Game Information
Kansas State (3-1, 0-0 Big 12)
vs. 18/21 Dayton (2-1)
Third-Place Game of the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff
Date: Sunday, November 22, 2009
Tipoff: 4:30 p.m. CT [6:30 p.m. Atlantic Time in Puerto Rico]
Location: San Juan, Puerto Rico | Arena: Coliseo de Puerto Rico (18,000)
Television: ESPNU (Jon Sciambi, play-by-play; Hubert Davis, analyst; Doug Tutt/Tom Domercom, producer). Channel Directory: n/a. Internet: www.ESPN360.com
Radio: K-State Sports Network (Ben Boyle, play-by-play; Mike Clark, analyst). Live Stats: www.ESPN.com. Local Stations: Sports Radio 1350 AM (KMAN; Manhattan), 102.9-FM (KQTP; Topeka). Satellite Radio: n/a.
Head Coaches: Kansas State - Frank Martin (Florida International '93) is 46-25 (.648) in his third season. Dayton - Brian Gregory (Oakland '90) is 127-79 (.617) in his seventh season as a head coach and at Dayton.
Last Time Out: K-State lost to Ole Miss, 86-74, in the semifinals on Friday, while Dayton lost to No. 5/6 Villanova, 71-65, earlier in the day.
Series: First meeting. Last time: First meeting. vs. Atlantic 10: K-State is 16-17 vs. the Atlantic 10. Frank Martin is 0-0 all-time vs. Dayton, while Brian Gregory is 0-0 all-time vs. K-State.
Rankings: Dayton is ranked 18th in the AP poll and 21st in the USA Today/ESPN poll. K-State is receiving votes in both polls.
Tickets: $18 (Single-session tickets), $99 (All-Tournament tickets) at Coliseo de Puerto Rico Box Office or via www.Ticketpop.com.
K-State plays No. 18/21 Dayton in third-place game
Kansas State completes play in the O'Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tipoff on Sunday, as the Wildcats play No. 18/21 Dayton (2-2) in the third-place game of the tournament at the Coliseo de Puerto Rico at 4:30 p.m. CT. The game will again be broadcast nationally on ESPNU with Jon Sciambi and Hubert Davis on the call.
The Wildcats suffered their first loss of the season late Friday night, as Ole Miss (4-0) connected on 56 percent of its field goals to earn a trip to the tournament championship game and a meeting with No. 5/6 Villanova (3-0) on Sunday at 7 p.m. CT. The Flyers, who advanced to the NCAA Tournament before losing to Kansas in the second round, lost to Villanova, 71-65, in the first semifinal game on Friday. Besides the championship and third-place games, other consolation games include Indiana (2-2) and George Mason (0-2) at 9:30 a.m. CT and Georgia Tech (2-1) and Boston University (1-3) at noon CT.
This will be the first meeting between Kansas State and Dayton on the hardwood. Both teams have rich basketball traditions with the Wildcats advancing to the NCAA Tournament 23 times, while the Flyers have made 14 trips to the Big Dance, including last season. K-State is 16-17 all-time against teams from the Atlantic 10. The Wildcats are already scheduled to play Xavier from the Atlantic 10 on Dec. 8 to complete a three-game series that began in 2006. The team has lost three straight to squads from the Atlantic 10 with their last win coming against Saint Louis at home on Jan. 2, 2003. The Wildcats are 3-7 under Frank Martin against teams ranked in the Top 25. K-State hasn't beaten a non-conference ranked foe since beating No. 19 Iowa, 86-78, at home on Dec. 23, 2000. It hasn't happened on a neutral court since beating No. 17 Arkansas, 47-46, in Kansas City on Dec. 27, 1980.
K-State missed a number of opportunities in dropping their third straight to Ole Miss in the all-time series. The Wildcats connected on just 43.1 percent of its field goals, including just 23.5 percent from 3-point range, while hitting on a season-low 51.9 percent from the free throw line. The team has struggled mightily from the charity stripe this season, hitting on just 60.9 percent, including just 59.2 percent (42-of-71) during the tournament. There were a number of positives for the Wildcats in the contest with a season-best 19 offensive rebounds and a season-low 11 turnovers.
Four players scored in double figures against the Rebels, including a career-first double-double for junior transfer Curtis Kelly with 18 points and a career-best 10 rebounds. The backcourt duo of senior Denis Clemente and junior Jacob Pullen combined for 34 points in the game, marking the 18th time the two has combined for 30 or more points in their careers. Freshman Wally Judge also tied a season-high with 11 points with five rebounds in 24 minutes. Five Wildcats are still averaging in double figures led by Kelly's 15.3 points per game. Kelly is shooting a team-best 63.2 percent from the field.
Up Next: IUPUI (4-1)
Kansas State returns to action on Saturday, Nov. 28 when the Wildcats take on IUPUI (4-1) at the Sprint Center in Kansas City, Mo. Plenty of tickets are available by calling Ticketmaster or online at www.TicketMaster.com.
