First half

• Key play: Jordan Henriquez threw down a dunk off a lob pass from Will Spradling, energizing the crowd.

•  Key stat: K-State opened on a 36-6 run.

Second half

• Key play: Walk-on Ryan Schultz, a former Maize and Hutchinson Community College standout, scored for K-State in mop-up duty.

•  Key stat: Alabama-Huntsville made 16 percent of its shots for the game.

Abuse of pizza

In an effort to fill the student section for Tuesday’s game, K-State offered free pizza to the first 2,000 students who arrived. The special food offer was met with mixed reactions. Though enough students showed up to fill the seats seen on the ESPN2 broadcast during play, the section was two-thirds full at best. Some students took advantage of the pizza deal by grabbing a slice and leaving before tipoff. K-State players hope attendance picks up once Big 12 play begins. Its two home games during the NIT Season Tip-Off were played in front of sparse crowds.

• The NIT Season Tip-Off is the only major early season tournament that requires host teams to win two games before advancing to the final rounds. Most select their four finalists in advance. While the NIT’s system is unique and guarantees a true champion, it leaves the tournament at risk of unappealing matchups in the final rounds, played in New York. Delaware knocked Virginia out of the finals on Tuesday, for example. Had Alabama-Huntsville pulled the upset over K-State on Tuesday, a Division II team would have played two games at Madison Square Garden.

• Nino Williams missed most of the second half after suffering an injury to his right elbow. Team trainers treated him on the bench, and he seemed to be in good spirits.

• Coach Bruce Weber spread the minutes around again. Thirteen Wildcats played.

• North Texas rebounded from a surprising loss to Alabama-Huntsville by defeating Lamar 74-59 in the other game Tuesday at Bramlage.