MORGANTOWN, W.Va. — In a tremendous display of toughness down the stretch, the 18th-ranked Kansas State Wildcats held off the West Virginia Mountaineers 65-64 at WVU Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.
Kansas State (13-2, 2-0 Big 12) maintained the lead throughout most of the first half, and led 36-33 at the break. West Virginia (8-7, 1-2 Big 12) opened up the second half with an 8-0 run, and took a 41-36 lead on a layup by sophomore guard Jabarie Hinds.
The Wildcats responded with a 12-0 run, and took a 48-41 lead on a three-pointer by senior guard Rodney McGruder with 14:29 to play. The Mountaineers answered with a 9-2 run, and a 3-pointer by Hinds tied the game at 50-50 at the 10:59 mark.
It was a tight game from that point on, with six more lead changes down the stretch. The Wildcats have had a knack for pulling out close games this season, and this contest was no exception.
With :26 seconds to play, freshman guard Eron Harris hit a fadeaway jumper to put the Mountaineers up 64-63. Junior guard Shane Southwell sank a pair of free throws to put the Cats back on top with :21 seconds to play, and came up with a huge block as time expired.
Southwell and sophomore guard Angel Rodriguez combined to score the Wildcats’ last 11 points. McGruder and Southwell led the Cats in scoring with 17 points each. Both teams shot 51% from the field, and K-State outrebounded West Virginia 26-25. Hinds led the Mountaineers with 15 points.
K-State continues their road trip on Wednesday night, as they take on the TCU Horned Frogs at Daniel-Meyer Coliseum.
