From K-State Athletics
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Junior Cam Carter scored the last 4 points, including the game-winning layup with 24 seconds, as Kansas State used another second-half rally to knock off Oklahoma State, 70-66, on Saturday night before a season-high 10,247 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State (14-4, 4-1 Big 12) trailed Oklahoma State for nearly 24 minutes, including 16 in the second half, before getting clutch plays from a variety of players down the stretch to pull out a victory. The Wildcats are now 5-1 on the season in games decided by 4 points or less.
K-State scored 18 of the last 25 points to erase a 7-point Oklahoma State lead with 7:31 to play. Four players (Carter, junior Arthur Kaluma and seniors Will McNair Jr. and Tylor Perry) contributed points during this pivotal stretch led by Carter and Kaluma who combined for 13 of the 18 points.
Carter scored 7 of his 15 points during this span, which included a banked in 3-pointer that gave the home team a 61-60 lead with 3:31 to play. It was the Wildcats’ first lead since the 7:51 mark of the first half. Kaluma, who led all scorers with 23 points, added 6 points in this sequence, including free throws that gave K-State a 63-61 lead with 2:56 to play and a jumper that made it 65-63 with 2:18 remaining.
With the game knotted at 66-all, Carter converted on a layup off an inbounds pass from Perry with 1 second left on the shot clock for a 68-66 lead with 24 seconds. After a turnover by the Cowboys on the next possession, Perry found Carter in the front court where he dribbled out the clock before being fouled with 8.7 seconds. He knocked down both free throws to push the game out of reach at 70-66.
Kaluma, who eclipsed the 1,000-point barrier in his college career with 11 points in the first half, finished the night with 23 points on 7-of-12 field goals, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, and a 6-of-9 effort from the free throw line. It was his eighth career 20-point game, including his fourth this season.
Along with his 23 points, Kaluma posted a team-high 7 rebound, 4 assists, 3 steals and 2 blocked shots in nearly 38 minutes of action. He and Carter were joined in double figures by McNair Jr., who posted 10 points on 5-of-6 shooting with 5 rebounds, 2 assists and a blocked shot.
The Wildcats are now 7-0 this season when McNair Jr., registers double figures.
Although plagued by turnovers (17 on the night), K-State connected on 52.1 percent (25-of-48) from the field, including 54.5 percent (12-of-22) in the second half. The Wildcats scored 32 of their 70 points in the paint with 20 assists on 25 made field goals. Seven players registered at least 2 assists led by Perry’s game-tying 5 dimes. They also made 8 3-pointers and made 12 of 15 attempts from the free throw line.
K-State is now 12-1 under head coach Jerome Tang and 4-0 this season when shooting 50 percent or better from the field.
The hard-luck Cowboys (8-10, 0-5 Big 12) lost their sixth game by 5 points or less this season. They finished the night shooting 41.5 percent (22-of-53) from the field, including 33.3 percent (9-of-27) from 3-point range, and made 13-of-20 attempts from the free throw line.
Three players scored in double figures led by freshman Eric Dailey Jr. who had 15 points off the bench on 6-of-10 field goals and 3-of-3 free throws. Junior Javan Small and senior John-Michael Wright each scored 11 points. Small added a game-high 8 rebounds, 5 assists and 5 steals in 37 minutes.
K-State won its fourth in a row at home to move to 10-1 at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats continue to be a force at home under Tang, moving to 25-2 overall and 11-1 in Big 12 play during his tenure.
K-State has now won 4 of the last 5 meetings with Oklahoma State, including 3 in a row. The Wildcats now lead the all-time series, 86-58, including 43-18 at home. The two teams will play for a second time in 2 weeks with a matchup at Gallagher-Iba Arena on Feb. 3.
K-State begins another 2-game road trip, as the Wildcats travel to Ames, Iowa on Wednesday night to take on No. 24/20 Iowa State (14-4, 3-2 Big 12) at 8 p.m.
