The Bruce Weber era at K-State began on a good note as K-State pulled away in the second half to beat North Dakota 85-52 on Friday night at Bramlage Coliseum. The Cats shot just 35 percent from the field in the first half, but Angel Rodriguez scored the first eight points of the final 20 minutes as they drained 53 percent of their attempts. Rodriguez and Thomas Gipson each scored 13 points, as K-State had four players in double figures. Martavious Irving posted 11 points, and Will Spradling added 10. Freshman DJ Johnson led K-State (1-0) with nine rebounds in his Wildcat debut. North Dakota (0-1) was led by 12 points from Troy Huff.
K-State will open the preseason NIT on Monday night at Bramlage Coliseum against Lamar at 7:00pm. The Cardinals are coached by former Texas Tech head man Pat Knight. The pregame from the K-State Sports Network starts at 6:00 on SportsRadio 1350 KMAN and 101.5 K-Rock.
