LAWRENCE, Kan. – Jalen Wilson remembers every little thing. Any criticism. Every chip that landed on his shoulder.
You can bet the Kansas forward will remember watching Kansas State fans storm the field after defeating the Jayhawks.
With vengeance on their mind, Wilson and his buddies jumped on the seventh-placed Wildcats in Tuesday night’s rematch. He finished with 20 points, Kevin McCullar Jr. had 16 points and 13 rebounds, and the No. 8 Jayhawks clinched a 90-78 win that also cemented the Big 12 standings at halftime in conference play.
“It was like a lot of friction in our face as they stormed the pitch,” Wilson admitted. “I always remember things like that.”
Dajuan Harris Jr. added 18 points for the Jayhawks (18-4, 6-3), who built a 12-point lead at halftime before clinching their 17th straight home win over K-State. They also won their second consecutive win from three games and made sure they didn’t suffer from consecutive losses for the first time since the 1988–89 season at Allen Fieldhouse.
“Hey, your boys are hard to guard. They have a good team,” said Kansas coach Bill Self. “I actually thought that for the most part we did a good job and our bank was great. That was the best our bank has ever played.”
Markquis Nowell had 23 points and Keyontae Johnson had 22 points and 12 boards to lead the Wildcats (18-4, 6-3) as they attempted to beat their greatest regular-season rival for the first time in four decades.
Nae’Qwan Tomlin added 11 points for Kansas State. David N’Guessan had 10.
“You play fast. They know they play better at home,” Nowell said. “They started trading early. They got out in transition. They included the crowd. They had a great first half and I feel like we dug our own hole.”
At their first meeting on Jan. 17, the Wildcats raced to a big early lead and controlled the game late in the second half when the Jayhawks forced overtime — only for Kansas State to win at Johnson’s alley-oop dunk.
It was the Jayhawks who controlled the rematch.
They capitalized on a 16-7 run early in the game that was built by accelerating the Wildcats and controlling the pace. At one point, Kansas State Coach Jerome Tang caught a technical foul, and the Jayhawks quickly extended their lead to 32-19.
“I didn’t want to be a technician. I didn’t mind getting a technician though,” Tang said. “I’ve been here too many times where I feel like the crowd affects the referees. And they’re human, and that’s no blow to them. I just wanted them to know that I don’t feel like the calls are balanced on either side.”
The Wildcats responded with a run of their own, closing within 37-32. But then Wilson hit back-to-back 3-pointers and Zach Clemence, forced onto the court due to difficulties among the starters, added one of his own.
Kansas eventually led 49-37 at the break. And while the Wildcats briefly closed in on six in the second half, the result never seemed in jeopardy. The Jayhawks extended their lead to 16 before heading to the finish.
“I thought we had some self-inflicted wounds,” Tang said. “Part of that was the environment, part of that was the scheme and how we were trying to attack them. We’ll go back and take a look.”
OFFICERS OOPS
Johnson had to sit down with two fouls after only 2 1/2 minutes. only problem? The crew of John Higgins, Kip Kissinger and Marques Pettigrew gave one to the wrong player. When they corrected their mistake, the Wildcats’ top scorer sat unnecessarily on the bench for several minutes.
SALE…AND MORE
For the first time in more than 15 years, more Kansas students redeemed tickets than there was space at the Allen Fieldhouse. The defectors had to watch the game on screens at the adjacent Horejsi Family Athletics Center, where the Jayhawks play volleyball games. These students also received refunds and discount vouchers.
BIG PICTURE
Kansas State’s three losses in league games came against ranked teams down the road: TCU, Iowa State, and Kansas. And with a more forgiving second half of the Big 12 schedule, the Wildcats remain firmly in the hunt for conference titles.
Kansas got its mojo back with its win in Kentucky last weekend. That victory over another group of Wildcats was crucial as the road ahead doesn’t get any easier for the Jayhawks, who are currently in three straight games against ranked teams.
NEXT
Kansas State returns home for another top-10 showdown against No. 10 Texas on Saturday.
Kansas takes on No. 13 Iowa State for the third time in four games on Saturday.
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