Bruce Weber wasn’t sure when Kansas State would face its first adversity of the season, nor how his team would handle it.
It came Friday night against South Dakota, when K-State found itself ice cold from the field and trailing by as many as eight points in the first half.
The Wildcats passed the test with flying colors, defeating the Coyotes 93-72, thanks to Justin Edwards’ aggressiveness and solid play from freshmen Barry Brown and Dean Wade.
“We were worried about this game as a staff,” Weber said. “We put a lot of energy into that Columbia game, and we have Kansas City on the other side of this. We talked about being focused and ready for tonight, and I don’t think we were at the start.”
K-State (3-0) looked crisp on both ends of the floor in Monday’s victory, but took a step backwards against the Coyotes early on. The Wildcats missed 11 of their first 12 shots and trailed 42-39 at the break.
South Dakota, led by Shy McClelland’s 14 points, shot 53 percent from the floor in the first 20 minutes, which Weber said was a result of USD playing a vastly different style than his team’s first two opponents.
“Every game is different,” he said. “Every game has a different style and different mentality.”
Wade was the only Wildcat who established a rhythm in the first half. In the second, Edwards’ drives to the basket and Brown’s timely shooting were the difference-makers.
K-State took the lead for good on a pair of Edwards free throws with 15:36 to go. Brown scored 13 points in the second half and finished with a team-high 18.
“Obviously, Barry had a phenomenal game,” Weber said. “He got us going with some energy.”
The Wildcats held USD under 40 percent from the field in the second half, while asserting their will on the offensive end against the much smaller Coyotes.
K-State outscored South Dakota 51-25 over the final 18:56. USD never took momentum back after falling behind.
Aside from Brown’s 18 points, Wade, Edwards and Stephen Hurt each scored 15. It was the Wildcats’ second straight game with at least four players in double figures.
“We had a lot of guys ready to step up,” Weber said. “Slowly but surely, we’re making progress.”
K-State will see its level of competition increase significantly as it heads to the CBE Classic in Kansas City next week. The Wildcats will open the tournament against Missouri at Sprint Center at 6 p.m. Monday.
