MANHATTAN, Kansas – Kansas State looked to sweep the season series against West Virginia on Tuesday night at Bramlage Coliseum, but the Mountaineers pocketed a 75-66 win. The Wildcats have now lost three straight.

K-State (13-14, 5-11 Big 12) had four players in double figures led by sophomore forward Peyton Williams with 18 points, six rebounds, a career-high tying five steals and a blocked shot. Williams has 13 games this season with 15 or more points and five or more rebounds.

Junior guard Kayla Goth finished with 14 points, five assists and two steals. For the season, Goth has dished out 178 assists and ranks fifth in school history. She is the third player in program history to hand out 175 or more assists in a single season.

Also in double figures were senior forward Kaylee Page with 16 points, while freshman guard Rachel Ranke chipped in with 11 points.

West Virginia (20-8, 8-8) saw all five starters in double figures led by Teana Muldrow with 19 points, 11 rebounds, four assists, three blocks and two steals. Katrina King added 16 points and nine rebounds.

After Kansas State dashed out to a quick 5-0 lead, West Virginia responded with a 12-0 run to build a 12-5 lead with 5:16 remaining in the opening quarter. The Mountaineers built their lead on the back of 3 three-pointers.

K-State pulled back to within one, 12-11, as K-State used a 6-0 run to close the gap. Williams finished off a post move with a layup. Cymone Goodrich then used a right lane line drive to card a layup, and Goth then completed a layup of her own with 3:51 to play to bring K-State within one.

Goth’s layup would be the final points of the quarter for K-State, as the Wildcats would go scoreless for the final 3:50 of the quarter and West Virginia would hold a 17-11 lead at the end of one.

The Wildcats pulled back within two points on a pair of occasions in the second quarter, but West Virginia was able to rebuild its lead to five, 25-20, with 3:54 left following a banked in jumper from Muldrow.

Muldrow’s jumper helped West Virginia end the first half on a 7-4 run and hold a 30-24 lead at the break.

Kansas State shot 35.5 percent (11-of-31) from the field, but were held to a 1-of-9 effort from beyond the arc including seven straight misses to end the half. The Mountaineers shot 44.4 percent (12-of-27) from the floor.

West Virginia extended its lead to 10, 41-31, in the first four minutes of the third quarter. The Wildcats 3-point drought extended to 10 straight misses before Page knocked down a 3-pointer at 7:02 of the third quarter.

Page would knock down another three during a 7-2 K-State run to force a West Virginia timeout and pull K-State to within five, 43-38, with 4:59 remaining in the third stanza.

West Virginia would end the third quarter on an 8-3 run to hold a 51-41 lead entering the fourth quarter. King scored six of the Mountaineers’ eight points during the run.

The Mountaineers built a 15-point advantage, 59-44, with 7:34 left in the fourth quarter. An 8-3 run by K-State provided life, as the Wildcats pulled to within nine, 61-52 following a Page 3-pointer with 6:15 remaining.

K-State was able to narrow the game to six, 65-59, with 3:33 remaining. Ranke connected on a layup following a K-State timeout, then added her second 3-pointer of the night following a K-State defensive stop. Williams buried her only two free throws of the night to trim the deficit to six.

The Mountaineers didn’t allow K-State to gain any more ground, outscoring K-State 10-7 in the final 3:14 of the fourth quarter to secure the win.

West Virginia finished the night shooting 54.2 percent (26-of-48) including 60.0 percent or better in the final three quarters. K-State checked in with a 39.0 percent effort (23-of-59). For the 13th time this season, K-State recorded 10 or more steals, ending the night with 11.

Kansas State will conclude its 2017-18 regular season home schedule on Saturday, as the Wildcats host Kansas in the Dillons Sunflower Showdown at 3 p.m. In a pregame ceremony at 2:45 p.m., of Saturday’s game, K-State will recognize members of the 1968-69 team, the first intercollegiate women’s basketball team in program history.

— K-State Athletics —

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — A week ago, in the same arena, the Kansas State Wildcats were tied at the half with Texas Tech and could not close the deal. They were presented with the same opportunity on Saturday this time they did close the deal.

Dean Wade nearly grabbed a triple-double in Kansas State’s 78-66 victory over Iowa State.

“We were in the same situation last week, against Texas Tech,” Kansas State head coach Bruce Weber said. “I said to the guys during halftime, `What’s your dreams? What’re your goals and what’s your vision? Don’t let them (Iowa State) take that from you.”

Wade shot 9 of 13 for 22 points while grabbing eight rebounds and collecting nine assists.

“I think I played well,” Wade said. “My teammates played great and that allowed me to play well. I was feeding off of their energy. It was an overall good game for us.”

After a deadlocked 33-33 halftime score, the Wildcats (19-8, 8-6 Big 12 Conference) exploded for 45 second-half points on 17-of-29 shooting. Joining Wade in double-figure scoring was Barry Brown, who scored 16 second-half points for a total of 20, and Xavier Sneed, who scored 17 points on seven shots.

“It is tough when we are all scoring for a team to adjust. They cannot just help off one man and leave another one open,” Brown said.

“We had X (Xavier Sneed) hitting threes. I even hit a few. When we are all attacking and making the right read and finding the right person it is tough to scout.”

After a slow start, Iowa State (13-13, 4-10) managed to get the game close and tied it several times but could not ever capture the lead.

Cameron Lard scored 15 points on 7-of-12 shooting for the Cyclones.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: The win against Iowa State pushes the Wildcats to 19 wins and they are two wins away from matching last season’s win total.

Iowa State: The loss by Iowa State will guarantee that the Cyclones will have a losing conference record for the first time in three seasons under coach Steve Prohm.

THEY SAID IT

“The frustrating thing is that it is the same stuff. I can sit up here and give you all a bunch of stuff but it is the same stuff. Look at our second-half defensive stats in the majority of our road losses in conference play. It is horrendous. What did they shoot in the second half? Sixty percent?” — Iowa State head coach Steve Prohm on his team’s second-half performance on defense.

STATS AND STREAKS

The win over Iowa State is the first win at home for Kansas State during February.

UP NEXT

Iowa State: Iowa State hosts TCU on Wednesday.

Kansas State: Kansas State hosts Texas on Wednesday.

— Associated Press —

MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State head coach Bill Snyder announced Friday that six-year defensive coordinator Tom Hayes has retired, linebackers coach Blake Seiler has been promoted to Defensive Coordinator and Brian Norwood has been hired as Co-Defensive Coordinator tutoring the Wildcat secondary.

Hayes’ retirement completes a career of more than 40 years in the coaching profession that has spanned nine different Division I schools and two NFL teams. He will remain on staff as a quality control coach through the end of his current contract, which expires at the end of April. Hayes has spent the last seven seasons on the K-State staff, including the final six as the defensive coordinator.

“I am appreciative of so many people at Kansas State and throughout my entire career,” Hayes said. “I am thankful for the opportunity Coach Snyder gave me to come to K-State in 2011 and take over the defense in 2012. I really appreciate the players over all these years – they are hard-working and dedicated. Our administration and support staff have been unbelievable, and our fanbase on game day has been just phenomenal.

“We will miss Manhattan – it is a great town full of great people – but Cindy and I are looking forward to the next chapter in our life.”

Hayes has helped the Wildcats earn a collective 61-30 record since 2011, advance to seven bowl games and pick up a Big 12 Championship in 2012.

“We greatly appreciate Tom and Cindy Hayes, who have been with us for seven seasons and together brought so very much to our program,” Snyder said. “They will both be missed.”

Seiler, a three-year letterwinner for the Wildcats (2004-06), coached the defensive ends from 2013-16 before being promoted to assistant defensive coordinator working with the linebackers this past season.

“We are very fortunate to have coaches like Blake Seiler, who is well prepared to step into the coordinator role,” Snyder said. “Blake is a bright young man, quick learner, hard worker and well-received and trusted by our players. He helped coordinate our defense this past year with emphasis on our run defense. Blake is highly respected by our staff and players for his values as well as his passionate teaching.”

A native of Goddard, Kansas, Seiler began his coaching career as a quality control coach (2009-10) and graduate assistant (2011-12) after spending two years as a structural engineer at Cessna Aircraft Company in Wichita.

“I am extremely grateful for this opportunity,” Seiler said. “I have been blessed to learn under several great coaches during my time here at K-State, with Coach Snyder and Coach Hayes certainly being the most influential. Our defensive staff is excited to prepare for spring practices and the upcoming season.”

Norwood has spent the last three seasons at Tulsa as associate head coach and co-defensive coordinator coaching the safeties. He is no stranger to the Big 12 having spent time at Texas Tech (2010) and Baylor (2008-14).

“I am so very pleased to have Brian Norwood join our staff as our secondary coach and co-defensive coordinator,” Snyder said. “He comes to us highly recommended by many coaches who I highly respect. Brian is truly a K-State type of person. He is a caring, loyal, genuine, disciplined, hard-working and responsible person with the highest value system – a great family man and a man of faith. We are honored to have he and his wonderful wife Tiffiney, along with his children, join our Wildcat family.”

Norwood has coached in 13 bowl games in his 28-year coaching career, which included seven-year stops at Penn State (2001-07) and Baylor.

“My family and I are extremely happy to be coming to Kansas State University, a program that I have always admired from afar,” Norwood said. “It is a consistently competitive and successful program, one that plays hard and with class. Playing against K-State at other institutions I have been a part of, you always know you are going into a fight against a program that does it the right way. I thank Coach Snyder and the staff for selecting me to be a member of the K-State family. I am excited to contribute to a program with such great leadership. I view coaching as a calling, and I thank God for this great opportunity.”

Hayes, who has been instrumental in the Wildcats’ resurgence on defense since 2011, completed his 29th year of coaching experience at the collegiate level in 2017 and participated in his 20th career bowl game when the Wildcats won the 2017 Cactus Bowl.

K-State finished the 2017 season ranked fourth in the Big 12 in scoring defense (25.2 points per game) and third in rushing defense (117.7 yards per game), the latter ranking 13th in the nation and 10th in school history. The Wildcats also tied for second in the league in turnover margin at plus-10 thanks to 23 takeaways, a mark that ranked fourth in the league.

The Wildcats had one of the better defenses in Big 12 history in 2016 as K-State led the league in scoring defense, total defense and rushing defense to become the first Big 12 program to rank first in all three categories since 2008 (Texas). K-State allowed only 115.0 rushing yards per game to rank ninth in school history and 11th in the nation, its highest national ranking in the category since 2003. Additionally, the Wildcats posted their highest national ranking in scoring defense since the 2002 season.

Seiler enters his 10th season on the K-State staff in 2018 and sixth as an assistant coach. After coaching the defensive ends from 2013-16, Seiler was promoted to assistant defensive coordinator in 2017 when he began tutoring the Wildcat linebackers.

It didn’t take long for Seiler put his mark on the second level of the defense as he produced a pair of All-Big 12 linebackers in Jayd Kirby and Trent Tanking in his first season coaching the position. They each ranked in the top 10 in the Big 12 in tackles with Kirby finishing eighth (99) and Tanking tying for 10th (97).

A former defensive lineman, Seiler made an impact from day one as an assistant coach, and one has to look no further than the work he did with defensive ends Jordan Willis (2016) and Ryan Mueller (2014), both of whom tied the single-season sack records during their respective All-American seasons.

Under the direction of Seiler for his entire four-year career, Willis picked up Second Team All-America honors from Sporting News and Pro Football Focus thanks to his 11.5 sacks and 17.5 tackles for loss in 2016. Willis also became the first Wildcat defensive lineman to earn Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year honors and was the league’s Defensive Lineman of the Year prior to being selected in the third round of the 2017 NFL Draft by the Cincinnati Bengals.

Norwood’s time at Baylor included three seasons as the defensive coordinator (2008-10) in which he oversaw a unit that totaled nine All-Big 12 honorees and two All-Americans. During the Bears’ 2013 Big 12 Championship season, Norwood coached First Team All-American Ahmad Dixon, while both of Baylor’s 2011 starting safeties, Mike Hicks and Sam Holl, earned All-Big 12 honors. Holl finished second on the squad with 113 total tackles and Hicks was third with 105, and each had three interceptions. In 2010, Norwood coached First Team All-Big 12 honoree Byron Landor, who totaled 127 tackles.

Norwood will serve under a second Hall of Fame head coach in Snyder as he was an assistant under Joe Paterno at Penn State from 2001-07. During Norwood’s seven seasons in Happy Valley, the Nittany Lions led the Big Ten in pass efficiency defense twice (2004 and 2005) and finished third on two occasions (2003 and 2006). Penn State ranked among the nation’s top 25 in pass efficiency defense four times, including a No. 4 ranking in 2004.

Norwood’s other coaching stops include tutoring the defensive backs at Navy (1995-99), while his first full-time coaching job was coaching the outside linebackers at Richmond (1992-94) after serving two years as a graduate assistant at Arizona (1990-91).

Norwood was a four-year letterwinner at both cornerback and safety at Hawaii (1984-87) and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in communication in 1988. He and his wife, Tiffiney, have five children: Gabriel, Jordan, Levi, Brianna and Zaccariah. Gabriel was a member of George Mason’s 2006 men’s basketball Final Four team. Jordan played eight seasons in the NFL – including the 2015 campaign with the Super Bowl Champion Denver Broncos – while Levi was a four-year letterwinner at Baylor (2011-14).

— K-State Athletics —

STILLWATER, Okla. (AP) — Kansas State had a spike in offensive performance but ultimately, it was the Wildcats’ defense that determined victory.

Bobby Brown scored 25 points and Xavier Sneed added 13 points and six rebounds to help lead Kansas State to a convincing 82-72 victory over Oklahoma State Wednesday night.

“I just wanted to take what they gave me, that was my approach,” said Brown, who had a career-high 38 points in the last meeting between the two teams, an 86-82 K-State win on Jan. 10. “When I was able to get all the way to the basket, I tried to do that. It just worked out, I just played my game.”

Dean Wade had 12 points, five rebounds and four assists while Kamau Stokes scored 11 for Kansas State (18-8, 7-6 Big 12). The Wildcats were 1/3 in their previous four contests.

K-State coach Bruce Weber was happy his team’s bench was able to outscore Oklahoma State’s by a 24-15 margin, despite being outrebounded 39-28 on the evening.

“Rebounding’s not our strength, but we always make up for it by always taking care of the basketball and making the right plays,” Weber said. “I thought we were in attack mode, we took care of the ball, we made a lot of good plays, the right plays, and we were good defensively. A good road win against a team that’s good.”

Kendall Smith contributed 16 points and a career-high seven rebounds for Oklahoma State (15-11, 5-8). It was Smith’s seventh straight outing with 10-plus points. Jeffrey Carroll added 13 points and nine rebounds.

“Really poor performance, different ways in each half,” said OSU coach Mike Boynton. “We didn’t run a very good offense, I think we settled for some contested jumpers over a hand, those just aren’t good shots for us. Then in the second half, we ran better offense, got better looks, and our defense kind of wilted and gave in at key moments, even when we had chances to just make a run. K-State deserved to win. They executed better at both ends of the court.”

Kansas State led just 18-16 when Smith put home a layup with 6:12 left in the opening half, but the Wildcats jumped out to a 12-0 run over the next four-plus minutes to take control of the contest. They outscored the Cowboys 19-4 over the remainder of the half to take a commanding 37-20 advantage into the second.

Oklahoma State shot just 23.5 percent from the floor in the first half (8 of 34), its lowest output of the season, both in terms of percentage and points scored. The 17-point halftime deficit was the largest of the year.

Although they Cowboys shot better in the second, K-State was able to keep the pressure on and never allowed Oklahoma State to get any closer than 13 until the final minute.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: The Wildcats have had a number of offensively-challenged performances over their past few outings, but they appeared to have a powerful attack in this one. After five straight games of producing fewer than 70 points and topping 38 percent shooting just once, Kansas State shot 55 percent (28 of 51), including 56 percent in the first half (15 of 27). That shooting percentage marked their highest in the last six games (since shooting 57 percent in a 90-83 win over Baylor on Jan. 22).

Oklahoma State: The frustrating every-other-outing pattern continues. The Cowboys keep following strong, full-40-minute performances in which they’ve secured key victories over difficult opponents with sub-par outings that result in losses to slightly lesser foes. They’ve pulled out triumphs against then-No. 4 Oklahoma (83-81 in overtime on Jan. 20), then-No. 7 Kansas (84-79 on Feb. 3) and then-No. 19 West Virginia (88-85 last Saturday), but have followed each with losses to TCU, Baylor and now K-State. After the West Virginia win, it seemed like OSU might finally break the streak, but once again, the Cowboys fell behind by a large margin late in the first half. The inevitable second half comeback attempt also followed, but it was too little, too late as OSU couldn’t get to closer than 14 until the final 3:18.

TIP INS

Kansas State is 0-6 combined against ranked Big 12 opponents, No. 7 Texas Tech, No. 13 Kansas and No. 20 West Virginia, and 7-0 against the rest of the league. . Oklahoma State had just two assists in the first half and seven overall for the game, tied for their lowest total of the season. . The Cowboys entered the day averaging 15.2 turnovers forced per game, but K-State committed just eight for the contest.

HE SAID IT

“Our bench was just huge,” Weber said. “That has definitely not been a strength for us. You got Kam (Stokes) coming off the bench for us and Levi (Stockard III, who had eight points and five rebounds in 23 minutes), that was by far his best game. Since early in the season, I don’t think our bench has outscored the opponent’s bench, so that was one of the keys to the game.”

UP NEXT

Kansas State: The Wildcats return home to take on Iowa State on Saturday, a team they defeated 91-75 back on Dec. 29.

Oklahoma State: The Cowboys go back out on the road for a matchup Saturday against TCU, whom they lost to 79-66 on Jan. 30

— Associated Press —

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Texas Tech coach Chris Beard was just happy to walk out with a victory.

“We were pleased to win another Big 12 game today.” Beard said.

Keenan Evans scored 19 points and No. 7 Texas Tech beat Kansas State 66-47 on Saturday night to take sole possession of the Big 12 lead.

“These games are so hard to win with all the preparation and you have to play well to win especially on the road in this league,” Beard said. “I am happy for our guys. Defensively we dialed in. I think we played our fullest 40 minutes of the year defensively.”

Texas Tech (21-4, 9-3) relied on strong second-half defense. After a 27-27 deadlock in the first half, the Red Raiders turned up the pressure.

“They were denying return passes so we had to adjust from running a couple of days.” Cartier Diarra said. “I still feel like we adjusted pretty well. I feel like we got shots that we wanted, but they just did not fall.”

In the second half, Kansas State (17-8, 6-6) had more turnovers (11) than made baskets (5) and ended up shooting just 29 percent on the night.

Dean Wade led the Wildcats with 13 points on 4-of-12 shooting.

At the end of the night, the Red Raiders are atop the Big 12 and guard Keenan Evans isn’t worried about outside opinions. They are just trying to shock the world.

“We are Texas Tech in Lubbock.” Evans said.

“Nobody really talks about us that much. That was not really a factor for us. We knew what we were working for and game by game we are just trying to shock the world.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: Kansas State’s loss keeps the Wildcats on the NCAA Tournament Bubble for now.

Texas Tech: The Red Raiders have now won six in a row.

POLL IMPLICATIONS

Texas Tech has a good chance of moving into the top five after an upset-filled week.

THEY SAID IT

“When they get that eight-point lead, it’s like playing a team that runs the Wishbone in football. They do a good job protecting their lead, they tough, they’re physical. They’re one of the best defensive teams in the nation.” — Kansas State coach Bruce Weber on Texas Tech’s defense.

STATS AND STREAKS

During the current six-game winning streak, Texas Tech has held opponents to 63.3 points per game.

UP NEXT

Texas Tech: Hosts Oklahoma on Tuesday night.

Kansas State: At Oklahoma State on Wednesday night.

— Associated Press —

AUSTIN, Texas (AP) — Kansas State limped into Texas on the heels of an ego-crushing 38-point road loss that would have sucked the life from many teams.

If anything, the Wildcats looked ready to lay down against a Texas Longhorns team that had played their best on their home court and were brimming with confidence for a second-half run in the Big 12. Instead, Kansas State slugged out a rugged 67-64 comeback road victory that is rare to come by in one of the best leagues in the country.

Dean Wade scored 16 points to lead five Wildcats scoring in double figures, and made one of two free throws in the finals seconds that helped seal the victory.

Wade missed a second free throw that would have given the Wildcats a four-point cushion, but Texas’ final shot, a stumbling, off-balance 3-pointer by Kerwin Roach II, never came close to the basket.

“We came and we fought,” said Kansas State guard Barry Brown, who had 11 points and six assists. “Wins like this build character.”

Kansas State (17-7, 6-5) trailed 54-52 before taking the lead for good on a 3-pointer by Cartier Diarra, who followed it with a steal and a layup for a 57-54 lead the Wildcats never relinquished.

Texas (15-9, 5-6) got within 66-64 on a 3-pointer by Eric Davis with 44 seconds left. The Longhorns had a chance to tie but Matt Coleman turned it over on a desperate drive to the basket with 3 seconds left on the play that sent Wade to the free throw line. Coleman said he was trying to lob the ball to Mo Bamba for a dunk.

“I should have just laid it up,” Coleman said.

Texas had protected its home court well after losing its conference opener, including three wins over ranked opponents, an impressive run that was key to building a solid postseason resume.

Against Kansas State, Texas allowed the Wildcats to shoot 54 percent and made just 8 of 29 3-pointers. Bamba, one of the top freshmen in the country, scored 18 points to go with 12 rebounds, but scored just three points in the second half and took only four shots after halftime.

“They kept switching where they were doubling from,” Bamba said. “I couldn’t get a feel for where it was coming from.”

Texas coach Shaka Smart was fuming over what he called a lack of effort by his team.

“It’s going to be a very honest and aggressive film session (Thursday),” Smart said. “It hurts a lot. I hope it hurts the guys as much as it hurts me. When that happens, you’ve got to be a big boy and find out how to win the next one.”

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: The Wildcats shook off some of their offensive struggles of late. Their 14 field goals in the first half matched their total for the game in a blowout loss at West Virginia over the weekend. Wade was fearless in the middle against Bamba, who is one of the country’s premiere shot blockers. Yet the Wildcats still were held under 70 points for the third fourth consecutive game.

“They are really long, really big, but you can’t not be aggressive,” Wade said.

Texas: Texas lacked the offensive punch it usually gets from Dylan Osetkowski and Roach, two of their most dependable scorers. Both were scoreless in the first half. Osetkowski finished with 8 points and Roach was 2 of 10 shooting.

“Right now, he’s questioning himself on things and it’s causing him to be hesitant,” Smart said.

LATE FOULS

After Davis’ 3-pointer, Texas still had enough time to get a stop and a possible shot at a game winner. But Roach fouled with just 7 seconds left on the shot clock and 18 seconds in the game. Because Texas had only three fouls in the half, the Wildcats had to get the ball inbounds four times without turning it over and Bamba’s long arms covering the passer.

Texas fouled so quickly the Wildcats were only able to trim 2 seconds off the clock. Brown finally got to the line, but missed his free throw, which set up the frantic last few seconds.

“They kept their poise. To get the ball in four times like that is not easy,” Kansas State coach Bruce Weber said.

UP NEXT

Kansas State hosts No. 7 Texas Tech

Texas plays at TCU on Saturday in a rematch of a double-overtime game Texas won when the Horned Frogs missed a layup at the buzzer.

— Associated Press —

MANHATTAN, Kansas (AP) — Over the last week or so, Kansas State fans have taken to social media and used the hashtag of #DeanWolf to support the star forward Dean Wade as he’s led the charge during Kansas State’s three game winning streak.

In the final minutes against Georgia on Saturday the hashtag #DeanWolf came alive and so did the Wildcats.

Wade scored six of his 20 points as Kansas State outscored Georgia 12-2 in the final 6:11, winning 56-51 in Bramlage Coliseum in the annual challenge between teams from the Southeastern Conference and the Big 12.

For this Kansas State team, games like they had against Georgia were ones that they had seen before. A back-and-forth contest that would see the Wildcats eventually fade down the stretch but in this game, the team showed the maturity and experience.

“I think we have matured a lot, at the end of games we do not panic like we used to,” Wade said. “We are playing strong and confident. Getting a little more experience just helps our confidence and maturity a lot.”

It was a ground out affair for the Wildcats (16-5) who were held well below their season average 77.1 points per contest. Wade picked up his 20 points on 7 of 17 shooting including hitting some clutch second-half baskets down the stretch to help extend the Wildcats lead.

Georgia (12-8) was led in scoring by Yante Maten with 14 points on 6-11 shooting.

Bulldogs took the lead early in the second half and used tough defense, tough shot making, and solid rebounding as they trounced the Wildcats in that category with a 38-27 edge, including 12 on the offensive end alone.

With the Wildcats beginning their climb back into the ballgame, the Bulldog offense stalled as they went 1 of 11 from the field and didn’t pick up their first basket until Derek Ogbeide scored on a layup with 34 seconds left in the ballgame.

BIG PICTURE

Kansas State: Kansas State showed that they can win those “grind out” games as they scored well below their 83.3 points per game they averaged in the last three contests.

Georgia: The Bulldogs struggles continue as they now have lost five of their last six with the lone victory coming against LSU.

THEY SAID IT: “He is a player who can shoot the three and drive it. He can score mid-range off a fade away or a pull-up and is a very good passer. Because he has good shooters around him it is usually one-on-one so he is able to finish a lot of plays.” — Georgia coach Mark Fox on Wade.

POLL IMPLICATIONS: Kansas State could be in a position to have their first ranking since January of 2017.

STATS AND STREAKS: The win by Kansas State makes them 3-2 all-time in the Big 12-SEC Challenge.

UP NEXT

Georgia: The Bulldogs host Florida on Tuesday.

Kansas State: The Wildcats host Kansas on Monday.

— Associated Press —

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) — Amy Okonkwo scored 22 points, including the clinching layup with eight seconds left, and No. 24 TCU celebrated its first appearance in the Top 25 in seven years with a 68-63 win over Kansas State on Wednesday night.

Kianna Ray had a chance to put the Horned Frogs (14-5, 5-3 Big 12) up by two possessions with 11 seconds left but only made the first of two free throws. She atoned for the miss with a steal and then Okonkwo secured their fifth straight win by getting inside on the inbounds play.

Okonkwo had eight points in the third quarter as TCU broke away from a 34-34 halftime tie to lead 58-47 entering the fourth quarter. The Horned Frogs led by 13 with just under nine minutes to play but Ray’s 3-pointer with four minutes to go was their only basket in a 14-3 K-State run. TCU went 1 for 5 with five turnovers before the clinching plays by Ray and Okonkwo.

Kayla Goth had 17 points and 11 assists for the Wildcats (11-9, 3-6).

— Associated Press —