MANHATTAN, Kan. — In the first official game of the Bruce Weber era, the Kansas State Wildcats throttled North Dakota 85-52 on Friday night at Bramlage Coliseum.
The regular season opener was Bruce Weber’s first official game as the new head coach of Kansas State, and he didn’t disappoint. After a modest 36-27 lead at halftime, the Wildcats (1-0, 1-0 home) went on a 16-5 run and never looked back.
The Cats shot 43.9% from the field, and outrebounded North Dakota 41-32. Sophomore guard Angel Rodriguez finished with 13 points, hitting 3 of 7 three-point attempts. Sophomore forward Thomas Gipson finished with 13 points and five rebounds.
K-State’s defense held North Dakota (0-1, 0-1 away) to just 30.2% from the field.
Next up, Kansas State takes on the Lamar Cardinals in the NIT Season Tip-Off Manhattan Regional on Monday night at Bramlage Coliseum.