Kansas State University Athletics
Friday, October 24
Columbia, Mo.
9 p.m. CT
Kansas State University
0-0,0-0Big 12
91
at
100
Missouri
0-0,0-0SEC
1
2
F
Kansas St.
39
52
91
Missouri
47
53
100
Missouri Downs K-State in Exhibition Action, 100-91
Oct 25, 2025 | Men's Basketball
Junior PJ Haggerty leads all scorers with 23 points.
COLUMBIA, Mo. – Junior P.J. Haggerty paced all scorers with a game-high 23 points and 6 assists while senior Nate Johnson added 14 points, as Kansas State opened exhibition play with a 100-91 loss at Missouri on Friday night at Mizzou Arena.
Â
Haggerty scored his 23 points on 8-of-14 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and 5-of-7 free throws to go with his game-high 6 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals in 25 minutes. Johnson made 5-of-11 shots, including 2-of-5 from long range, to go with a team-high 6 rebounds.
Â
Four Tigers scored in double figures, including 16 points each from junior Anthony Robinson II and graduate Jayden Stone, as the home team connected on 54.8 percent (34-of-62) from the field with 54 points in the paint and 29 fast-break points. Missouri returns 3 starters and 7 lettermen from one of the most potent offenses in the country, ranking ninth nationally at 83.6 points per game.
Â
The Wildcats shot nearly 50 percent from the field (49.3 percent; 33-of-67), while getting 44 points in the paint and 35 points from their bench, as head coach Jerome Tang used a platoon-type system for much of the first half. Nine other players scored at least 5 points, including 7 points from junior Elias Rapieque and freshman Andrej Kostic.
Â
Haggerty, Johnson and Rapieque were joined in the starting lineup by junior Abdi Bashir Jr. and senior Khamari McGriff, playing the first 3 minutes before being replaced by sophomore David Castillo, senior C.J. Jones, Kostic, sophomore Mobi Ikegwuruka and junior Dorin Buca for the next 3 minutes. The platooning went on every 3 minutes until the original starters came back in at the 8:43 mark in the midst of a 14-0 run by the Tigers.
Â
Robinson scored 11 of his 16 points during the pivotal 14-0 run in which Missouri took control of the game. The Tigers flipped a 16-10 deficit into a 24-16 lead before a timeout by K-State head coach Jerome Tang with 8:43 to play before halftime. The lead grew to 46-32 with 2:10 remaining before the Wildcats closed to 47-39 at the break on a layup by Haggerty.
Â
K-State twice closed to within 6 points in the early moment of the second half, including 63-57 on a 3-pointer by Johnson and 65-59 on a pair of free throws by Johnson. However, the explosive Tigers scored 17 of the next 21 points to take a commanding 82-63 lead with 8:16 to play. Six different players scored during the run, including 5 points from sophomore Annor Boateng and 4 points from senior transfer Shawn Phillips Jr.
Â
The Wildcats scored the last 7 points, including a layup by Buca, a 3-pointer from junior Taj Manning and a pair of free throws from Jones.
Â
Joining Robinson and Stone in double figures were Phillips, who had a double-double of 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and Boateng, who 15 points off the bench.
Â
The Tigers also took advantage of their opportunities at the free throw line, converting on 26-of-34 attempts, while the Wildcats made 15-of-21 attempts.
Â
K-State concludes exhibition play on Friday, Oct. 31 when the Wildcats play host to Division II Newman at Bramlage Coliseum for a 7 p.m., CT tip. Tickets are available by calling the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221.CATS or online at kstatesports.com/tickets.
Â
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
Opening statement…
"First of all, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the opportunity I have to be the head coach at Kansas State. And man, more importantly, get to live life with this group of guys. We got a terrific group of young men who work really, really hard. And they do a great job of serving each other. And so, as a coach, I'm real proud of that. Thankful to (head coach) Dennis (Gates) for allowing us to come here and do this. In games like this, you wish, we could play more minutes, so you can see more guys do things. And normally it's a closed scrimmage, and we would play 50 minutes, and more guys would be out on the floor. But, you know, to get a road environment, you know, with TV and refs and timeouts, it was really good. We did not treat it like a real game. I mean, obviously we wanted to win, and the competitor in us comes out. I told the guys we had a full practice yesterday, which we wouldn't normally do the day before a game. And, then we treated this like another practice. And there was a set rotation and time that we were going to sub. This is great for college basketball. Dennis does a great job, and they're going to be really good. And I think we had a chance to be a really good team, too, and the things that we need to improve on were exposed, and the guys recognized it. And I'm excited to get back to practice."
Â
On what he learned from his team tonight…
"We foul too much, and our transition defense sucks and those are two effort things that can improve. I like our guys. I've liked him from the very beginning, like their approach. I feel PJ Haggerty is the best point guard in the country and wanted to limit his minutes. I wanted to limit Nate's (Johnson) minutes, and, then see some of the other guys and how they would respond. I saw some good things. This was a terrific opportunity for us, and so thankful that Dennis was willing to do it."
Â
On the defensive struggles…
"You guys saw it. They had 29 fast break points like, fast break points like, and we will count transition points differently than they count fast break points. So, I think it's going to be closer to 40 transition points that we gave up and then we fouled them way too much. They shot 34 free throws. And so, we've got to correct that, but our approach this summer bringing in coach Driscoll and him, you know, taking over the offense and new terminology and different things from the start of the summer, that's all we've worked on. We didn't start working on our defense until right before the start of official practice. And so, it takes time to build a chemistry that you want defensively."
Â
On coaching alongside Matthew Driscoll again…
"It's fun living life with this dude. You know him, Billy P (Bill Peterson) and the rest of the guys. It's just fun living life with them. They make me a better man, a better husband, a better father. And I just love being around them."
Â
On the performance of the international players…
"We've been trying to tell them how physical college basketball is. They got to watch some games. They watched the Oklahoma State-Auburn game, and they came back and said, 'Oh, man, you guys were right. It is physical.' But now to actually be out there, I think was good. It's gonna take a little time for them to adjust. We called something, and it's our terminology for and Andrej was like, 'Oh, I didn't know what that meant.' And it's like a very common phrase for Americans, right? And, you know, so it's just all those little things that we learn. And, you know, one time the ball is bouncing on a free throw, and Dre (Andrej) actually tried to go up and tip it because you can do that in Europe, and so, you know, I was like, 'Whoa, can't do that.' So, it's been real cool learning experience for them. I'm sure at times it's frustrating for them but they're just gonna keep getting better. They're great kids and talented, and they care."
Â
On Exavier Wilson getting to play in front of his family…
"He was excited about coming home and getting to see his family, and so that was cool. I was glad I was able to get him out there. He's been terrific. He's got a wonderful family, and thankful that for this opportunity. Because I don't know how many times we're gonna get to play in front of him in his hometown. So that's pretty special."
Â
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
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 X, Instagram and Facebook.
Â
Haggerty scored his 23 points on 8-of-14 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and 5-of-7 free throws to go with his game-high 6 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals in 25 minutes. Johnson made 5-of-11 shots, including 2-of-5 from long range, to go with a team-high 6 rebounds.
Â
Four Tigers scored in double figures, including 16 points each from junior Anthony Robinson II and graduate Jayden Stone, as the home team connected on 54.8 percent (34-of-62) from the field with 54 points in the paint and 29 fast-break points. Missouri returns 3 starters and 7 lettermen from one of the most potent offenses in the country, ranking ninth nationally at 83.6 points per game.
Â
The Wildcats shot nearly 50 percent from the field (49.3 percent; 33-of-67), while getting 44 points in the paint and 35 points from their bench, as head coach Jerome Tang used a platoon-type system for much of the first half. Nine other players scored at least 5 points, including 7 points from junior Elias Rapieque and freshman Andrej Kostic.
Â
Haggerty, Johnson and Rapieque were joined in the starting lineup by junior Abdi Bashir Jr. and senior Khamari McGriff, playing the first 3 minutes before being replaced by sophomore David Castillo, senior C.J. Jones, Kostic, sophomore Mobi Ikegwuruka and junior Dorin Buca for the next 3 minutes. The platooning went on every 3 minutes until the original starters came back in at the 8:43 mark in the midst of a 14-0 run by the Tigers.
Â
Robinson scored 11 of his 16 points during the pivotal 14-0 run in which Missouri took control of the game. The Tigers flipped a 16-10 deficit into a 24-16 lead before a timeout by K-State head coach Jerome Tang with 8:43 to play before halftime. The lead grew to 46-32 with 2:10 remaining before the Wildcats closed to 47-39 at the break on a layup by Haggerty.
Â
K-State twice closed to within 6 points in the early moment of the second half, including 63-57 on a 3-pointer by Johnson and 65-59 on a pair of free throws by Johnson. However, the explosive Tigers scored 17 of the next 21 points to take a commanding 82-63 lead with 8:16 to play. Six different players scored during the run, including 5 points from sophomore Annor Boateng and 4 points from senior transfer Shawn Phillips Jr.
Â
The Wildcats scored the last 7 points, including a layup by Buca, a 3-pointer from junior Taj Manning and a pair of free throws from Jones.
Â
Joining Robinson and Stone in double figures were Phillips, who had a double-double of 14 points and a game-high 10 rebounds, and Boateng, who 15 points off the bench.
Â
The Tigers also took advantage of their opportunities at the free throw line, converting on 26-of-34 attempts, while the Wildcats made 15-of-21 attempts.
Â
K-State concludes exhibition play on Friday, Oct. 31 when the Wildcats play host to Division II Newman at Bramlage Coliseum for a 7 p.m., CT tip. Tickets are available by calling the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221.CATS or online at kstatesports.com/tickets.
Â
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
Opening statement…
"First of all, I want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the opportunity I have to be the head coach at Kansas State. And man, more importantly, get to live life with this group of guys. We got a terrific group of young men who work really, really hard. And they do a great job of serving each other. And so, as a coach, I'm real proud of that. Thankful to (head coach) Dennis (Gates) for allowing us to come here and do this. In games like this, you wish, we could play more minutes, so you can see more guys do things. And normally it's a closed scrimmage, and we would play 50 minutes, and more guys would be out on the floor. But, you know, to get a road environment, you know, with TV and refs and timeouts, it was really good. We did not treat it like a real game. I mean, obviously we wanted to win, and the competitor in us comes out. I told the guys we had a full practice yesterday, which we wouldn't normally do the day before a game. And, then we treated this like another practice. And there was a set rotation and time that we were going to sub. This is great for college basketball. Dennis does a great job, and they're going to be really good. And I think we had a chance to be a really good team, too, and the things that we need to improve on were exposed, and the guys recognized it. And I'm excited to get back to practice."
Â
On what he learned from his team tonight…
"We foul too much, and our transition defense sucks and those are two effort things that can improve. I like our guys. I've liked him from the very beginning, like their approach. I feel PJ Haggerty is the best point guard in the country and wanted to limit his minutes. I wanted to limit Nate's (Johnson) minutes, and, then see some of the other guys and how they would respond. I saw some good things. This was a terrific opportunity for us, and so thankful that Dennis was willing to do it."
Â
On the defensive struggles…
"You guys saw it. They had 29 fast break points like, fast break points like, and we will count transition points differently than they count fast break points. So, I think it's going to be closer to 40 transition points that we gave up and then we fouled them way too much. They shot 34 free throws. And so, we've got to correct that, but our approach this summer bringing in coach Driscoll and him, you know, taking over the offense and new terminology and different things from the start of the summer, that's all we've worked on. We didn't start working on our defense until right before the start of official practice. And so, it takes time to build a chemistry that you want defensively."
Â
On coaching alongside Matthew Driscoll again…
"It's fun living life with this dude. You know him, Billy P (Bill Peterson) and the rest of the guys. It's just fun living life with them. They make me a better man, a better husband, a better father. And I just love being around them."
Â
On the performance of the international players…
"We've been trying to tell them how physical college basketball is. They got to watch some games. They watched the Oklahoma State-Auburn game, and they came back and said, 'Oh, man, you guys were right. It is physical.' But now to actually be out there, I think was good. It's gonna take a little time for them to adjust. We called something, and it's our terminology for and Andrej was like, 'Oh, I didn't know what that meant.' And it's like a very common phrase for Americans, right? And, you know, so it's just all those little things that we learn. And, you know, one time the ball is bouncing on a free throw, and Dre (Andrej) actually tried to go up and tip it because you can do that in Europe, and so, you know, I was like, 'Whoa, can't do that.' So, it's been real cool learning experience for them. I'm sure at times it's frustrating for them but they're just gonna keep getting better. They're great kids and talented, and they care."
Â
On Exavier Wilson getting to play in front of his family…
"He was excited about coming home and getting to see his family, and so that was cool. I was glad I was able to get him out there. He's been terrific. He's got a wonderful family, and thankful that for this opportunity. Because I don't know how many times we're gonna get to play in front of him in his hometown. So that's pretty special."
Â
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- This was the first time K-State and Missouri have met in an exhibition game after playing 237 times between 1907 and 2018, mostly as conference opponents in the Missouri Valley, Big Six, Big Seven, Big Eight and Big 12 Conferences.
- The schools will meet again for an exhibition game at Bramlage Coliseum in Manhattan, Kan., prior to the 2026-27 regular season.
- K-State is now 75-22 all-time in exhibition play, including 10-8 on the road.
- Junior P.J. Haggerty led all scorers with 23 points on 8-of-14 field goals, including 2-of-4 from 3-point range, and 5-of-7 free throws to go with a game-high 6 assists.
- Senior Nate Johnson also registered double figures with 14 points on 5-of-11 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, and 2-of-3 free throws to go with a team-high 6 rebounds, 2 assists and a steal.
- K-State started a lineup of junior P.J. Haggerty, senior Nate Johnson, junior Abdi Bashir Jr., junior Elias Rapieque and senior Khamari McGriff.
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 X, Instagram and Facebook.
Team Stats
KState
MO
FG%
.493
.548
3FG%
.357
.273
FT%
.714
.765
RB
34
38
TO
10
10
STL
6
8
Game Leaders
Pts
23
FGM
8
3FGM
2
FTM
5
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Pts
7
FGM
3
3FGM
1
FTM
0
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballW
/ Men's Basketball
W
/ Men's Basketball
W
/ Men's BasketballW
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's BasketballK-State MBB | Post Game Highlights vs Missouri
Saturday, October 25
K-State MBB | Cat Q's - Elias Rapieque and Exavier Wilson
Thursday, October 23
K-State Men's Basketball | 2025 Big 12 Conference Media Day ESPNU Interviews
Wednesday, October 22
K-State Men's Basketball | 2025 Big 12 Conference Media Day Press Conference
Wednesday, October 22