Kansas State University Athletics
Monday, December 8
Manhattan, Kan.
7 p.m. CT
Kansas State University
6-4,0-0Big 12
108
vs
49
Mississippi Valley State
1-9,0-0SWAC
1
2
F
Mississippi Val.
21
28
49
Kansas St.
55
53
108
K-State Snaps Skid with 108-49 Win over MVSU
Dec 08, 2025 | Men's Basketball
Box ScoreFinal Stats (.pdf)Postgame Quotes (.pdf)HighlightsJerome Tang Press Conference Player Press ConferencePhoto Gallery
The Wildcats topped 100 points for the fourth time under Jerome Tang.
MANHATTAN, Kan. – Kansas State ended its 4-game losing streak with a thorough domination of Mississippi Valley State on Tuesday night, breaking 100 points for the fourth time under head coach Jerome Tang while connecting on 57.6 percent shooting in a 108-49 victory on Monday night before 6,682 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
K-State (6-4) eclipsed 100 points in a game for the 42nd time, while the 108 points tied for the eighth-most in school history and were the most since the Wildcats scored a school-record 120 points in a win over UAPB more than a year ago. The 59-point margin of victory tied for the third-largest and was the largest since a 59-point win over Gardner-Webb on Dec. 14, 2008.
In shooting 57.6 percent (38-of-66) from the field, the Wildcats made 63.3 percent (19-of-30) of their 2-point field goals, including a 34-10 advantage in the paint, while collecting the third-most 3-point field goals (19) in school history on 52.8 percent shooting. They also outscored the Delta Devils in points off turnovers (17-4), second-chance points (17-7) and fast-break points (27-11).
The 19 made 3-pointers are only surpassed by the school-record 23 against Fresno State in 1994 and the 21 vs. UAPB in 2024. Six different players had at least one 3-pointers, including 5 each from juniors P.J. Haggerty and Abdi Bashir Jr. and sophomore David Castillo.
All 11 players who saw action had at least one made field goal while four Wildcats scored in double figures led by a game-high 28 points from the nation's leading scorer – Haggerty – who has now scored in double figures in all 10 games this season. Castillo had 19 points off the bench on 6-of-11 field goals, while Bashir and senior Nate Johnson added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
The Wildcats also shared the ball well with the third-most assists (30) in a game on their 38 made field goals, as four players tallied 5 or more assists, including a game-high 6 by Johnson.
K-State took control less than 2 minutes into the game with 6 straight points before stretching its lead to 20 points (32-12) near the midway point of the first half. The lead was 18 points before a 14-0 run made it 50-18 with less than 2 minutes before halftime. The second half was much of the same as the deficit never fell below 32 points and grew to as many as 61 (108-47) with 1:25 to play.
MVSU (1-9) saw its losing streak hit 8 games, as the Delta Devils played on the road for the ninth time in 10 games this season. They made just 25.8 percent (16-of-62) of their field goals, including 22.2 percent (4-of-18) from 3-point range. Junior Michael James led the way with 23 points.
The Wildcats are now 22-1 all-time vs. SWAC competition.
KEY PLAYER(S)
All 11 players who saw time on Monday night recorded at least one made field goals, as junior P.J. Haggerty paced four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 28 points on 11-of-14 field goals, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. He has now scored in double figures in all 10 games, including seven games of 20 or more points.
Sophomore David Castillo had 19 points off the bench, while junior Abdi Bashir Jr. and senior Nate Johnson added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
KEY MOMENT(S)
Despite leading by 18 points after a pair of MVSU free throws with 6:38 to play in the first half, K-State put away any doubt with a 14-0 run that included points from junior Taj Manning, senior Nate Johnson, junior P.J. Haggerty, junior Dorin Buca and junior Elias Rapieque.
KEY STATS
The potent K-State offense returned to form, as the Wildcats broke 100 points for the 42nd time in school history and the fourth time under head coach Jerome Tang. The team connected on 57.6 percent (38-of-66) from the field, including 52.8 percent (19-of-36) from 3-point range, while posting the third-most assists (30) on 38 made field goals. The 19 made 3-pointers are
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
Opening statement…
"First of all, thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for this blessing of coaching these guys. And you know, yesterday was probably a bigger blessing than today and how they responded in film, walk through and meeting with guys individually and them having a team meeting, just some really good things that let us know we have the right guys. So, really happy about the 30 assists on 38 made shots. Really happy on 25 field goal percentage defense, their game against [Texas] A&M, who pressed the whole game, scored 84 points, and I felt like we could pressure them and still not give up buckets. And learning some things about our guards, maybe that I didn't have a high enough expectation of them on the defensive end, and therefore I didn't demand enough of them. And so, excited, this was good, but I'm really excited about the next four days and what we're going to do to get better and to go play Creighton and get a road win."
On being able to make shots…
"It's always more fun when the ball goes in the basket, but the ball went in the basket because we played the right way. Guys were getting each other shots rather than trying to get their own. We've tried to get our own way too much leading up to this. I think several times in press conferences after games, you guys have asked me the question, 'well, Coach, what is it? What is it about the offense?" And I think you saw today when we pass the ball to the open guy, and we don't hang on to it, and every time somebody touches the ball, they don't dribble, they just move the ball, it just makes the game so much easier. And so, the goal now is to continue that when you play like opponents."
On David Castillo wanting to come off the bench …
"That just speaks to the world of his character. And how much he loves his team and he wants to win. I was super proud of him, super proud of him. I can see how it makes the difference in our team having two forwards out there and rim runners and so, yeah. So proud of him for that."
On the way David Castillo plays…
"The fact that he can score the basketball allows you to bring someone off the bench that gives you a scoring punch. When he was coming off the bench earlier, we were scoring 26 points a game off the bench, and we were averaging 95, then when I moved him to the starting lineup, we were only getting nine points off the bench, and we were scoring 67 points a game. Him seeing that, us talking about it. When you have a guy who comes off the bench that can put the ball in the hole and do multiple things, but can shoot, it just puts a different kind of pressure, because they're subbing, and they're subbing, maybe getting a little weaker, and we're subbing, we might be getting stronger. So, just for his character to be able to come and say, 'Coach, this is what I think would be better for the team,' just speaks volumes to who he is as a person."
On P.J. Haggerty gaining confidence…
"The game was easy for him today, because he moved the ball and because he gave the ball up early, it came back around. And he was able to get assisted shots right, like he didn't have to fight for every shot that he took. And when the game is like that for him, and then he sees it go in, it just builds your confidence. Whereas, if you're fighting through two defenders and a contest for your shots 50% of the time it's just hard. We watched film, we talked. Let's see how things go with Creighton, because what we have to do is do it against a good opponent. No offense to Mississippi Valley, but we have got to continue to grow in this. I'm excited about the next four days. Looking
ahead already have this one road contest. I think it's going to help us a ton. We didn't necessarily respond well at the start of the game in Indiana and the crowd, whether it was the crowd, whether it was the travel, whatever it was. We didn't handle that whole trip the way it needed to be handled. I expect us to be way more business-like, way more focused and way more ready for the environment that we're going to see."
FIRST HALF
K-State jumped out to an early 8-2 lead with 6 straight points to force an early Mississippi Valley State timeout at the 17:52 mark. After the Delta Devils pulled to within 10-6, the Wildcats responded with an 8-0 run that included a 3-pointer from junior P.J. Haggerty and free throws from junior Dorin Buca, sophomore David Castillo and senior Nate Johnson for an 18-6 lead.
The lead grew to 16 points after a 3-pointer from Castillo and buckets from Haggerty and junior Taj Manning that forced a second timeout from MVSU near the 12-minute mark. Jumpers by Haggerty and junior Elias Rapieque pushed the lead to 20 nearly the midway point. After a pair of free throws by the Delta Devils made it 36-18, the Wildcats strung together 14 straight points to go ahead 50-18 with just under 2 minutes remaining. A 3-pointer from junior Abdi Bashir Jr. and a dunk from Buca gave K-State its largest lead at 55-20 with 35 seconds left in the half.
The Wildcats tied their point total for a first half with 55 points on 59.4 percent (19-of-32) shooting, including 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from 3-point range, and 78.6 percent (11-of-14) shooting from the free throw line. Haggerty led all scorers with 15 points on 6-of-8 field goals.
SECOND HALF
MVSU scored on its first 2 possessions of the second half before 8 straight points from K-State, which included 3-pointers from Bashir and Johnson, pushed the lead past 40 points at 66-25. After a basket by the Delta Devils, the Wildcats used a 7-0 run to extend the lead to 46 points (73-27) with just under 13 minutes to play. The team then ripped of 13 of the next 18 points, as back-to-back Haggerty buckets made it 86-32 at the midway point.
K-State broke the 100-point plateau on a 3-pointer from senior C.J. Jones with 6:27 to play. After consecutive 3-pointers from Castillo and senior Marcus Johnson, Jones gave the Wildcats their largest lead at 61 points (108-47) with 4:33 remaining.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
TEAM NOTES
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State plays its second true road game of the season on Saturday afternoon with a trip to Omaha, Neb., to take on Creighton (5-4) at CHI Health Center Omaha. The game will tipoff at 2 p.m., CT and will be broadcast nationally on FOX. The Wildcats' next home game will be Saturday, Dec. 20 against South Dakota at 11 a.m. CT.
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.
K-State (6-4) eclipsed 100 points in a game for the 42nd time, while the 108 points tied for the eighth-most in school history and were the most since the Wildcats scored a school-record 120 points in a win over UAPB more than a year ago. The 59-point margin of victory tied for the third-largest and was the largest since a 59-point win over Gardner-Webb on Dec. 14, 2008.
In shooting 57.6 percent (38-of-66) from the field, the Wildcats made 63.3 percent (19-of-30) of their 2-point field goals, including a 34-10 advantage in the paint, while collecting the third-most 3-point field goals (19) in school history on 52.8 percent shooting. They also outscored the Delta Devils in points off turnovers (17-4), second-chance points (17-7) and fast-break points (27-11).
The 19 made 3-pointers are only surpassed by the school-record 23 against Fresno State in 1994 and the 21 vs. UAPB in 2024. Six different players had at least one 3-pointers, including 5 each from juniors P.J. Haggerty and Abdi Bashir Jr. and sophomore David Castillo.
All 11 players who saw action had at least one made field goal while four Wildcats scored in double figures led by a game-high 28 points from the nation's leading scorer – Haggerty – who has now scored in double figures in all 10 games this season. Castillo had 19 points off the bench on 6-of-11 field goals, while Bashir and senior Nate Johnson added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
The Wildcats also shared the ball well with the third-most assists (30) in a game on their 38 made field goals, as four players tallied 5 or more assists, including a game-high 6 by Johnson.
K-State took control less than 2 minutes into the game with 6 straight points before stretching its lead to 20 points (32-12) near the midway point of the first half. The lead was 18 points before a 14-0 run made it 50-18 with less than 2 minutes before halftime. The second half was much of the same as the deficit never fell below 32 points and grew to as many as 61 (108-47) with 1:25 to play.
MVSU (1-9) saw its losing streak hit 8 games, as the Delta Devils played on the road for the ninth time in 10 games this season. They made just 25.8 percent (16-of-62) of their field goals, including 22.2 percent (4-of-18) from 3-point range. Junior Michael James led the way with 23 points.
The Wildcats are now 22-1 all-time vs. SWAC competition.
KEY PLAYER(S)
All 11 players who saw time on Monday night recorded at least one made field goals, as junior P.J. Haggerty paced four Wildcats in double figures with a game-high 28 points on 11-of-14 field goals, including 5-of-10 from 3-point range. He has now scored in double figures in all 10 games, including seven games of 20 or more points.
Sophomore David Castillo had 19 points off the bench, while junior Abdi Bashir Jr. and senior Nate Johnson added 15 and 14 points, respectively.
KEY MOMENT(S)
Despite leading by 18 points after a pair of MVSU free throws with 6:38 to play in the first half, K-State put away any doubt with a 14-0 run that included points from junior Taj Manning, senior Nate Johnson, junior P.J. Haggerty, junior Dorin Buca and junior Elias Rapieque.
KEY STATS
The potent K-State offense returned to form, as the Wildcats broke 100 points for the 42nd time in school history and the fourth time under head coach Jerome Tang. The team connected on 57.6 percent (38-of-66) from the field, including 52.8 percent (19-of-36) from 3-point range, while posting the third-most assists (30) on 38 made field goals. The 19 made 3-pointers are
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
Opening statement…
"First of all, thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for this blessing of coaching these guys. And you know, yesterday was probably a bigger blessing than today and how they responded in film, walk through and meeting with guys individually and them having a team meeting, just some really good things that let us know we have the right guys. So, really happy about the 30 assists on 38 made shots. Really happy on 25 field goal percentage defense, their game against [Texas] A&M, who pressed the whole game, scored 84 points, and I felt like we could pressure them and still not give up buckets. And learning some things about our guards, maybe that I didn't have a high enough expectation of them on the defensive end, and therefore I didn't demand enough of them. And so, excited, this was good, but I'm really excited about the next four days and what we're going to do to get better and to go play Creighton and get a road win."
On being able to make shots…
"It's always more fun when the ball goes in the basket, but the ball went in the basket because we played the right way. Guys were getting each other shots rather than trying to get their own. We've tried to get our own way too much leading up to this. I think several times in press conferences after games, you guys have asked me the question, 'well, Coach, what is it? What is it about the offense?" And I think you saw today when we pass the ball to the open guy, and we don't hang on to it, and every time somebody touches the ball, they don't dribble, they just move the ball, it just makes the game so much easier. And so, the goal now is to continue that when you play like opponents."
On David Castillo wanting to come off the bench …
"That just speaks to the world of his character. And how much he loves his team and he wants to win. I was super proud of him, super proud of him. I can see how it makes the difference in our team having two forwards out there and rim runners and so, yeah. So proud of him for that."
On the way David Castillo plays…
"The fact that he can score the basketball allows you to bring someone off the bench that gives you a scoring punch. When he was coming off the bench earlier, we were scoring 26 points a game off the bench, and we were averaging 95, then when I moved him to the starting lineup, we were only getting nine points off the bench, and we were scoring 67 points a game. Him seeing that, us talking about it. When you have a guy who comes off the bench that can put the ball in the hole and do multiple things, but can shoot, it just puts a different kind of pressure, because they're subbing, and they're subbing, maybe getting a little weaker, and we're subbing, we might be getting stronger. So, just for his character to be able to come and say, 'Coach, this is what I think would be better for the team,' just speaks volumes to who he is as a person."
On P.J. Haggerty gaining confidence…
"The game was easy for him today, because he moved the ball and because he gave the ball up early, it came back around. And he was able to get assisted shots right, like he didn't have to fight for every shot that he took. And when the game is like that for him, and then he sees it go in, it just builds your confidence. Whereas, if you're fighting through two defenders and a contest for your shots 50% of the time it's just hard. We watched film, we talked. Let's see how things go with Creighton, because what we have to do is do it against a good opponent. No offense to Mississippi Valley, but we have got to continue to grow in this. I'm excited about the next four days. Looking
ahead already have this one road contest. I think it's going to help us a ton. We didn't necessarily respond well at the start of the game in Indiana and the crowd, whether it was the crowd, whether it was the travel, whatever it was. We didn't handle that whole trip the way it needed to be handled. I expect us to be way more business-like, way more focused and way more ready for the environment that we're going to see."
FIRST HALF
K-State jumped out to an early 8-2 lead with 6 straight points to force an early Mississippi Valley State timeout at the 17:52 mark. After the Delta Devils pulled to within 10-6, the Wildcats responded with an 8-0 run that included a 3-pointer from junior P.J. Haggerty and free throws from junior Dorin Buca, sophomore David Castillo and senior Nate Johnson for an 18-6 lead.
The lead grew to 16 points after a 3-pointer from Castillo and buckets from Haggerty and junior Taj Manning that forced a second timeout from MVSU near the 12-minute mark. Jumpers by Haggerty and junior Elias Rapieque pushed the lead to 20 nearly the midway point. After a pair of free throws by the Delta Devils made it 36-18, the Wildcats strung together 14 straight points to go ahead 50-18 with just under 2 minutes remaining. A 3-pointer from junior Abdi Bashir Jr. and a dunk from Buca gave K-State its largest lead at 55-20 with 35 seconds left in the half.
The Wildcats tied their point total for a first half with 55 points on 59.4 percent (19-of-32) shooting, including 46.2 percent (6-of-13) from 3-point range, and 78.6 percent (11-of-14) shooting from the free throw line. Haggerty led all scorers with 15 points on 6-of-8 field goals.
SECOND HALF
MVSU scored on its first 2 possessions of the second half before 8 straight points from K-State, which included 3-pointers from Bashir and Johnson, pushed the lead past 40 points at 66-25. After a basket by the Delta Devils, the Wildcats used a 7-0 run to extend the lead to 46 points (73-27) with just under 13 minutes to play. The team then ripped of 13 of the next 18 points, as back-to-back Haggerty buckets made it 86-32 at the midway point.
K-State broke the 100-point plateau on a 3-pointer from senior C.J. Jones with 6:27 to play. After consecutive 3-pointers from Castillo and senior Marcus Johnson, Jones gave the Wildcats their largest lead at 61 points (108-47) with 4:33 remaining.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- K-State snapped a 4-game losing streak with a 108-49 win over Mississippi Valley State.
- K-State is now 22-1 all-time vs. SWAC competition, including 2-0 vs. MVSU.
- K-State is now 194-66 in non-conference games since 2006.
- K-State is now 151-20 in home non-conference games since 2006.
- K-State is now 135-16 in non-conference games at Bramlage Coliseum since 2006.
- K-State is now 44-11 at Bramlage Coliseum under head coach Jerome Tang, including 24-4 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 seventh time using this lineup.
- Haggerty now has 76 career starts (Tulsa/Memphis/K-State), N. Johnson now has 70 career starts (Akron/K-State), McGriff now has 52 career starts (UNC Wilmington/K-State) and Bashir now has 42 career starts (Monmouth/K-State)… This is the eighth start of the season for Rapieque.
TEAM NOTES
- K-State scored its season-high 108 points on 57.6 percent (38-of-66) shooting, including 52.8 percent (19-of-36) from 3-point range, while hitting on 81.3 percent (13-of-16) from the free throw line. The Wildcats scored 50 or more points in each half.
- It was the 42nd 100-point game in school history, including the fourth under Jerome Tang.
- The 59-point margin of victory tied for the third-largest and the largest since a similar 59-point victory over Gardner-Webb on Dec. 14, 2008.
- The Wildcats knocked down 19 made 3-pointers with 3 players with 5 made 3-pointers... The 19 made 3-pointers were the third-most in school history behind 23 vs. Fresno State in 1994 and 21 vs. UAPB in 2024.
- The 30 assists tied for the second-most in school history and most since UAPB in 2024.
- K-State controlled all the specialty stats, including a 17-4 advantage in points off turnovers, 34-10 in points in the paint, 27-11 on fast-break points and 38-11 in bench points.
- K-State out-rebounded MVSU, 45-30, with 12 offensive rebounds leading to a 17-7 edge in second-chance points.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Junior P.J. Haggerty led four Wildcats in double figures with 28 points, while sophomore David Castillo added 19 points to go with 15 points from junior Abdi Bashir Jr. and 14 points from senior Nate Johnson.
- Haggerty scored his game-high 28 points on 11-of-14 field goals, including 5-of-6 from 3-point range, to go with 4 rebounds, 3 assists and 1 steal in 25 minutes… He has now scored in double figures in all 10 games this season, including seven games of 20 or more points… He has now scored in double figures in 74 of 82 career games in college.
- Castillo scored his 19 points on 6-of-11 field goals, including 5-of-8 from 3-point range, and 2-of-2 free throws to go with 5 assists, 3 rebounds and a steal in 25 minutes… It was his seventh career double-digit scoring game, including his fifth this season.
- Bashir scored his 15 points on 5-of-10 field goals (all from 3-point range) with 5 assists, 2 rebounds and 2 steals in 16 minutes… He now has 43 career double-digit scoring games, including 7 this season.
- Johnson scored his 14 points on 5-of-7 field goals, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range, and 2-of-2 free throws to go with a game-high 6 assists and 5 steals in 21 minutes… He now has 47 career double-digit scoring games, including 7 this season.
WHAT'S NEXT
K-State plays its second true road game of the season on Saturday afternoon with a trip to Omaha, Neb., to take on Creighton (5-4) at CHI Health Center Omaha. The game will tipoff at 2 p.m., CT and will be broadcast nationally on FOX. The Wildcats' next home game will be Saturday, Dec. 20 against South Dakota at 11 a.m. CT.
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
MVSU
KState
FG%
.258
.576
3FG%
.222
.528
FT%
.813
.813
RB
30
45
TO
19
14
STL
8
13
Game Leaders
Pts
28
FGM
11
3FGM
5
FTM
1
Pts
19
FGM
6
3FGM
5
FTM
2
Pts
15
FGM
5
3FGM
5
FTM
0
Pts
14
FGM
5
3FGM
2
FTM
2
Players Mentioned
G
/ Men's Basketball
C
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
W
/ Men's BasketballG
/ Men's Basketball
G
/ Men's Basketball
W
/ Men's Basketball
W
/ Men's Basketball
W
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