Dug McDaniel scored 15 points as Kansas State snapped a six-game losing streak with a 73-60 win against No. 23 West Virginia on Saturday in Manhattan, Kan.
David N’Guessan scored 14 points and Max Jones added 12 points for the Wildcats (8-11, 2-6 Big 12).
Javon Small scored a game-high 22 points, Toby Okani added 13 and Sencire Harris chipped in 12 for the Mountaineers (13-6, 4-4), who have lost two straight games. Harris also had nine rebounds.
The Wildcats took a 12-2 lead into the first media timeout following a McDaniel fadeaway jumper. Kansas State’s run continued out of the pause in play, with the hosts eventually going up 19-2 before Small stopped the bleeding with a pair of free throws at the 12:06 mark of the first half.
West Virginia was later within 31-16 thanks to an Amani Hansberry tip-in, but the Wildcats blew the game open with 11 unanswered points, the last five of which came from Ugonna Onyenso.
A dunk by Eduardo Andre got the Mountaineers’ deficit down to 42-18 at the break.
In the first half, Kansas State shot 53.3 percent from the field and 55.6 percent from 3-point range compared to 24.1 percent and 10 percent clips, respectively, for West Virginia. Small netted nine of the Mountaineers’ 18 points in the half.
Small converted a layup to ignite an 11-2 run for West Virginia at the start of the second half, a rally that had the Mountaineers trailing 44-29 with 16:10 left in the game.
However, the Kansas State lead never ended up falling below 12 points, even after Small knocked down a triple to make it 66-54 with 1:59 to go.
It was still a 12-point game with just over a minute remaining, but McDaniel prevented any chance of a stunning comeback by sinking two free throws with 50 seconds left.
–Field Level Media
