Three things we learned from Kansas State’s thrilling victory over Oklahoma State
Nijel Pack hit a deep three-pointer with 2.2 seconds remaining to lift the Kansas State men’s basketball team to an exhilarating 71-68 victory over Oklahoma State on Wednesday at Bramlage Coliseum.
It was fitting that the sophomore guard won the game for the Wildcats. He was red hot all night.
Pack scored 22 points and showed no fear on the game’s decisive play by taking an inbound pass near mid court with 6.6 seconds remaining and draining a shot from beyond the NBA three-point line as Oklahoma State defenders reacted to his every move.
The shot gave K-State an important victory and Pack a little bit of personal redemption after failing to make clutch plays in previous games this season.
“I have missed a few of those throughout the year,” Pack said afterward. “I mean, Oklahoma and Kansas, I missed and those hurt. But I’m glad to be able to make one finally.”
This game was also different for Pack in the sense that K-State’s best all-around player got lots of help from his supporting cast.
Mark Smith had 18 points and eight rebounds, Markquis Nowell finished with 12 points and Mike McGuirl delivered six points, 10 rebounds and four assists.
That was just enough for the Wildcats (11-10, 3-6 Big 12) to end a three-game losing streak and earn an important victory against the Cowboys (10-11, 3-6 Big 12), who were led by 22 points from Bryce Thompson.
“I couldn’t be happier for our guys,” K-State coach Bruce Weber said. “We have been through a lot. We have lost some heart breakers and we got one back tonight.”
K-State will next be in action on Saturday at TCU.
Here are some key takeaways from its thrilling victory over Oklahoma State:
Impressive game for Nijel Pack
Pack did more than just hit a game-winning shot for the Wildcats.
He did a little bit of everything to help his team win this game. For starters, he scored a game high 22 points and made shots from all over. The Indianapolis native was at his best in the first half when he was literally perfect, scoring 13 points on 5 of 5 shooting. It felt like he could do no wrong with the ball in his hands.
His biggest play came at the end of the first half when Oklahoma State foolishly allowed the sophomore guard to dribble up court and attempt an uncontested three-pointer at the buzzer. His shot swished through the net and gave K-State a 39-32 lead.
You could call it an exclamation mark. The Wildcats closed the first half on a 13-0 run after trailing 32-26.
Pack went on to make his next two shots of the second half but then cooled off a bit and missed eight of his final 10 attempts. Some of that can be explained by his decision to attack the rim off the dribble rather than continue to take jump shots.
“I kind of expected that to happen,” Pack said. “A perfect game would be beautiful, but I expected to miss some. My teammates were able to do really well and picked up the slack in there and we kept up with them. We got some key stops at the end of the game and then we made the last shot.”
The game went back and forth as Pack cooled off, with the lead changing 11 times. But he saved his best for last.
The Wildcats are at their best when Pack plays well, and that was most definitely the case on Wednesday. He is playing like an All Big 12 player this season, averaging 16.6 points. More game-winning shots like the one he made against Oklahoma State could help him make a push for first-team honors.
Davion Bradford shows improvement
One thing the Wildcats have been missing badly this season is solid play inside.
Weber has cycled through four different starters at the center position this season, including three different players in each of the past three games.
One by one, they have all seemed to disappoint. But they may have found something with Davion Bradford in this game. The sophomore big man got off to an excellent start and finished with seven points and three rebounds. It was his best game in weeks.
Bradford started the game with a dunk, later made a layup and also had a nice assist from the paint to Markquis Nowell in the corner, which he immediately turned into a three-pointer.
He could have had an even better game, but he missed some open shots near the basket as the game wore on.
It has been a disappointing season for Bradford but he might be able to build off this.
This was also a bounce-back effort for McGuirl. The senior guard had six points, 10 rebounds and four assists. The Wildcats will usually take their chances when they get something out of McGuirl and their front court. They both made a difference against the Cowboys.
Sixth place in the Big 12 up for grabs
K-State has moved into a tie for sixth place in the Big 12 standings.
That may sound surprising when you consider the Wildcats have been stuck in last since conference play began earlier this month, but it’s true. There is more parity than usual in the Big 12, and that is apparent when you look at the bottom half of the standings.
Iowa State, K-State, Oklahoma and Oklahoma State are all tied for sixth with identical 3-6 conference records. West Virginia isn’t far behind at 2-6.
Weber said competing for sixth place was motivation for his team coming into this game. Perhaps that will push them to keep competing in games as the league race continues. The top six teams in the Big 12 usually reach the NCAA Tournament.
A flicker of hope remains that K-State could get there after a win like this.
“It means nothing if we if we lose, honestly,” McGuirl said. “But it’s going be huge once we start winning. So it’s a step in the right direction.”
This story was originally published February 2, 2022 at 10:21 PM with the headline "Three things we learned from Kansas State’s thrilling victory over Oklahoma State."