Road Dawgs Never Stopped Fighting
Feb 14, 2022 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
Shortly after Markquis Nowell sank a clutch 3-pointer from the corner with just 64 seconds remaining in overtime and Kansas State stunned Iowa State 75-69 in front of 13,477 fans at Hilton Coliseum, the junior guard, in describing his postgame emotions, finally said, "I feel like I could play another five minutes."
Fuel hasn't necessarily been an issue for K-State, 13-11 overall and 5-7 in the Big 12 Conference, but tight games had proven troublesome at times for a team that entered the day leading the league in total games decided by a single possession (the Wildcats were 2-4 in games in such games), yet they remained fearless and faithful that fate might change in February.
That the Wildcats even forced the game against the Cyclones, 16-9 and 3-9, to an extra period was nothing short of valiant (K-State trailed by 15 points with 18 minutes, 59 seconds left in the second half), and Nowell, the Little Rock transfer, could've actually ended things in regulation had Caleb Grill not blocked his long 3-point attempt just before the buzzer.
No matter. Nowell, who scored five of his 16 points in overtime, redeemed himself handsomely when senior guard Mark Smith hit him with a long pass to the corner ("I zipped him a bullet," Smith said), and the 5-foot-8, 160-pounder calmly drained a corner shot from behind the arc to key the Wildcats' efforts in outscoring Iowa State 12-6 in the extra 5-minute period.
"We never stopped fighting and never stopped punching no matter the score," Nowell said. "The Big 12 is about fighting for 40 minutes — not 39 minutes and 50 seconds. Luckily, we did that. We had to bring the juice. They hit us first. That's been the story for K-State that we've let teams get up big and then we fight back. When we're down that big, we never think the game is over."
The 15-point comeback for a win tied for the ninth-largest comeback victory in school history and the largest in a road contest since rallying from 17 down at California on December 29, 1995. It also marked the second-largest comeback in a road conference game and the most since a 16-point comeback victory at Oklahoma on February 23, 1993.
Sophomore guard Nijel Pack had 19 points to lead three other players in double figures (Nowell scored 16, Smith 15 and Ismael Massoud 11), as the Wildcats improved to 5-1 this season when at least four players reach double digits in scoring.
The Wildcats have now won four straight games over Iowa State, but more importantly, recorded a Quad 1 victory as they fight for a berth in the NCAA Tournament. A Quad 1 victory is considered a quality win, and the Wildcats now have five Quad 1 wins this season.
"If we're going to make any progress and get ourselves considered for the tournament, we're going to have to keep moving forward and winning games," K-State head coach Bruce Weber said. "This was huge to get another road (win)."
K-State, now tied for sixth in the Big 12 standings, entered Saturday's game with a NET ranking of 68. The NET is used to determine seeds for the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats, seemingly on the tournament bubble, are eager to conquer more ground heading toward March.
"We've got to keep growing and taking it one game at a time," Smith said. "This is a great victory for us. Obviously, (Iowa State) is a good team with some good wins, so it's helping our resume. We just have to keep chipping away."
K-State did exactly that against the Cyclones, who played anything but like the last-place team in the league, and the Wildcats captured a victory in always-tough Hilton Coliseum by cloaking themselves in their "road dawg" mentality, which they previously possessed, in particular, in narrow road wins at Wichita State (65-59) and at Texas (66-65).
"It's our passion," Smith said. "We really fought back. We all came together. In overtime, it was kind of the same thing that happened at Texas. We were saying, 'We're leaving here with this win.' Everybody was locked in and that's what we did."
K-State is tied for the second-most road wins by a Big 12 team this season. Baylor is 6-2, Kansas is 5-2 and K-State is 5-4. However, K-State is also tied for the fewest home wins in the league this season. K-State and Oklahoma State are both 8-5.
K-State now has a chance to improve upon its home mark when it hosts West Virginia, 14-10 and 3-8, in Monday's 6 p.m. clash at Bramlage Coliseum. It will be the third game in six days for the Wildcats, who during the first meeting against the Mountaineers on January 8 suffered a 71-68 loss — one of three excruciating one-possession losses by the Wildcats over a 12-day stretch.
West Virginia has lost eight of its last nine games, including an 81-58 defeat at Oklahoma State on Saturday.
"We're still at three (conference) wins and we're running out of chances," West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins said.
Meanwhile, K-State has a chance to continue its climb. After facing the Mountaineers, the Wildcats travel to Oklahoma State and No. 8 Kansas before the Cyclones visit Manhattan on February 26.
"It's not going to be easy," Weber said. "Every game is tough. Oklahoma State just took it to West Virginia after struggling the other night. You just have to keep getting ready. The team that has that determination, that excitement — it's important."
The Wildcats believe that they sent an important message in Ames.
"Definitely it was a big win, a Quad 1 win, and our coaching staff had been harping on us to get this win because Iowa State is a great team, a tough, competitive team, and they had a lot of good wins earlier in the season," Nowell said. "We came out with grit and with as much passion as we could."
It certainly proved to be enough.
Shortly after Markquis Nowell sank a clutch 3-pointer from the corner with just 64 seconds remaining in overtime and Kansas State stunned Iowa State 75-69 in front of 13,477 fans at Hilton Coliseum, the junior guard, in describing his postgame emotions, finally said, "I feel like I could play another five minutes."
Fuel hasn't necessarily been an issue for K-State, 13-11 overall and 5-7 in the Big 12 Conference, but tight games had proven troublesome at times for a team that entered the day leading the league in total games decided by a single possession (the Wildcats were 2-4 in games in such games), yet they remained fearless and faithful that fate might change in February.
That the Wildcats even forced the game against the Cyclones, 16-9 and 3-9, to an extra period was nothing short of valiant (K-State trailed by 15 points with 18 minutes, 59 seconds left in the second half), and Nowell, the Little Rock transfer, could've actually ended things in regulation had Caleb Grill not blocked his long 3-point attempt just before the buzzer.
No matter. Nowell, who scored five of his 16 points in overtime, redeemed himself handsomely when senior guard Mark Smith hit him with a long pass to the corner ("I zipped him a bullet," Smith said), and the 5-foot-8, 160-pounder calmly drained a corner shot from behind the arc to key the Wildcats' efforts in outscoring Iowa State 12-6 in the extra 5-minute period.
"We never stopped fighting and never stopped punching no matter the score," Nowell said. "The Big 12 is about fighting for 40 minutes — not 39 minutes and 50 seconds. Luckily, we did that. We had to bring the juice. They hit us first. That's been the story for K-State that we've let teams get up big and then we fight back. When we're down that big, we never think the game is over."
The 15-point comeback for a win tied for the ninth-largest comeback victory in school history and the largest in a road contest since rallying from 17 down at California on December 29, 1995. It also marked the second-largest comeback in a road conference game and the most since a 16-point comeback victory at Oklahoma on February 23, 1993.
Sophomore guard Nijel Pack had 19 points to lead three other players in double figures (Nowell scored 16, Smith 15 and Ismael Massoud 11), as the Wildcats improved to 5-1 this season when at least four players reach double digits in scoring.
The Wildcats have now won four straight games over Iowa State, but more importantly, recorded a Quad 1 victory as they fight for a berth in the NCAA Tournament. A Quad 1 victory is considered a quality win, and the Wildcats now have five Quad 1 wins this season.
"If we're going to make any progress and get ourselves considered for the tournament, we're going to have to keep moving forward and winning games," K-State head coach Bruce Weber said. "This was huge to get another road (win)."
K-State, now tied for sixth in the Big 12 standings, entered Saturday's game with a NET ranking of 68. The NET is used to determine seeds for the NCAA Tournament. The Wildcats, seemingly on the tournament bubble, are eager to conquer more ground heading toward March.
"We've got to keep growing and taking it one game at a time," Smith said. "This is a great victory for us. Obviously, (Iowa State) is a good team with some good wins, so it's helping our resume. We just have to keep chipping away."
K-State did exactly that against the Cyclones, who played anything but like the last-place team in the league, and the Wildcats captured a victory in always-tough Hilton Coliseum by cloaking themselves in their "road dawg" mentality, which they previously possessed, in particular, in narrow road wins at Wichita State (65-59) and at Texas (66-65).
ROAD DAWGS#KStateMBB x EMAW pic.twitter.com/8M3Ic26k2D
— K-State Men's Basketball (@KStateMBB) February 12, 2022
"It's our passion," Smith said. "We really fought back. We all came together. In overtime, it was kind of the same thing that happened at Texas. We were saying, 'We're leaving here with this win.' Everybody was locked in and that's what we did."
K-State is tied for the second-most road wins by a Big 12 team this season. Baylor is 6-2, Kansas is 5-2 and K-State is 5-4. However, K-State is also tied for the fewest home wins in the league this season. K-State and Oklahoma State are both 8-5.
K-State now has a chance to improve upon its home mark when it hosts West Virginia, 14-10 and 3-8, in Monday's 6 p.m. clash at Bramlage Coliseum. It will be the third game in six days for the Wildcats, who during the first meeting against the Mountaineers on January 8 suffered a 71-68 loss — one of three excruciating one-possession losses by the Wildcats over a 12-day stretch.
West Virginia has lost eight of its last nine games, including an 81-58 defeat at Oklahoma State on Saturday.
"We're still at three (conference) wins and we're running out of chances," West Virginia head coach Bob Huggins said.
Meanwhile, K-State has a chance to continue its climb. After facing the Mountaineers, the Wildcats travel to Oklahoma State and No. 8 Kansas before the Cyclones visit Manhattan on February 26.
"It's not going to be easy," Weber said. "Every game is tough. Oklahoma State just took it to West Virginia after struggling the other night. You just have to keep getting ready. The team that has that determination, that excitement — it's important."
The Wildcats believe that they sent an important message in Ames.
"Definitely it was a big win, a Quad 1 win, and our coaching staff had been harping on us to get this win because Iowa State is a great team, a tough, competitive team, and they had a lot of good wins earlier in the season," Nowell said. "We came out with grit and with as much passion as we could."
It certainly proved to be enough.
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