Wildcats Pull Past Bethune-Cookman, 74-61

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Cartier Martin scored a career-high 27 points, and Kansas State used a second-half surge to beat Bethune-Cookman 74-61 on Saturday night.

David Hoskins scored 15 of his 17 points after halftime for the Wildcats (7-1), who took an early 9-point lead but trailed by one at the break. Mario Taybron added 12 points for Kansas State, tying a career high.

Antonio Webb hit seven 3-pointers and scored a season-high 29 points for Bethune-Cookman (3-6), making its only appearance of the season outside the Eastern time zone.

Kansas State, coming off a nine-day break for finals, improved to 12-0 against teams from the Mid-Eastern Athletic Conference. The Wildcats had to work at it, though.

Bethune-Cookman, also nicknamed the Wildcats, tied the game at 44 on Kory Crumbley's basket with 13:46 to go - but from then on, the game belonged to Kansas State.

Clent Stewart's 3-pointer started a run capped by Martin's free throws with just over 9 minutes left that gave Kansas State a 58-47 lead.

Bethune-Cookman scored the next six points, getting within 58-53 on Anis Taylor's basket with just under 7 minutes to go, but Martin's 3-pointer with 6:33 left ignited a 10-0 run that put Kansas State up 68-53 with 4 1/2 minutes remaining.

Michael Williams had 12 points for Bethune-Cookman before fouling out with 3:19 left. The visiting Wildcats were called for 24 fouls, giving Kansas State - outscored 50-47 from the field - a big advantage at the line.

Kansas State hit 27 of 32 free throws to Bethune-Cookman's 11-for-18 night. Martin was 12-for-14 from the line and Hoskins was 9-for-11.

Using its motion offense to create easy looks near the basket, Kansas State hit its first four field goal attempts and led 10-1 with just under 17 minutes left in the first half. A 0-for-5 slump from the floor followed, though, and Kansas State went without a field goal for 6 minutes, 15 seconds before Martin hit a 3-footer with 10:40 left.

Webb hit three 3-pointers in the final 8 minutes of the half, the last tying the game at 31 with 2:03 left before the break.

Taybron hit the front end of a 1-and-1 for Kansas State with 25 seconds left, but Ron Mitchell rammed home Cleveland Williams' miss with 3 seconds to go to give Bethune-Cookman a 33-32 halftime lead.

Kansas State's first four points came after a technical on Bethune-Cookman coach Cliff Reed, just 16 seconds into the game. Martin hit both free throws, and Hoskins scored on the inbound play for a 4-0 lead.

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Team Stats

Cartier Martin

David Hoskins

Mario Taybron

Lance Harris

Kansas State University Athletics