Wildcats beat TCU

Men’s Basketball

Kansas State beat #24 TCU 73-68 yesterday at Bramlage. It was the team’s second straight win over a Top 25 team, and continued a streak of strong play for the Wildcats. Our own Luke Sobba has more: Kansas State starts fast, holds off TCU.

Kansas State shot 52.9 percent from the field, including 42.1 percent from beyond the arc. In a balanced effort, the Wildcats managed to spread the scoring around this time. Dean Wade led the team with 20 points, with Barry Brown and Xavier Sneed adding 15 and 10 points respectively.

The surprise of the game was Makol Mawien, however. Mawien, who has been averaging 5.5 points this season, scored 18 points against the Horned Frogs. He also played well on defense and totaled 36 minutes on the floor, prompting this comment from Wade: “I don’t think there is anything he can’t do.’

This was a much-needed win, but also increased expectations for the rest of the season. The Wildcats are riding high right now and are not setting any limitations on their season, at least if Brown’s words are anything to go by:

We’re already dangerous, and I feel like if [Wade] keeps playing the way he’s playing and even some of our other guys keep playing the way they’re playing, we’re going to win the league. Honestly. We have all the tools, all the pieces; it’s just a matter of putting those games together.

If only they’d won that game in Lawrence!

The big news, of course, is that Kansas State wore those lavender throwback uniforms to victory. The uniforms were apparently met with “mixed reviews,” but Kansas State fans and people who know anything at all about basketball loved the look unequivocally. I mean, even these guys!

Also, Bruce Weber suggested that the uniforms might put in another appearance soon.

Women’s Basketball

The women’s team, also taking on a ranked opponent, was not as successful. Kansas State lost to #4 Baylor 75-50 in Waco, and dropped to 3-5 in the Big 12 and 11-8 overall.

The Wildcats initially held Baylor to just 20 percent shooting for the first six minutes and briefly had a 9-6 lead on the scoreboard. But it was a false dawn, and the Bears came charging back with 10-0 run and took the lead for good.

Baylor’s Kalani Brown scored 33 points while teammate Lauren Cox had 16, with 19 rebounds and five assists. The Bears dominated the boards 69-24, and never really looked in trouble.

For the Wildcats, Kayla Goth had 22 points, along with five assists, three rebounds, and three steals, but was Kansas State’s only real highlight in the game.

Kansas State will look to bounce back in its final home game of the season when the Wildcats take on TCU on Wednesday at 7PM.

Track & Field

The Larry Wieczorek Invitational in Iowa City concluded yesterday, with Kansas State recording three more event wins, a couple of podium finishes, and a lot of personal best marks.

The Wildcats were particularly sound in the distance running department, with Cara Melgares winning the mile event for the women, and Noah Stevenson matching the feat on the men’s side. Both Melgares and Stevenson set new personal best marks in the process. Erin Lee took first in the women’s 800m race.

In the field, Brett Neely took second in the men’s shot put event, while Shardia Lawrence, the current school record holder, placed second in the triple jump.

Overall, the women finished in fifth place (58.33 points), while the men’s team finished seventh (38 points). The competition field included eight teams currently in the Top 10, as well as several Olympic athletes and hopefuls.