K-State Dunks Missouri, 79-64

MANHATTAN, Kan. (AP) - Cartier Martin scored 20 points and David Hoskins broke out of a three-game scoring slump with 18, leading Kansas State to a 79-64 victory over Missouri on Saturday night.

Hoskins had been held to a total of eight points in the Wildcats' previous three games.

Dramane Diarra had a career-high 13 rebounds for Kansas State (12-4, 3-2 Big 12), which won its third straight - the Wildcats' first three-game conference winning streak since the Big 12 Conference was formed in 1996-97. They had last won three consecutive conference games in January 1996, in the last Big 8 season.

Missouri (10-6, 3-2) lost to Kansas State for the third time in a row, something the Tigers hadn't done since dropping four straight from 1974-75. The Wildcats evened the series, which dates to 1907, at 111 wins each.

The Tigers, who trailed 73-53 with 7 minutes left, went on an 11-2 run and closed within 75-64 on Marshall Brown's basket with 4:16 to go. But they didn't score again, and Kansas State went 4-for-6 from the line in the closing minutes to seal the win.

Missouri's Thomas Gardner, who scored 40 points in Monday's 89-86 overtime victory over Kansas, had 21 points Saturday but was held to six points in the first half.

Gardner missed his first three shots, all from long range, and didn't score until he was fouled on a 3-point try with just under 8 1/2 minutes left in the first half and hit all three of his foul shots. His first field goal, on a drive along the baseline, came with 5:11 to go in the half.

Akeem Wright, who had defended Gardner ferociously in the first half, picked up his third and fourth fouls early in the second. Gardner scored 10 points in the next 6 1/2 minutes, but got virtually no help over that span from his teammates, who accounted for only four points in the first 8:49 after the half.

Jimmy McKinney fouled out with 13 points, Brown had 11 points and Kevin Young had 13 rebounds for Missouri.

Kansas State, which led 40-29 at the break, continued to pull away early in the second half.

Tyler Hughes' free throw with just under 11 1/2 minutes to go gave the Wildcats their first 20-point lead, 62-42.

Each team was called for 24 personal fouls and one technical. Missouri was 24-for-32 from the line, 14-for-19 in the first half alone, to the Wildcats' 16-for-23.

Hoskins and Brown were each given a technical foul with just over 4 minutes gone in the game, after Hoskins fouled Brown under the Missouri basket.

The game went through 11 lead changes, all in the first half.

Missouri last led, 20-19, on McKinney's free throws with just under 8 minutes left in the first half. Mario Taybron answered with a 3-pointer at the other end 20 seconds later, giving Kansas State the lead for good.

Taybron's basket started a 21-6 run, capped by Schyler Thomas' 3-pointer, that put the Wildcats up 40-26 with 1:27 left in the half.

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Team Stats

Cartier Martin

David Hoskins

Lance Harris

Dramane Diarra

Kansas State University Athletics