The Satisfying Sight of Zeros
Jan 27, 2025 | Men's Basketball, Sports Extra
By: D. Scott Fritchen
The question is this: When did you know it was over? Was it over when the Kansas State stormed out to a 19-2 lead and simply could not miss? Or was it over when No. 23 West Virginia started out shooting 7-for-29 from the floor? Was it over when the Wildcats led by 21 points after Dug McDaniel hit a jumpshot and then Ugonna Onyenso hit a layp and then a moment later completed a 3-point play and the Wildcats took a 42-18 lead at halftime? Or was it over when Coleman Hawkins' free throw made it 66-51 with 2:04 remaining in regulation?
Whenever you thought this game between K-State and West Virginia was over, the only thing that matters is that it is over, the final buzzer has long since sounded, and the Wildcats have snapped a six-game losing streak with some of their best basketball all season.
It was agonizing, really, how close K-State was in several games but simply couldn't get over the hump. The Wildcats' last win was a 70-67 victory over No. 16 Cincinnati at Bramlage Coliseum. Players high-fived fans, Hawkins let out a celebratory yell as he headed toward the locker room, and head coach Jerome Tang ran into the stands and did the "Wabash" with students after knocking off the Bearcats.
That was nearly one month ago.
And now, on a night dedicated to honoring and celebrating K-State basketball legends, the Wildcats, donned in the legendary lavender tops and purple shorts, put forth an old-school performance worthy of one standing ovation after another. That's exactly what the Wildcats received as Tang called a 30-second timeout in the final minutes of the first half to gather his troops ahead by 26 points.
The crowd of 9,018 gave the Wildcats a standing ovation.
The Wildcats were on their way toward a win.
"Man, it beats the alternative, I'll tell you that," Tang said. "But it was the energy of the place. This place is different when our students are here, and our fans are here."
The Octagon of Doom, indeed.
Every time West Virginia, 13-6 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12 Conference, looked like it would threaten, the Wildcats pushed the Mountaineers away. Even when West Virginia got to within 54-40 with 10:49 left, the Wildcats fought back. The Wildcats found a way.
"We stayed locked in throughout the whole game," said Max Jones, who had 12 points and seven rebounds. "We didn't let off the pedal."
The Wildcats led by as many as 22 points in the second half.
When did Jones think the game was over?
"We never feel like it's over until it's zeros," he said.
McDaniel was sensational. From the outset, he led the attacking Wildcats both by scoring and dishing off to teammates. He finished with 15 points, six assists and two steals. He gave K-State a 20-point lead with a driving layup with 5:06 left to play.
When did McDaniel think the game was over?
"Me personally," he replied, "I never think the game is over until double zeros on the clock."
There were times when both teams struggled to score, which was fine, because every minute that West Virginia didn't score was a good thing. Neither team scored for 4 minutes, and K-State led 55-40 and West Virginia missed again. Then Hawkins fired a pass inside to David N'Guessan for a layup and a foul for a 3-point play, and Tang emphatically pumped his fist, nearly driving his fist into the floor in excitement.
And that's when people probably suspected it was over.
But not Tang. Not yet. He needed to be sure.
When did he know the game was over?
"When the horn sounded," he said. "I'm paranoid. We hadn't been in this situation. Usually, we're the one having to press to try and cause turnovers. Having to handle the press and know when to be aggressive so they don't press you as opposed to running some clock, and the balance of that, and seeing how the guys handled it, I'm very proud of them."
K-State is 8-11 overall and 2-6 in the Big 12. The Wildcats next test? To face Oklahoma State — a team that beat the Wildcats 79-66 on January 7 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The teams meet again Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Bramlage.
The last time they met seems so far away.
Every win is to be cherished.
"There's definitely a weight lifted," Tang said. "Losing sucks, and even though we saw we were getting better and getting close, that doesn't satisfy. What's really important now is, 'Can we keep getting better after a win?'"
And that becomes the challenge.
On Saturday, the Wildcats, who've become better, finally put it all together.
And West Virginia fell into a hole and could never recover.
"You just can't put yourself in that kind of hole, especially on the road," West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries said, "and that was tough to try and climb out of."
The hole perhaps seemed to be at its greatest with 5:40 left to play. That's when Hawkins fired a pass downcourt to N'Guessan. N'Guessan was all alone. He threw down one of those one-handed dunks, one of those slow-motion dunks, that made it 62-42.
Then they played Sandstorm.
The place exploded.
And that is when you knew it was over.
The question is this: When did you know it was over? Was it over when the Kansas State stormed out to a 19-2 lead and simply could not miss? Or was it over when No. 23 West Virginia started out shooting 7-for-29 from the floor? Was it over when the Wildcats led by 21 points after Dug McDaniel hit a jumpshot and then Ugonna Onyenso hit a layp and then a moment later completed a 3-point play and the Wildcats took a 42-18 lead at halftime? Or was it over when Coleman Hawkins' free throw made it 66-51 with 2:04 remaining in regulation?
Whenever you thought this game between K-State and West Virginia was over, the only thing that matters is that it is over, the final buzzer has long since sounded, and the Wildcats have snapped a six-game losing streak with some of their best basketball all season.
It was agonizing, really, how close K-State was in several games but simply couldn't get over the hump. The Wildcats' last win was a 70-67 victory over No. 16 Cincinnati at Bramlage Coliseum. Players high-fived fans, Hawkins let out a celebratory yell as he headed toward the locker room, and head coach Jerome Tang ran into the stands and did the "Wabash" with students after knocking off the Bearcats.
That was nearly one month ago.
And now, on a night dedicated to honoring and celebrating K-State basketball legends, the Wildcats, donned in the legendary lavender tops and purple shorts, put forth an old-school performance worthy of one standing ovation after another. That's exactly what the Wildcats received as Tang called a 30-second timeout in the final minutes of the first half to gather his troops ahead by 26 points.
The crowd of 9,018 gave the Wildcats a standing ovation.
The Wildcats were on their way toward a win.
"Man, it beats the alternative, I'll tell you that," Tang said. "But it was the energy of the place. This place is different when our students are here, and our fans are here."
The Octagon of Doom, indeed.
Every time West Virginia, 13-6 overall and 4-4 in the Big 12 Conference, looked like it would threaten, the Wildcats pushed the Mountaineers away. Even when West Virginia got to within 54-40 with 10:49 left, the Wildcats fought back. The Wildcats found a way.
"We stayed locked in throughout the whole game," said Max Jones, who had 12 points and seven rebounds. "We didn't let off the pedal."
The Wildcats led by as many as 22 points in the second half.
When did Jones think the game was over?
"We never feel like it's over until it's zeros," he said.
McDaniel was sensational. From the outset, he led the attacking Wildcats both by scoring and dishing off to teammates. He finished with 15 points, six assists and two steals. He gave K-State a 20-point lead with a driving layup with 5:06 left to play.
When did McDaniel think the game was over?
"Me personally," he replied, "I never think the game is over until double zeros on the clock."
There were times when both teams struggled to score, which was fine, because every minute that West Virginia didn't score was a good thing. Neither team scored for 4 minutes, and K-State led 55-40 and West Virginia missed again. Then Hawkins fired a pass inside to David N'Guessan for a layup and a foul for a 3-point play, and Tang emphatically pumped his fist, nearly driving his fist into the floor in excitement.
And that's when people probably suspected it was over.
But not Tang. Not yet. He needed to be sure.
When did he know the game was over?
"When the horn sounded," he said. "I'm paranoid. We hadn't been in this situation. Usually, we're the one having to press to try and cause turnovers. Having to handle the press and know when to be aggressive so they don't press you as opposed to running some clock, and the balance of that, and seeing how the guys handled it, I'm very proud of them."
K-State is 8-11 overall and 2-6 in the Big 12. The Wildcats next test? To face Oklahoma State — a team that beat the Wildcats 79-66 on January 7 in Stillwater, Oklahoma. The teams meet again Wednesday at 7:00 p.m. at Bramlage.
The last time they met seems so far away.
Every win is to be cherished.
"There's definitely a weight lifted," Tang said. "Losing sucks, and even though we saw we were getting better and getting close, that doesn't satisfy. What's really important now is, 'Can we keep getting better after a win?'"
And that becomes the challenge.
On Saturday, the Wildcats, who've become better, finally put it all together.
And West Virginia fell into a hole and could never recover.
"You just can't put yourself in that kind of hole, especially on the road," West Virginia head coach Darian DeVries said, "and that was tough to try and climb out of."
The hole perhaps seemed to be at its greatest with 5:40 left to play. That's when Hawkins fired a pass downcourt to N'Guessan. N'Guessan was all alone. He threw down one of those one-handed dunks, one of those slow-motion dunks, that made it 62-42.
Then they played Sandstorm.
The place exploded.
And that is when you knew it was over.
Players Mentioned
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