6.
Cincinnati kept coming, and with 5:31 to play the score was knotted at 56-all. Where were the Wildcats to turn? Why, to David N’Guessan, of course. The lanky big who sometimes seems to be playing the game on roller skates drove from the right wing, putting up an off-balance shot near the rim, getting fouled, and sliding nearly to the end of the K-State bench. The shot went down, he hit the free throw, and the K-State lead was 59-56 with 5:02 remaining.
Coleman Hawkins made two free throws and a bucket to keep the lead at 4, and after the Bearcats clawed within 2 on a tip-in by Aziz Badaogo, Max Jones got into the lane, maintained balance and control while bodies flew around him, and calmly dropped in a short bucket off the glass. The score was 65-61 with 46 seconds left.
Badaogo struck again with a layup on the next possession, But K-State free throws by Hawkins and CJ Jones eventually pushed the lead to 68-63. With only 4 fouls on their rap sheet, the Cats were able to commit fouls on the floor to burn time. They did it effectively, and the Bandaogo dunk with 8 seconds remaining was largely irrelevant to the outcome.
CJ Jones knocked in two more free throws, and Cincy’s Mitchell Dillon tipped in a missed three-pointer with 1 second left for the final 70-67 margin.
Stats
In terms of presence, if not necessarily overall statistics, Coleman Hawkins had his best game in a K-State uniform. He scored a game-high 20 on 7-13 shooting, including 3-5 from 3-point range. He also had 10 rebounds, three assists and only 2 turnovers. His 4 steals were a gigantic factor, as they allowed the Cats to run for easy buckets. Most importantly, he seemed to have the best instincts we have seen from him so far for when he needed to get teammates involved, and when the best option was for him to try to score.
McDaniel scored 17 points. He was 7-13 from the floor and had 2 assists. The lone blemish: a game-worst 6 turnovers.
N’Guessan was the only other Wildcat in double figures, scoring 13. As noted, the timing of his biggest play was enormously important. He also grabbed 7 rebounds, managing to be right around his season average in both scoring and rim cleanup duties.
Though they did not hit double figures, supporting cast members CJ Jones (9 points) and Max Jones (8), both put their stamp on the game in moments that felt big at the time and turned out to actually be big in the end, as every play looms large in a 3-point victory.
Brendan Hausen had a rough shooting night, going 1-9 overall and 1-8 from deep. He did help the team by tossing a team-leading 4 assists.
Skillings scored 20, including 4-8 marksmanship from deep, to lead Cincinnati.
The key team stats of the game were turnovers, points off turnovers, and free throws. K-State lost the ball only 11 times, to Cincinnati’s 15. The Wildcats won the points-off-turnovers battle 15-8. At the charity stripe, K-State made 16 of 20, while the Bearcats booked only 7 of 19. Though the visitors led in nearly every other offensive category, the margins on turnovers, points off turnovers, and free throws (all areas where the Cats have often struggled) provided enough of an advantage to secure the win.
Three in the Key
- Where has this been? Stats and score aside, the team just had a different feel about it in this game. Chalk that up to McDaniel and Hawkins not only touching upon their individual potential, but doing it in a way that brought the rest of the team along organically. Once Cincinnati had to worry about what the two star transfers were doing, N’Guessan and the Joneses found their opportunities to put a stamp on the game. This was the best team basketball—by far—the Cats have played this year. And it started with the two stars.
- When will we see this again? After poor performances in the last four games of non-conference and an absolutely abysmal second half in Wichita before Christmas, this season felt as if it were on the precipice of disaster. It still could be. Lacking anything approaching a signature conference win, the Cats must pile up as many stellar performances as possible in conference play to have any chance at an NCAA berth. So, when will we see it again? We need to hope the answer is Saturday in Fort Worth, and again next Tuesday in Stillwater, and again and again, ad nauseum, every game after that. The opportunity is there. The ability is there. The team needs to seize the day like this every time it hits the floor the rest of the way.
- K-State’s recent home dominance against ranked teams continues. Not only did the heretofore offensively challenged K-State squad manage to become the first team to score 70 against Cincinnati this season, but it also added to an impressive recent record against ranked opponents at home. The Wildcats have won 10 of the last 12 such meetings, among the best active records in all of NCAA basketball. Home wins alone won’t be enough, but winning in Bramlage is essential as a starting point to keep postseason aspirations alive.
Next
K-State plays the TCU Horned Frogs, who are 7-4 and currently contesting Arizona, at 3:00 CST on Saturday in Fort Worth.