Kansas State University Athletics

Monday, November 17
Manhattan, Kan.
7 p.m. CT

Kansas State University

4-0,0-0Big 12

84
vs
83

Tulsa

3-1,0-0American

1
2
F
Tulsa
34
49
83
Kansas St.
39
45
84
PJ Haggerty

K-State Rallies Past Tulsa in Final Minute, 84-83

Nov 17, 2025 | Men's Basketball

Junior PJ Haggerty paces four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 31 points.

MANHATTAN, Kan.  – Kansas State rallied from a 5-point deficit with 49 seconds to play with a 6-0 run to end the game, as the Wildcats moved to 4-0 on the season with a nail-biting 84-83 win over a defiant Tulsa squad on Monday night before 7,123 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.   
 
Down 83-78 after a pair of free throws from junior Myles Rigsby with 49 seconds remaining, K-State was able to pull out the improbable victory behind the heroics of junior P.J. Haggerty and sophomore David Castillo, who combined for the final 6 points.
 
Haggerty connected on 2 free throws before a successful coach's challenge reversed an out of bounds play leading to a jumper by Haggerty that closed the deficit to 83-82 with 31 seconds. Senior Khamari McGriff stole the ball on a bad pass on the next possession, leading to the game-winning layup by Castillo with 18 seconds.
 
Tulsa (3-1) had two chances in the final seconds to escape with victory, but senior Miles Barnstable missed a 3-pointer with 7 seconds, then after a second coach's challenge reversed another out of bounds call this time in favor of the Golden Hurricane, graduate David Green missed a jumper and senior C.J. Jones was able to corral the rebound as the clock expired.
 
Haggerty finished the night with 31 points on 10-of-17 field goals and 11-of-12 free throws to go with a game-high 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 32 minutes. He is the first Wildcat with a 30-point, 10-rebound performance since Michael Beasley registered 33 points and 14 rebounds against Colorado on March 4, 2008. It was his fifth career game of 30 or more points, while he posted his fourth career double-double and his second in a Wildcat uniform.
 
Haggerty scored 27 of his game-high 31 points in the second half, as he converted on 8-of-13 field goals and 11-of-12 free throws. His 27 second-half points are the fifth-most by any Wildcat in a half and the most since Denis Clemente went for 32 points in the second half at Texas on Jan. 31, 2009.
 
Haggerty joins Bob Boozer in 1958-59 and Beasley in 2007-08 as the only Wildcats to open a season with 4 consecutive games of 20 or more points.
 
Haggerty was joined in double figures by senior Khamari McGriff, who narrowly missed his own double-double with 13 points and 9 rebounds, while Castillo and junior Abdi Bashir Jr. added 12 and 10 points, respectively. Senior Nate Johnson had 5 points, 9 rebounds and 4 assists.
 
K-State entered the game averaging 96.7 points on 58.7 percent shooting, including 54.4 percent from 3-point range, but had to score its 84 points in a different way with season-lows in both field goal percentage (44.1) and 3-point field goal percentage (20.8).
 
The Wildcats shot 56.8 percent (25-of-44) inside the 3-point arc with 46 points in the paint to go with 26 fast-break points and a 17-15 edge in second-chance points while out-rebounding the nationally-ranked Hurricane, 40-38. They also converted on their opportunities from the free throw line, hitting on a season-best 90.5 percent (19-of-21).
 
Tulsa, which entered the game averaging 90 points per game through 3 games, connected on 40.9 percent (27-of-66) from the field, including 26.7 percent (8-of-30) from 3-point range, and hit on 72.4 percent (21-of-29) from the line.
 
Four Golden Hurricane players scored in double figures, including 18 points from Barnstable to go with 9 rebounds and 4 assists, while juniors Tylen Riley and Myles Rigsby each had 12 points and Green added 11.
 
The dramatic ending mirrored the last 2 meetings between the schools, as Tulsa held on for a 47-46 win in 2018 before K-State got a block with 1 second left to preserve a 69-67 win in the last matchup in 2019.
 
KEY PLAYER(S)
Haggerty scored 27 of his 31 points in the second half, including 4 in the final 46 seconds, as he became the first Wildcat since Michael Beasley in 2008 to record a 30-point, 10-rebound performance. Overall, he is the 16th player in school history to record such a stat line.
 
Castillo, who recorded the game-winner on a layup with 18 seconds left, finished the night with his third consecutive double-digit scoring game with 12 points off the bench.
 
KEY MOMENT(S)
K-State, who led by as many as 10 points, could never shake Tulsa until its dramatic 6-0 run to end the game. Down 83-78 with 49 seconds, the Wildcats got a pair of free throws and a fast-break jumper from Haggerty before Castillo's game-winner with 18 seconds.
 
KEY STATS
The Wildcats made 56.8 percent (25-of-44) of their 2-point attempts, including 46 points in the paint. They also held a 17-15 advantage on second-chance points while out-rebounding the Golden Hurricane, 40-38. The team also knocked 19 of 21 attempts from the line, including 13 of 14 in the second half.
 
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
Opening Statement
"First, I want to say thank you to Jesus for the win. Pastor Hudgins is in France, and he always sends me these messages, or he meets with me in the locker room before games to pray. He sent me this message, and it said, 'You're going to get a victory, but it's going to be a competitive fight.' Those were his words. I was like 'Dude you can't send me that before games.' So. the whole game, I kept saying, we got to embrace this competitive fight. In the huddles talking to the guys just to embrace the competitive fight. We got to love this; we got to love these kinds of games. Because these games really tell you who you are, they show who you are. I'm so proud of the guys. We do a drill almost every day in practice called championship points, and you get a stop, a score, a stop. That's how you win a championship. There's gonna be some games that are gonna come down to you getting a stop, you got to go down to get a score, and you got to come back and get a stop. And we ended the game on two championship points. Really proud of the guys for that. Then, down five with 43 seconds to go and we didn't panic. We work five-to-grind every day, and we actually just had that scenario in practice yesterday where we had to run the diamond press and cause a turnover to get a score. So, the dudes were ready for that moment. A lot of credit to Tulsa, they're a good team. [Myles] Rigsby, he hadn't played this year, so he wasn't on the scouting report until 13 minutes before the game started. We were able to show a little film on him but 12 points in a one possession game is a lot of points. For the guys to be able to have something thrown at them that we didn't prepare them for and to be able to adjust to that. I thought in the first half, they pounded us on the glass, and it was 13-4 second chance points, but in the second half, we ended up winning the second chance points battle, 17-15. They only had two offensive rebounds in the last 17 minutes of the game. Really proud of our guys. We didn't shoot the ball well from 3 today, and we still scored 84 points. I know somebody's going to ask me what I learned about the team. I learned we've got some toughness and resilience, and that we do have some defensive DNA in us."
 
On how important this stretch of games is…
"This stretch is gonna be really good for us. We're not gonna put a lot of emphasis on the outcome as we are in the process of getting better and continuing to raise our game. Playing more minutes the right way, the way we need to play. Trying to get to where we can put 40 minutes together. We knew Tulsa was a tough, physical team. [Head coach] Eric [Konkol] does a great job. One thing we preached to the guys was that they were going to get hit on every possession, and they're going to. [David] Green didn't have his best game but he's a good player and [Miles] Barnstable man, what a heck of a player, he made some big shots. I know Mississippi State fairly well, and know that they got shot makers, they offensive rebound well, and they're really going to guard you. It's going to be the next challenge for us as we continue to grow as a team."
 
On David Castillo's performance tonight…
"It's David Castillo–he's a really good basketball player and I'm not surprised by any of this. There's so much more for him. What I loved was that when he missed the open 3 which he had, that could have tied the game and you saw him beat himself, but he didn't let it linger. Then we get to steal, and he's coming down and he's like, 'I'm gonna go make this bucket' and he didn't hesitate to pass it to somebody. He had the advantage. He went, got it and made the finish and so it was awesome."
 
On P.J. Haggerty coming alive in the second half…
"We eliminated the hedge. Early in the first half they got two on the ball, dropped coverage, tagging off the lift. So, there's just a lot of bodies around him. There were some different reads he probably should have been making at the time to get the ball out of his hands. So, in the second half, we ran some different stuff, where they were unable to hedge, to put two on the ball, which got him downhill better and then he just turned it up. Like, that's what good players do. The game on the line, he's looking over, and he says, 'Hey, get me the ball.' And you love that about him, then he went and made a really good basketball play."
 
FIRST HALF
K-State jumped out first, scoring 9 of the first 14 points, before Tulsa responded with an 8-2 run to take its first lead at 13-11 on a pair of free throws. A layup by freshman Andrej Kostic and a 3-point play from sophomore David Castillo helped start a 14-7 spurt that gave the Wildcats a 25-20 lead at the third media timeout with 7:46 to play.
 
The lead grew to 28-21 after 3 of 4 free throws from senior Khamari McGriff, but back-to-back Hurricane scores cut the deficit to 28-25. K-State responded with a baseline jumper from junior Abdi Bashir Jr. and a layup from junior P.J. Haggerty to force a Tulsa timeout at the 4:03 mark. After a basket by the Hurricane, a tip-in by junior Dorin Buca and a 3-pointer from Bashir gave the Wildcats a 37-27 edge. However, Tulsa finished the half on a 7-2 run to slice it to 39-34.
 
McGriff (9 points) and Bashir (8 points) combined for 17 points, as K-State connected on 45.5 percent (15-of-33) from the field, but just 23.1 percent (3-of-13) from beyond the arc.
 
SECOND HALF
The Hurricane run continued to start the second half, as a 3-pointer and a pair of free throws tied the score at 39-all. Back-to-back baskets from Bashir and junior Elias Rapieque gave K-State a 43-39, but Tulsa answered right back with a 3-pointer. The Hurricane went ahead 48-47 on 2 free throws out of the first media timeout then extended their lead to 53-49 with 5 straight points.
 
After a pair of free throws made it 55-51, Haggerty started a run of 5 straight points with a layup followed by a Kostic 3-pointer that gave the Wildcats a 56-55 lead. The Hurricane responded with a basket before Haggerty again sparked the team by making all 3 free throws to start an 8-1 run and increase the lead to 64-58 and force a timeout by head coach Eric Konkol at the 9:09 mark.
 
The lead grew to 68-60 after baskets by McGriff and Haggerty right before the third media timeout with 7:59 to play. However, the Hurricane wouldn't go away, chipping away at the lead with a 10-4 run to force a timeout by head coach Jerome Tang with 4:59 to play to pull within 72-70. The timeout didn't quell the momentum as the Hurricane scored 6 in a row to go ahead 76-74 at the final media timeout with 2:36 to play.
 
After Haggerty tied it at 76-all, a 3-pointer from Barnstable helped the Golden Hurricane start a 7-2 run that put them ahead at 83-78 with 49 seconds before the final 6-0 sequence to end the game.
 
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
  • K-State moves to 4-0 on the season for the first time since 2022-23.
  • K-State is now 192-62 in non-conference games since 2006.
  • K-State is now 150-18 in home non-conference games since 2006.
  • K-State is now 134-14 in non-conference games at Bramlage Coliseum since 2006.
  • K-State is now 43-9 at Bramlage Coliseum under head coach Jerome Tang, including 23-2 in non-conference play.
  • K-State used a starting lineup of junior P.J. Haggerty, senior Nate Johnson, junior Abdi Bashir Jr., junior Elias Rapieque and senior Khamari McGriff… This is the third straight game using this lineup.
  • Haggerty now has 70 career starts (Tulsa/Memphis/K-State), N. Johnson now has 64 career starts (Akron/K-State), McGriff now has 46 career starts (UNC Wilmington/K-State) and Bashir now has 36 career starts (Monmouth/K-State)… This is the third start for Rapieque.
 
TEAM NOTES
  • K-State scored its 84 points on 44.1 percent (30-of-68) shooting, including 20.8 percent (5-of-24) from 3-point range, and had 18 assists on 30 made field goals.
  • The 10 turnovers were a season-low.
  • The Wildcats outscored the Golden Hurricane, 46-34, in points in the paint.
  • The Wildcats also had a 26-10 advantage in fast-break points.
  • The Wildcats held a 17-15 edge on second-chance points after being outscored 13-4 in the first half… They out-rebounded the Golden Hurricane, 40-38.
 
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
  • Four Wildcats scored in double figures led by junior P.J. Haggerty's 31-point, 10-rebound performance... Others in double figures included senior Khamari McGriff (13 points), sophomore David Castillo (12 points) and junior Abdi Bashir Jr. (10 points).
  • Haggerty led the team in scoring for the fourth straight game with 31 points on 10-of-17 field goals and 11-of-12 free throws to go with a game-high 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 2 steals in 32 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in 68 of 76 games in college, including 47 games of 20 or more points and 5 games of 30 or more points.
  • Haggerty is the first Wildcat to post a 30-point, 10-rebound effort since Michael Beasley had 33 points and 14 rebounds vs. Colorado on March 4, 2008.
  • It was Haggerty's fourth career double-double and his third points/rebounds double-double and his second double-double as a Wildcat.
  • Haggerty joins Bob Boozer in 1958-1959 and Michael Beasley in 2007-08 to open a season with 4 consecutive games of 20 or more points.
  • Haggerty's 27 second-half points are the fifth-most in any half by a Wildcat and the most since Denis Clemente had 32 in the second half at Texas on Jan. 31, 2009.
  • McGriff scored his 13 points on 4-of-6 field goals and 5-of-6 free throws in 25 minutes while grabbing a season-high 9 rebounds to go with 2 assists, 1 steal and 1 block… He has now scored in double figures in 26 games.
  • Castillo scored his 12 points on 4-of-10 field goals and 3-of-3 free throws to go with 2 assists in 24 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in 3 consecutive games.
  • Bashir scored his 10 points on 4-of-12 field goals, including 2-of-6 from 3-point range, with 2 assists in 28 minutes… He now has scored in double figures in 39 career games, including 3 of 4 this season.
 
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State opens play in the Hall of Fame Classic on Thursday night, as the Wildcats play Mississippi State (2-1) in the second game of a doubleheader at the T-Mobile Center. Tip is set for 8:30 p.m. CT and will air on Peacock and NBC Sports Now. Tickets are available through the T-Mobile Center ticket office at t-mobilecenter.com/events/detail/hall-of-fame-2025.
 
 
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.

Next Event

Mississippi State

Nov 20 (Thu)

8:30 p.m. CT
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Team Stats

Tulsa
KState
FG%
.409
.441
3FG%
.267
.208
FT%
.724
.905
RB
38
40
TO
9
10
STL
7
5

Game Leaders

Pts
31
FGM
10
3FGM
0
FTM
11
Pts
13
FGM
4
3FGM
0
FTM
5
Pts
12
FGM
4
3FGM
1
FTM
3
Pts
10
FGM
4
3FGM
2
FTM
0

Players Mentioned

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/ Men's Basketball
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K-State MBB | Game Highlights vs Tulsa
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