Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, November 17
Manhattan, Kan.
8 p.m.
Kansas State University
3-0
71
vs
49
UC Irvine
2-2
1
2
F
UC Irvine
24
25
49
Kansas State
37
34
71
Wildcat Defense Stands Out in 71-49 Win over UC Irvine
Nov 17, 2017 | Men's Basketball
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State used a stellar defensive effort to earn a 71-49 victory over UC Irvine on Friday night, as the Wildcats held the Anteaters to 29.6 percent shooting, including 20 percent from 3-point range.
K-State also capitalized on 17 UCI turnovers to hold a 21-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
Partnered with the strong defensive showing, K-State shot 47 percent from behind the 3-point line, and got off to a hot start from the field, jumping out to 18-4 lead less than seven minutes into the first half. Junior guard Kamau Stokes led all scorers with 14 points, and sophomore guard Xavier Sneed came through with 12 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
K-State took the opening tip and got to work early, spouting off a 11-0 run to open the game, including five points in transition, and two 3-pointers in the opening minutes. Junior Dean Wade knocked down one of his two 3-pointers, and he added a jumper and a steal that led to a free-throw to help the Wildcats gain an early lead behind 10 points in the first two minutes of play.
The Wildcats continued their success in the first half from beyond the arc, connecting on 3-of-4 from three. Stokes got on the board with his first points of the game on a 3-pointer assisted by junior Barry Brown.
Midway through the first-half, UC Irvine gained momentum as K-State would miss 1-of-9 shots, allowing the Anteaters to go on a 7-0 run and decrease the Wildcat lead to just 20-15 with 6:59 remaining. However, the momentum would not last long as K-State bounced back with a run of their own, scoring 8 points in a row, including 4 consecutive points in the paint from freshman Levi Stockard III to expand their lead to 28-15 with four minutes remaining in the half.
Stockard would lead the Wildcat bench in scoring with 6 points at the half on 3-of-3 shooting. Overall, K-State shot 42 percent from the field in the first half on 13-of-31 shooting. Stokes led the Wildcats in scoring with 7 at the half, and Brown led in both assists and rebounds with 4 eacch. Defensively the Wildcats held the Anteaters to just 26 percent shooting in the half (8-of-30), including 0-of-8 from beyond the arc.
After the break, the Anteaters got their first 3-pointers of the game on back-to-back treys to capitalize off three Wildcat turnovers. Leading 43-32, sophomore Brian Patrick got the scoring started again for the Wildcats on a 3-pointer assisted by Sneed. The assist by Sneed was reciprocated, as Sneed would connect on 8 consecutive points for K-State, including two from long-range. K-State would go on to shoot 9-of-19 from beyond the arc in the game, and Stokes would lead all scorers with 14 points in the game.
The defense was key for the Wildcats, as they held the Anteaters to just 49 points on 30 percent shooting (16-of-54) from the field. K-State forced UC Irvine into 17 turnovers, as Brown led the team with 3 steals.
As a team, the Wildcats shot 39 percent from the field on 24-of-61 shots, proving efficient, committing only 8 turnovers in the game. Sneed led the team with 5 rebounds and Brown led the Wildcats with 4 assists.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kamau Stokes led the game in scoring with 14 points off of 4-of-8 shooting, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Stokes added on to his effort by feeding his teammates with 3 assists. Friday night's performance marks the second time this season Stokes has hit double-digits in scoring, as he opened the season with 10 points and 7 assists against American on November 10.
STAT OF THE GAME
The Wildcats opened up the game with an impressive 11-0 run, behind 3-pointers from Wade and Brown to jump out to an early lead. The 3-point shooting proved to be an asset for the Wildcats, as they connected on 9-of-19 (47 percent) from beyond the arc, several of which came in crucial moments.
SEASON RECORD UPDATE
K-State Head Coach Bruce Weber
On the game…
"We did a great job, we knew it was going to be tough to deal with them, especially their size inside. Russell (Turner) does a great job. A year from now if you look at their roster they are all sophomores, that is going to be a heck of a load to deal with. They have good players they have brought into the system. We knew we were going to have a battle so it was good we had an early lead. We did not attack the zone well. I told the kids before the game to expect the unexpected and expect them to play zone. We have to be ready for it. Itnwas good to go against that. It was a good game against a good team. I think they are going to win twenty something games and be up there competing against their league."
On UC Irvine's zone defense…
"We have not played against zone. So now they are very tentative. We were out under the wildcat passing the ball back and forth and they talked about getting the ball down the court. We are going to play some zones. We have to be ready to do it. If we go on the road and somebody plays zone, we cannot be tentative. You have to execute and go at it. I thought our guys did well the start of the second half."
On the team's depth inside…
"Levi (Stockard) did a nice job, and I talked to all those guys before the game. I told them to take ownership of the team and then figure out your role, and do your job. The thing with Levi is he is so smart. We added some plays the other day and he was telling juniors who were running them last year how to run them. He has a good feel of basketball. He is very good against a zone. I thought Mawdo (Sallah) was good, I thought Makol (Mawien) was pretty active but he has just got to be stronger with the ball in the paint. When he gets tired he needs to tell us instead of give up a layup."
Junior Guard Kamau Stokes
On attacking the zone…
"I think this is the first team that has played zone against us. I feel like we just did not get enough movement. Once we figured it out we knew what passes were open and where the open spots were to get shots."
On his performance…
"The first game I had 10 [points] and seven [assists] so I would not say this is the best game and there is plenty of games left. I played well this game and we just have to keep it going for all the other games."
Sophomore Forward Xavier Sneed
On the defense…
"We came out with a lot of energy and a lot of fight. I think we went on a 10-0 run to start it off. We preached that the first five minutes we will come out and punch those guys in the mouth. That is what we did."
On opening with a lot of games in a short amount of time…
"It is a tough stretch. We have a lot of games coming around really quick. It is just getting us ready for later on in the season. Having those games coming back-to-back-to-back will get our bodies acquainted to those."
UC Irvine Head Coach Russell Turner
On the game…
"Our program has had success because we have had character guys. They fight hard, have a lot of pride and are very committed. That showed tonight when we played. We did not play very well but we fought hard. We have got a great chance to continue a good fight. We are a young team but we are also a team that needs to perform. What we hope is to make the NCAA tournament. We face a team like K-State and we are better prepared being in an environment like we were tonight."
On playing against K-State…
"K-State kept up a big lead that never really allowed us to feel comfortable. This is the credit to them and the crowd. The atmosphere and environment here is just really good. I am glad my players got a chance to be able to compete here."
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State concludes its homestand to start the season on Monday, Nov. 20, as the Wildcats play host to Northern Arizona (0-3) at 7 p.m., in the second home game of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. Tickets are available starting at $10, while fans can take advantage of the Wildcat 4 Pack for just $30. The contest will be televised on FOX Sports Kansas City (state of Kansas/Kansas City area), K-StateHD.TV (free) and ESPN3 (outside of state of Kansas).
K-State also capitalized on 17 UCI turnovers to hold a 21-4 advantage in points off turnovers.
Partnered with the strong defensive showing, K-State shot 47 percent from behind the 3-point line, and got off to a hot start from the field, jumping out to 18-4 lead less than seven minutes into the first half. Junior guard Kamau Stokes led all scorers with 14 points, and sophomore guard Xavier Sneed came through with 12 points.
HOW IT HAPPENED
K-State took the opening tip and got to work early, spouting off a 11-0 run to open the game, including five points in transition, and two 3-pointers in the opening minutes. Junior Dean Wade knocked down one of his two 3-pointers, and he added a jumper and a steal that led to a free-throw to help the Wildcats gain an early lead behind 10 points in the first two minutes of play.
The Wildcats continued their success in the first half from beyond the arc, connecting on 3-of-4 from three. Stokes got on the board with his first points of the game on a 3-pointer assisted by junior Barry Brown.
Midway through the first-half, UC Irvine gained momentum as K-State would miss 1-of-9 shots, allowing the Anteaters to go on a 7-0 run and decrease the Wildcat lead to just 20-15 with 6:59 remaining. However, the momentum would not last long as K-State bounced back with a run of their own, scoring 8 points in a row, including 4 consecutive points in the paint from freshman Levi Stockard III to expand their lead to 28-15 with four minutes remaining in the half.
Stockard would lead the Wildcat bench in scoring with 6 points at the half on 3-of-3 shooting. Overall, K-State shot 42 percent from the field in the first half on 13-of-31 shooting. Stokes led the Wildcats in scoring with 7 at the half, and Brown led in both assists and rebounds with 4 eacch. Defensively the Wildcats held the Anteaters to just 26 percent shooting in the half (8-of-30), including 0-of-8 from beyond the arc.
After the break, the Anteaters got their first 3-pointers of the game on back-to-back treys to capitalize off three Wildcat turnovers. Leading 43-32, sophomore Brian Patrick got the scoring started again for the Wildcats on a 3-pointer assisted by Sneed. The assist by Sneed was reciprocated, as Sneed would connect on 8 consecutive points for K-State, including two from long-range. K-State would go on to shoot 9-of-19 from beyond the arc in the game, and Stokes would lead all scorers with 14 points in the game.
The defense was key for the Wildcats, as they held the Anteaters to just 49 points on 30 percent shooting (16-of-54) from the field. K-State forced UC Irvine into 17 turnovers, as Brown led the team with 3 steals.
As a team, the Wildcats shot 39 percent from the field on 24-of-61 shots, proving efficient, committing only 8 turnovers in the game. Sneed led the team with 5 rebounds and Brown led the Wildcats with 4 assists.
PLAYER OF THE GAME
Kamau Stokes led the game in scoring with 14 points off of 4-of-8 shooting, and 5-of-6 from the free throw line. Stokes added on to his effort by feeding his teammates with 3 assists. Friday night's performance marks the second time this season Stokes has hit double-digits in scoring, as he opened the season with 10 points and 7 assists against American on November 10.
STAT OF THE GAME
The Wildcats opened up the game with an impressive 11-0 run, behind 3-pointers from Wade and Brown to jump out to an early lead. The 3-point shooting proved to be an asset for the Wildcats, as they connected on 9-of-19 (47 percent) from beyond the arc, several of which came in crucial moments.
SEASON RECORD UPDATE
- K-State 3-0 (0-0 Big 12)
- UC Irvine 2-2 (0-0 Big West)
K-State Head Coach Bruce Weber
On the game…
"We did a great job, we knew it was going to be tough to deal with them, especially their size inside. Russell (Turner) does a great job. A year from now if you look at their roster they are all sophomores, that is going to be a heck of a load to deal with. They have good players they have brought into the system. We knew we were going to have a battle so it was good we had an early lead. We did not attack the zone well. I told the kids before the game to expect the unexpected and expect them to play zone. We have to be ready for it. Itnwas good to go against that. It was a good game against a good team. I think they are going to win twenty something games and be up there competing against their league."
On UC Irvine's zone defense…
"We have not played against zone. So now they are very tentative. We were out under the wildcat passing the ball back and forth and they talked about getting the ball down the court. We are going to play some zones. We have to be ready to do it. If we go on the road and somebody plays zone, we cannot be tentative. You have to execute and go at it. I thought our guys did well the start of the second half."
On the team's depth inside…
"Levi (Stockard) did a nice job, and I talked to all those guys before the game. I told them to take ownership of the team and then figure out your role, and do your job. The thing with Levi is he is so smart. We added some plays the other day and he was telling juniors who were running them last year how to run them. He has a good feel of basketball. He is very good against a zone. I thought Mawdo (Sallah) was good, I thought Makol (Mawien) was pretty active but he has just got to be stronger with the ball in the paint. When he gets tired he needs to tell us instead of give up a layup."
Junior Guard Kamau Stokes
On attacking the zone…
"I think this is the first team that has played zone against us. I feel like we just did not get enough movement. Once we figured it out we knew what passes were open and where the open spots were to get shots."
On his performance…
"The first game I had 10 [points] and seven [assists] so I would not say this is the best game and there is plenty of games left. I played well this game and we just have to keep it going for all the other games."
Sophomore Forward Xavier Sneed
On the defense…
"We came out with a lot of energy and a lot of fight. I think we went on a 10-0 run to start it off. We preached that the first five minutes we will come out and punch those guys in the mouth. That is what we did."
On opening with a lot of games in a short amount of time…
"It is a tough stretch. We have a lot of games coming around really quick. It is just getting us ready for later on in the season. Having those games coming back-to-back-to-back will get our bodies acquainted to those."
UC Irvine Head Coach Russell Turner
On the game…
"Our program has had success because we have had character guys. They fight hard, have a lot of pride and are very committed. That showed tonight when we played. We did not play very well but we fought hard. We have got a great chance to continue a good fight. We are a young team but we are also a team that needs to perform. What we hope is to make the NCAA tournament. We face a team like K-State and we are better prepared being in an environment like we were tonight."
On playing against K-State…
"K-State kept up a big lead that never really allowed us to feel comfortable. This is the credit to them and the crowd. The atmosphere and environment here is just really good. I am glad my players got a chance to be able to compete here."
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- K-State is now 3-0 to start a season for the 14th time in the last 15 seasons and have won its third game of the season for the third season in a row.
- K-State is now 92-5 (.948) in non-conference play at home dating back to 2006-07, including 85-5 (.944) mark at Bramlage Coliseum… The Wildcats have won 79 of their last 82 non-conference home games, including 19 in a row dating back to 2015.
- K-State has now held 61 opponents to 60 points or less in the Weber era… UC Irvine was held to just 49 points on 29.6 percent shooting (16-of-54), including 20.0 percent (4-of-20) from 3-point range…
- UC Irvine were forced into 17 turnovers with K-State holding a 21-4 edge in points off turnovers.
- Junior Kamau Stokes scored a game-high 14 points on 4-of-8 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws… He has now scored in double figures in 36 career games, while he has led in scoring on 10 occasions.
- Sophomore Xavier Sneed posted double figures for the second time this season with 12 points on 4-of-10 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range… He has scored in double figures in 15 career games... Sneed also added five rebounds and two assists.
- Freshman Cartier Diarra scored in double figures for the second time this season, scoring 10 points in the game on 3-of-6 field goals.
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State concludes its homestand to start the season on Monday, Nov. 20, as the Wildcats play host to Northern Arizona (0-3) at 7 p.m., in the second home game of the Continental Tire Las Vegas Invitational. Tickets are available starting at $10, while fans can take advantage of the Wildcat 4 Pack for just $30. The contest will be televised on FOX Sports Kansas City (state of Kansas/Kansas City area), K-StateHD.TV (free) and ESPN3 (outside of state of Kansas).
Team Stats
UCI
KS
FG%
.296
.393
3FG%
.200
.474
FT%
.765
.778
RB
39
37
TO
17
8
STL
2
8
Game Leaders
Pts
14
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
5
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
10
FGM
3
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballF
/ Men's Basketball
F
/ Men's BasketballG
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