Under first-year coach Lon Kruger, the focus all season for Oklahoma has been getting better each day.

At home on Saturday, the Sooners took a giant step forward with an 82-73 victory over No. 18 Kansas State.

“It was a huge game for us,” Kruger said. “I’m really proud of the guys. I really thought they battled from start to finish. What made it more special is Kansas State is a legitimate top 20 team.”

Oklahoma (11-5, 1-3 in Big 12) led the entire game but had to fend off several Kansas State runs while being outrebounded 44-24.

Andrew Fitzgerald led Oklahoma with 21 points, while Romero Osby and Steven Pledger both had 18 and Cameron Clark added 10. It was Oklahoma’s first Big 12 Conference win after an 0-3 start.

“We just came out and shot the ball with confidence,” Fitzgerald said. “It all comes down to us working hard at practice.”

Rodney McGruder had 19 points to lead Kansas State (12-4, 1-3) while Nino Williams and Jeremy Jones each added 12 points.

A former All-Big Eight point guard for Kansas State in his playing days, Kruger took more pleasure in watching his team stand up to Kansas State’s comebacks than beating his alma mater.

Oklahoma shot 55 percent from the field overall and 70 percent in the second half. Kansas State made things a little easier, contributing 19 turnovers.

“Making shots is the remedy when you’re not doing other things well,” Kruger said. “A lot of guys stepped forward as you have to do to beat a good team.”

Trailing by nine points at halftime, Kansas State fell behind by as many as 18 in the second half.

The Wildcats cut the deficit to six with 57 seconds remaining but were forced to foul late and the Sooners made four of six free throws over the final 1:21.

Oklahoma opened with a 7-0 run, prompting Kansas State Coach Frank Martin to call a timeout just 1:42 into the game. The Sooners led by as many as 12 points in the first half as Kansas State struggled to find offensive consistency while shooting 33 percent.

Leading by 18 points with 8:27 remaining in the second half it looked like Oklahoma would run away but two 3-pointers from Will Spradling and a basket from Williams as he was falling down cut the deficit to eight.

“We didn’t come out with any energy. We came out flat,” said Spradling, who finished with 11 points. “If you’re playing in anybody else’s gym and come out flat you’re going to get punches. When we got punched we didn’t hit them back.”

The conference’s best rebounding team, Oklahoma was outrebounded for only the third time this season.

— Associated Press —

Two-time All-Big 12 pick and Academic All-American Tysyn Hartman has accepted an invitation to play in the 87th East-West Shrine Game, which will be held January 21 at Tropicana Field in St. Petersburg, Fla.,

The game, which will be televised on the NFL Network, will kick at 3 p.m. CST.

Hartman joins an elite list of football greats, such as John Elway, Tom Brady, Brett Favre, and 62 NFL Hall of Famers, who have played in the East-West Shrine Game along with 52 players currently on active NFL rosters. He is the 44th player in school history to play in the game and the first since Jeron Mastrud and Jeffrey Fitzgerald were selected to participate back in 2009.

“The East-West Shrine Game has always fielded players among college football’s best,” said East-West Shrine Game Executive Director Harold Richardson. “With all 32 NFL teams represented by GMs, coaches and scouts during game week, our players have the terrific opportunity to showcase their talents and get their first glimpse of life in the NFL … ‘Just Like on Sunday.’”

A four-year starter, Hartman finished his Wildcat career with 258 tackles and nine interceptions, which rank ninth in school history. He also had 69 tackles and three picks this season to lead Kansas State to a 10-3 record and a berth in the AT&T Cotton Bowl Classic.

Hartman, a 2011 finalist for the Campbell Trophy, graduated in three and a half years with a degree in finance and earned First Team Academic All-Big 12 honors each of the past four seasons. He has also been named to the Big 12 Commissioner’s Honor Roll every semester of his college career.

While the teams are divided by East and West, the players come together for the beneficiary of the event, Shriners Hospitals for Children, an international pediatric specialty health care system.

“We hope our supporters all over the country will come out and enjoy this exciting game,” said Douglas E. Maxwell, president and CEO of Shriners Hospitals for Children. “Our health care system depends on the generosity of our supporters, and this game is one of our signature events benefitting Shriners Hospitals for Children.”

Those who would like to support Hartman and the East-West Shrine Game can do the following: attend the East-West Shrine Game in St. Petersburg on Jan. 21 at 4 p.m. EST

— KSU Sports Information —

Baylor coach Scott Drew isn’t oblivious to criticism — no matter how spotless the record or high the ranking.

After some had questioned his team’s toughness, Drew was thrilled with the way the fourth-ranked Bears responded against no. 18 Kansas State on Tuesday night.

Perry Jones scored 17 points and Baylor held the Wildcats to one basket over the final 5 minutes for a 75-73 win.

“That’s the biggest thing, that sometimes people question our team’s toughness,” Drew said. “Tonight, I think we showed, mentally, how tough we’ve been.”

Quincy Acy and Brady Heslip added 13 points apiece for the Bears (16-0, 3-0 Big 12). Jones and Acy combined to go 14 of 18 from the floor. Pierre Jackson chipped in with 10 points for Baylor, which surged ahead with a 20-4 run over a 5 1/2-minute stretch midway through the second half.

Rodney McGruder scored 30 points on 10-of-14 shooting to lead Kansas State (12-3, 1-2). Jordan Henriquez added 10 points for the Wildcats.

“Their frontline kicked our tails,” Wildcats coach Frank Martin said. “When your frontline has more turnovers than defensive rebounds, it’s hard to believe.”

Kansas State got off to a good start in trying to hand an undefeated team its first loss for the second time in four days.

The Wildcats, who beat No. 9 Missouri 75-59 on Saturday, went on an early 13-2 run to turn a 5-2 deficit into a 15-7 lead. Through the game’s first 9 minutes, Baylor had eight turnovers and the Wildcats none.

But Jones hit two baskets at the rim to kick off a 9-0 Bears run that cut the deficit to 21-20. Quincy Miller and Jackson each had a dunk as part of another 9-0 run to put Baylor up 29-25 with 2:02 remaining in the half.

Jones said he took that stretch as a good sign.

“It showed we’re able to stay together as a team when times are tough,” he said. “Guys don’t get mad at each other and guys still play basketball the way we play, so just staying poised.”

K-State finished the half by scoring eight of the final 10 points, including a runner by McGruder as the clock expired for a 33-31 halftime lead.

The Wildcats came out hot at the start of the second half and needed just over 3 minutes to push their lead to 44-37.

Baylor answered with a 20-4 run over the next 5 1/2 minutes. At one point, the Bears scored eight points in 84 seconds, forcing two K-State timeouts. A.J. Walton keyed the run with six straight points, and Jackson sank a 3-pointer for a 58-50 Baylor lead with 10:36 remaining.

“The guys wearing our uniforms threw it to the guys wearing their uniforms so they could run down for dunks,” said Martin.

But McGruder kept K-State in it with nine points during an 11-4 run, including a driving layup that pulled the Wildcats to 62-60 with 7:36 remaining.

“We knew coming in how good he was,” Acy said, “but he was spectacular tonight.”

Henriquez hit two free throws to give K-State a 71-69 lead with 4:13 to play, but Acy scored five straight points to put Baylor up 74-71 with 2:22 remaining.

“I knew I had to come in and give us a spark then,” Acy said.

McGruder converted a baseline drive 17 seconds later, cutting Baylor’s lead to 74-73.

Heslip missed from 3-point range with 25 seconds remaining, but Jones got the offensive rebound and was fouled. He made one free throw with 20.9 seconds to go.

K-State appeared ready to tie it when Angel Rodriguez was open in the lane in the final 5 seconds, but he had the ball stripped with 3 seconds on the clock. The Wildcats’ ensuing inbound pass was tipped away as time expired.

“To not close this game out because of a comedy of errors,” Martin said, “it’s embarrassing.”

Baylor had just 10 turnovers in the final 31 minutes and shot 53.7 percent for the game.

“Our depth is our biggest strength,” Drew said. “Our leadership and depth allow you to overcome a night when you do have foul trouble.”

— Associated Press —

Former Kansas State head football coach Vince Gibson, who led the Wildcat football program from 1967-1974, passed away late Monday night after a long battle with ALS.

“Coach Gibson was instrumental in the development of the K-State football program, and we appreciate all that he and his wife Cecile have done for Kansas State University,” said Athletics Director John Currie. “Our thoughts and prayers continue to be with Cecile and the entire Gibson family as we mourn his loss.”

Gibson was 33-52 during his tenure as head coach of the Wildcat program and also was influential in the construction of KSU Stadium in 1968. He led K-State to its first-ever national ranking in 1969 (No. 18) while also recording the school’s first win over a ranked opponent when the Cats defeated No. 11 Oklahoma, 59-21, that same season.

K-State won six games in 1970 under Gibson for the school’s first winning season since 1954. Among the wins were a 21-20 upset of No. 8 Colorado and a 17-13 decision over No. 17 Missouri. In 1971, the Cats won five games in a year when the Big 8 finished 1-2-3 in the national polls.

Gibson’s emphasis on fans wearing the color purple led to the phrase “Purple Pride” while his “we gonna win” motto permeated the Wildcat program throughout his tenure.

Funeral arrangements will be announced as soon as final details become available.

— KSU Sports Information —

Rodney McGruder scored a career-best 28 points and Kansas State used a big first-half run to beat Long Beach State 77-60 on Sunday and win the Diamond Head Classic.

McGruder finished 10 of 11 from the field, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range. He also went 6 of 7 from the line.

Will Spradling added 17 points for the Wildcats (10-1).

Larry Anderson and Casper Ware each scored 17 points for the 49ers (7-6).

The Wildcats went on a 29-13 run for a 38-22 lead with 2:27 left in the first half. McGruder had eight points, including two 3-pointers, during the surge.

In the first half, the Wildcats shot 17 of 33, forced 10 turnovers and outscored the 49ers 22-10 in the paint.

Spradling’s 3-pointer gave Kansas State its biggest lead at 49-31 with 15:43 remaining. Long Beach State got as close as 62-52 with 6:41 to play.

— Associated Press —

Angel Rodriguez scored 11 of his 16 points in the second half and Kansas State used a late rally to beat UTEP 78-70 in the semifinals of the Diamond Head Classic Friday.

Jamar Samuels had 10 points and 12 rebounds for the Wildcats (9-1), who took their biggest lead at 47-32 on Thomas Gipson’s field goal a minute into the second half.

UTEP (5-6) responded with a 27-10 run to go in front 59-57 midway through the second half. John Bohannon scored all 10 of his points during the spurt. But the Wildcats went on an 11-0 run to pull away from a 60-60 tie.

Kansas State, which will play the winner of Friday night’s Auburn-Long Beach State game for the championship on Sunday, held a 39-21 rebounding advantage, including 18-6 on the offensive end.

Jacques Streeter scored 15 points to lead five UTEP players in double figures.

— Associated Press —