Kansas State University Athletics
Wednesday, February 9
Manhattan, Kan.
7 p.m.
Kansas State University
12-11,4-7Big 12
60
vs
75
Baylor
20-4,8-3Big 12
1
2
F
Baylor
34
41
75
Kansas St.
34
26
60
Big Run Helps 10/10 Baylor Outlast Pack’s Big Night
Feb 09, 2022 | Men's Basketball
Box ScoreStats (PDF)QuotesAudio: Weber, Smith, Pack Press ConferenceVideo: Weber, Smith, Pack Press ConferenceHighlightsPhoto Gallery
Pack scores game-high 31 points for K-State
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Despite a 31-point effort from sophomore Nijel Pack, a 19-4 run by No. 10/10 Baylor to start the second half proved to be the difference, as the Bears completed the season sweep of Kansas State with a 75-60 win on Wednesday night before a crowd of 6,236 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
Trailing by as many as 7 points in the first half and knotted at 34-all at the break, Baylor (20-4, 8-3 Big 12) seized control of the momentum and the game with its 19-4 outburst out of halftime, as six different Bear players contributed to the run, including 9 points from senior transfer James Akinjo.
K-State (12-11, 4-7 Big 12) was able to close to within 55-49 with just over 9 minutes remaining on the play of Pack, who scored 9 points in an 11-2 run. However, the Wildcats could not gain any further ground as the balanced Bears finished off the game by scoring 14 of the last 21 points to win their seventh straight in the series.
The loss spoiled yet another impressive effort from Pack, who collected his second 30-point game of the Big 12 season by hitting on 10-of-19 field goals, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, and 7-of-10 free throws in just over 35 minutes of action. It was his ninth career game of 20 or more points, including his team-leading sixth this season. He has now scored in double figures in 36 of 45 career games, including 20 of 21 this season.
With his 3-pointer less than 2 minutes into the game, Pack extended his streak of consecutive games with a triple to 26 games dating back to last season, snapping the school record of 25 set by Steve Henson between January 5, 1989 and December 2, 1989. The Big 12 leader in 3-point field goals made (70), he has now knocked down at least 4 triples in 9 games this season. He also added 3 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists to scoring efforts.
Pack was joined in double figures by fifth-year senior Mark Smith, who nearly grabbed another double-double with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting with a game-high 8 rebounds. The duo combined for 48 of the Wildcats' 60 points on 53.1 percent (17-of-32) shooting, including 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from 3-point range, but the rest of the team managed just 12 points on 18.2 percent (4-of-22) shooting, including 0-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Baylor did most of its damage down low, as the Bears scored 40 of their 75 points in the paint, connecting on 56.8 percent (25-of-44) of their field goals inside the 3-point arc. They also held a 39-31 advantage on the glass, converting 13 offensive rebounds into a 17-9 edge in second-chance points.
Playing without sophomore leading scorer L.J. Cryer (13.9 ppg.), the Bears more than made up for his absence with a balanced attack that included double-digit performances from Akinjo (15 points) and junior Adam Flagler (10 points) and a combined 38 points from its 3 bench players (junior Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (21), junior Dale Bonner (9) and freshman Jeremy Sochan (8).
Baylor's current 7-game winning streak is the longest by either team in the series history.
KEY STRETCH(ES)
K-State once again enjoyed a strong start to the game, jumping out to a 16-11 lead near the midway point of the first half after a jumper by fifth-year senior Mike McGuirl. The Wildcats extended the lead to 20-13 after a layup by sophomore Luke Kasukbe off a steal by fellow sophomore Nijel Pack at the 8:47 mark.
K-State continued to stay ahead, leading by 5 twice, before Baylor started to chip away at the deficit. The Bears used a 12-7 spurt to tie the game at 32-all with 2:10 to play on an old-fashioned 3-point play by freshman Jeremy Sochan. The teams traded baskets down the stretch to enter halftime at 34 apiece.
After trailing by as many as 7 points in the first half, Baylor seized the momentum with its 19-4 start to the second half. During the stretch, the Bears got contributions from six different players, including 9 points from senior James Akinjo. Pack got the Wildcats to within 55-49 with 9:01 to play, as he scored nine points in an 11-2 run. However, that would be closest it would get, as Baylor scored 14 of the last 21 points to gain the victory.
PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME
Sophomore Nijel Pack scored a game-high 31 points on 10-of-19 field goals, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, and a 7-of-10 effort from the free throw line in 35 minutes. It was his second 30-point game of the season.
Fifth-year senior Mark Smith nearly posted yet another double-double, scoring 17 points on 7-of-13 field goals to go with a game-high 8 rebounds in 38 minutes.
STAT OF THE GAME
40 – Baylor scored 40 of its 75 points in the paint, as the Bears connected on 56.8 percent (25-of-44) of their field goals inside the 3-point arc. The 40 points in the paint tied for the opponent high.
IN THEIR WORDS
K-State Head Coach Bruce Weber
On the game…
"You know, Baylor's good and to beat a good team like that, a top-10 team who's very efficient on both ends of the court, you can't have foul trouble, and we had foul trouble. You know, we need Markquis (Nowell) in the game, we need Mike (McGuirl) in the game. Luke (Kasubke) gave us a great effort. That's the most minutes I think of his career. He battled, hustled, did what he could. Obviously, Nijel (Pack), you think he can't come back. People know him and he keeps coming back, making plays. He was exhausted, but we had no choice but to keep going to him because he's the one that was giving us points. Obviously, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua loves to play against us, I think that's his career high. It's just a tough thing to go against them. Besides Tchatchoua, I think (Dale) Bonner stepped up, I think his career high, (Adam) Flagler made key plays, James (Akinjo). They're just smart. They know each other, they push it when they can. We had to be a little smarter, a little more disciplined, stay out of foul trouble, and then hope somebody else stepped up for us to give us a chance. Again, I'm proud of our guys. We came here to win, we didn't, but now we worry about getting Iowa State and moving forward."
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State hits the road this weekend to take on Iowa State (16-8, 3-8 Big 12) for the first time this season, as the Wildcats and Cyclones will play at 3 p.m., CT on Saturday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. The Wildcats have won the last 3 games in the series after the season sweep in 2020-21, including a 74-65 victory in the last visit to Ames.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Trailing by as many as 7 points in the first half and knotted at 34-all at the break, Baylor (20-4, 8-3 Big 12) seized control of the momentum and the game with its 19-4 outburst out of halftime, as six different Bear players contributed to the run, including 9 points from senior transfer James Akinjo.
K-State (12-11, 4-7 Big 12) was able to close to within 55-49 with just over 9 minutes remaining on the play of Pack, who scored 9 points in an 11-2 run. However, the Wildcats could not gain any further ground as the balanced Bears finished off the game by scoring 14 of the last 21 points to win their seventh straight in the series.
The loss spoiled yet another impressive effort from Pack, who collected his second 30-point game of the Big 12 season by hitting on 10-of-19 field goals, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, and 7-of-10 free throws in just over 35 minutes of action. It was his ninth career game of 20 or more points, including his team-leading sixth this season. He has now scored in double figures in 36 of 45 career games, including 20 of 21 this season.
With his 3-pointer less than 2 minutes into the game, Pack extended his streak of consecutive games with a triple to 26 games dating back to last season, snapping the school record of 25 set by Steve Henson between January 5, 1989 and December 2, 1989. The Big 12 leader in 3-point field goals made (70), he has now knocked down at least 4 triples in 9 games this season. He also added 3 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists to scoring efforts.
Pack was joined in double figures by fifth-year senior Mark Smith, who nearly grabbed another double-double with 17 points on 7-of-13 shooting with a game-high 8 rebounds. The duo combined for 48 of the Wildcats' 60 points on 53.1 percent (17-of-32) shooting, including 41.7 percent (5-of-12) from 3-point range, but the rest of the team managed just 12 points on 18.2 percent (4-of-22) shooting, including 0-of-6 from beyond the arc.
Baylor did most of its damage down low, as the Bears scored 40 of their 75 points in the paint, connecting on 56.8 percent (25-of-44) of their field goals inside the 3-point arc. They also held a 39-31 advantage on the glass, converting 13 offensive rebounds into a 17-9 edge in second-chance points.
Playing without sophomore leading scorer L.J. Cryer (13.9 ppg.), the Bears more than made up for his absence with a balanced attack that included double-digit performances from Akinjo (15 points) and junior Adam Flagler (10 points) and a combined 38 points from its 3 bench players (junior Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (21), junior Dale Bonner (9) and freshman Jeremy Sochan (8).
Baylor's current 7-game winning streak is the longest by either team in the series history.
KEY STRETCH(ES)
K-State once again enjoyed a strong start to the game, jumping out to a 16-11 lead near the midway point of the first half after a jumper by fifth-year senior Mike McGuirl. The Wildcats extended the lead to 20-13 after a layup by sophomore Luke Kasukbe off a steal by fellow sophomore Nijel Pack at the 8:47 mark.
K-State continued to stay ahead, leading by 5 twice, before Baylor started to chip away at the deficit. The Bears used a 12-7 spurt to tie the game at 32-all with 2:10 to play on an old-fashioned 3-point play by freshman Jeremy Sochan. The teams traded baskets down the stretch to enter halftime at 34 apiece.
After trailing by as many as 7 points in the first half, Baylor seized the momentum with its 19-4 start to the second half. During the stretch, the Bears got contributions from six different players, including 9 points from senior James Akinjo. Pack got the Wildcats to within 55-49 with 9:01 to play, as he scored nine points in an 11-2 run. However, that would be closest it would get, as Baylor scored 14 of the last 21 points to gain the victory.
PLAYER(S) OF THE GAME
Sophomore Nijel Pack scored a game-high 31 points on 10-of-19 field goals, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, and a 7-of-10 effort from the free throw line in 35 minutes. It was his second 30-point game of the season.
Fifth-year senior Mark Smith nearly posted yet another double-double, scoring 17 points on 7-of-13 field goals to go with a game-high 8 rebounds in 38 minutes.
STAT OF THE GAME
40 – Baylor scored 40 of its 75 points in the paint, as the Bears connected on 56.8 percent (25-of-44) of their field goals inside the 3-point arc. The 40 points in the paint tied for the opponent high.
IN THEIR WORDS
K-State Head Coach Bruce Weber
On the game…
"You know, Baylor's good and to beat a good team like that, a top-10 team who's very efficient on both ends of the court, you can't have foul trouble, and we had foul trouble. You know, we need Markquis (Nowell) in the game, we need Mike (McGuirl) in the game. Luke (Kasubke) gave us a great effort. That's the most minutes I think of his career. He battled, hustled, did what he could. Obviously, Nijel (Pack), you think he can't come back. People know him and he keeps coming back, making plays. He was exhausted, but we had no choice but to keep going to him because he's the one that was giving us points. Obviously, Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua loves to play against us, I think that's his career high. It's just a tough thing to go against them. Besides Tchatchoua, I think (Dale) Bonner stepped up, I think his career high, (Adam) Flagler made key plays, James (Akinjo). They're just smart. They know each other, they push it when they can. We had to be a little smarter, a little more disciplined, stay out of foul trouble, and then hope somebody else stepped up for us to give us a chance. Again, I'm proud of our guys. We came here to win, we didn't, but now we worry about getting Iowa State and moving forward."
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- With the loss, K-State saw its 2-game win streak end and dropped to 12-11 overall and 4-7 in Big 12 play.
- K-State fell to 2-4 this season against ranked teams, including 0-3 vs. Top 10 foes.
- Baylor now leads the all-time series, 25-23, including 24-18 in the Big 12 era… The Bears have won 7 straight in the series, which is the longest by either team in the series.
- K-State is now 12-3 this season when holding its opponent below 70 points… In contrast, the Wildcats are 0-8 when allowing its opponent to score 70 or more points.
- Baylor connected on 47.5 percent (29-of-61) from the field, including 56.8 percent (25-of-44) on shots inside the 3-point arc… The 40 points in the paint tied for the most by an opponent.
- K-State dropped to 1-9 this season when being out-rebounded, as Baylor held a 39-31 advantage on the glass… The Bears converted 13 offensive rebounds into 17 second-chance points.
- K-State had just 2 players score in double figures for the just 5th time in 22 games this season.
- Sophomore Nijel Pack scored a game-high 31 points on 10-of-19 field goals, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range, and a 7-of-10 effort from the free throw line to go with 3 rebounds, 3 steals and 2 assists in 35 minutes… It was his second career 30-point game, both coming in Big 12 play… It was his ninth career game of 20 or more points, including a team-leading sixth this season.
- Pack has now led in scoring 14 of 21 games played… He has now scored in double figures in 36 of 45 career games, including 20 of 21 this season.
- Pack has hit on 3 or more 3-pointers in 13 games… He is the Big 12 leader in 3-pointers (70).
- Pack has now hit a 3-pointer in 26 consecutive games dating back to last season, which breaks the school record of 25 set by Steve Henson between Jan. 5, 1989 and Dec. 2, 1989.
- Pack has made a 3-point field goal in all 21 games played this season.
- Fifth-year senior Mark Smith scored 17 points on 7-of-13 field goals and 2-of-2 free throws to go with a team-high 8 rebounds in 38 minutes… He has led the team in rebounding in 15 of 22 games this season… He has now scored in double figures in 55 career games, including 15 this season.
- K-State used a starting lineup of junior Markquis Nowell, sophomore Nijel Pack, senior Mike McGuirl, fifth-year senior Mark Smith and sophomore Davion Bradford… This marked the third time using this lineup and the 10th different lineup this season… Smith is the only Wildcat to start all 23 games.
- Sophomore Selton Miguel missed his fifth game of the season (fourth in a row) after sustaining an ankle injury in the second half of the game at No. 4/4 Baylor on Jan. 25.
- K-State has only had all 10 available scholarship players available in just 3 games this season.
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State hits the road this weekend to take on Iowa State (16-8, 3-8 Big 12) for the first time this season, as the Wildcats and Cyclones will play at 3 p.m., CT on Saturday afternoon at Hilton Coliseum. The Wildcats have won the last 3 games in the series after the season sweep in 2020-21, including a 74-65 victory in the last visit to Ames.
How to follow the 'Cats: For complete information on K-State men's basketball, visit www.kstatesports.com and follow the team's social media channels on Twitter, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
Baylor
KState
FG%
.475
.389
3FG%
.235
.278
FT%
.765
.619
RB
39
31
TO
12
15
STL
9
5
Game Leaders
Scoring
Pts
31
FGM
10
3FGM
4
FTM
7
Pts
17
FGM
7
3FGM
1
FTM
2
Pts
4
FGM
2
3FGM
0
FTM
0
Pts
3
FGM
1
3FGM
0
FTM
1
Players Mentioned
F
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
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