Kansas State Men’s Basketball Loses Big Lead But Holds Off Louisiana Monroe

Kansas State’s final non-conference game before the Big 12 battles begin was supposed to be a relatively easy affair against a 3-10 Louisiana Monroe team.

It was easy.

Until it wasn’t.

Kansas State won the game, 94-85, Sunday afternoon at Bramlage Coliseum. The Wildcats, now 9-4, led by 20 in the second half. But before the game could be put in cruise control, the Warhawks cut the Kansas State margin to 4 with just more than three minutes to play.

But two clutch plays by Kansas State safely put the game away.

Coming up big

Nate Johnson hit a three-pointer to give the Wildcats some cushion and a Louisiana Monroe turnover led to a David Castillo basket.

Perhaps the Wildcats’ inconsistent play resulted from an eight-day holidays layoff. Kansas State’s last game was Dec. 20, a 106-76 rout of South Dakota in Manhattan.

“We had two incredible days of practice,” Kansas State coach Jerome Tang said in a postgame news conference. “I thought it would take a little bit to get the junk out of us, which it did.

“And then we got rolling and then we went into a lapse so we got some things we got to clean up but for the most part, very pleased we won.”

Johnson was asked what the team was going to focus on as the Big 12 season begins for Kansas State on Saturday, Jan. 3 against No. 10-ranked BYU.

“Really the same thing we have been trying to focus on here lately — just making sure we get stops because at the end of the day, games in the Big 12, the margin of victory is very, very small,” Johnson said at a postgame news conference.

“So as long as we play defense we should be all right.”

Defense wasn’t Kansas State’s calling card against Louisiana Monroe and Johnson knew it. “We had a couple miscommunications which we’ll fix in practice,” Johnson said. “Give credit to them. They hit some tough shots.”

Huge second half for Haggerty

As usual, shooting guard P.J. Haggerty led the way for the Wildcats against Louisiana Monroe.

Haggerty, who averages 24 points per game, scored only one point in the first half but took over in the second half. He finished 24 points, eight rebounds and three assists.

“I would say the second-half shots just went in,” Haggerty said. “In the first half, I missed a couple of bunnies. I mean, it’s part of the game. You just got to keep playing and I just never stop believing in myself.

“My teammates don’t stop believing [in] myself. Even when I miss, they say, ‘Keep shooting.’ That just builds confidence from within. Just got to keep playing. Just keep playing hard.”

Tang said he wouldn’t have told Haggerty anything different if he were 10-for-11 in the first half. “I thought he pressed a little bit [in the first half],” Tang said. “I thought he missed some shots that he normally would have made and just the rust of coming back and playing.

“But he did what All-Americans do. He stepped it up in the second half.”

Kansas State, which led 46-36 at the half, had eight players who scored at least seven points. The Wildcats made 33-of-70 shots from the floor (47.1 percent), and 10-of-35 from distance (28.6).

Louisiana Monroe hung in behind excellent shooting. The Warhawks made 27-of-55 from the floor (49.1 percent) and they made 7-of-18 from distance (38.9). ULM made it a game with 34 foul shots. They made 24 of the freebies (70.6 percent).

“We feel like we didn’t play well, but we scored 94 points,” Tang said.