First half

•  Key play: UMKC’s Fred Chatmon’s put-back cut Kansas State’s lead to 23-18, part of a 12-5 run that kept the Kangaroos close at halftime.

•  Key stat: The Wildcats gave up eight offensive rebounds, allowing UMKC to score nine second-chance points.

Second half

•  Key play: Nino Williams’ three-point play with 3:11 remaining put the Wildcats up 43-36.

•  Key stat: UMKC missed all five of its second-half shots from three-point range after going four for seven in the first half.

Up in the air

Playing a game four days after Christmas is good for attendance. It can be bad for travelers.

K-State guard Angel Rodriguez had the most problems, returning from Puerto Rico. The delay kept him out of Saturday’s game because he wasn’t able to get treatment for tendinitis in his foot. Guard Martavious Irving injured his knee in Friday’s practice and also sat out the game.

“We had guys sitting in airports for two days,” coach Bruce Weber said. “We missed one of our full practices. The second day, we were supposed to go twice and barely got everybody here.”

Rodriguez was scheduled to arrive in Manhattan on Wednesday. Instead, he returned midday Friday after spending hours in airports in San Juan and Chicago.

Weber said he hopes Rodriguez can play on Monday against South Dakota. He is not sure about Irving’s availability.

“I really hope Angel can make it back,” Weber said. “Otherwise he will be going two weeks without a game heading into Oklahoma State (Saturday). I don’t know about (Irving). His knee locked up, and he’s had it happen before, but never this bad.”

• UMKC forward Nelson Kirksey sat out because of an unspecified injury. He is expected to play Monday when UMKC plays Summit League opponent Nebraska-Omaha. Forward Trinity Hall, who started eight games, missed his third game after breaking his right hand against Appalachian State. Junior Kirk Korver, brother of the NBA’s Kyle Korver, started in Kirksey’s place.

• The Wildcats entered the game shooting 66.8 percent from the free-throw line and lowered that percentage by going 16 of 31.

• K-State played at home as a ranked team for the first time since a 63-60 loss to Oklahoma on Jan. 28, 2012. That loss, and one at Iowa State, knocked the Wildcats out of the rankings for the season.

• The 96 combined points tied for the fewest scored in the Big 12 era for K-State and an opponent. K-State defeated Iowa State 50-46 in 2009 at Hilton Coliseum. Kansas State is 16-1 overall and 10-0 at home against UMKC.