Kansas State’s P.J. Haggerty Scores 24 Points in 26 Minutes as Wildcats Win Big

Before Kansas State gets into the rigors and roadblocks of the mighty Big 12, the Wildcats had some pre-holiday shopping Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.

South Dakota came to town and were dispatched, 106-76, by the Wildcats, who improved to 8-4. The victory was K-State’s third in a row, after a four-game losing streak.

Kansas State’s P.J. Haggerty, the nation’s second-leading scorer, scored a game-high 24 points in only 26 minutes of play. He made 10-of-12 shots from the field. The Wildcats had five players in double figures. Nate Johnson had 15 points in 22 minutes.

“It’s just adjusting how they play me.” Haggerty said at a news conference after the victory over South Dakota.

“A lot of teams play a lot of different coverages, so you just got to be able to adjust every night. It’s just finding your niche.

“But my teammates always look for me. My coaches always put me in great spots to be effective on the court.”

Haggerty scored 16 points in the first half and made all eight of his shots. The junior is in his first year at K-State after previously playing for TCU and Memphis.

Haggerty, a 6-foot-4 guard, opened the season with six consecutive 20-point games and shows no sign of slowing down. He has scored in double figures in all 12 of the Wildcats’ games.

No problem with South Dakota

South Dakota, which is now 7-7, was outmatched by Kansas State.

K-State shot 67.6 percent from the field in the first half in jumping out to a 57-34 halftime lead. K-State made 22-of-34 field goals and 7-of-14 three-pointers.

The Wildcats cooled off, some, in the second half. They shot 18-of-32 from the field, and 5-of-10 from distance. For the game, K-State shot 62.1 percent from the field and 50 percent from distance.

K-State dominated its Summit League opponent on the boards, by a 44-28 margin. The Wildcats also had nine blocked shots. They scored 56 points in the paint and 27 fast-break points.

Next for the Wildcats

Their Wildcats’ next game is Sunday, Dec. 28 against University of Louisiana at Monroe. K-State’s season gets serious Jan. 3 when it plays host to BYU in its Big 12 opener.

“Very excited [to play his first season in the Big 12]," Haggerty said. “They say the Big 12 is one of the best basketball conferences in the country. So, to be able to go out there, my coaches, my brothers on the court and just achieve some goals we got.”

Haggerty said he has grown in his time in Manhattan. “My teammates and my coaches, they hold me accountable,” Haggerty said. “They just try to get the best out of me every day, whether it’s practice, [watching] film, or it’s games.

“They just try to get the most out of me and I always respect people who try to push me to be my best every day.”

About his season, Haggerty said: “I’m really just having fun with my teammates and my coaches.

“They put me in great spots to just be myself, whether it’s scoring, passing. It’s just been a lot of fun just winning, just playing basketball.”

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