K-State takes positives away from narrow loss at KU

A controversial last-second defeat at Allen Fieldhouse left Kansas State basketball players with mixed emotions.

On one hand, the Wildcats suffered their most painful loss of the season. On the other hand, it was arguably their finest performance.

Should they walk away discouraged by a 90-88 loss in which officials missed a travel by KU guard Svi Mykhailiuk on the final play? Or was it a moral victory?

“We just gave the No. 3 team in the country a good game,” K-State senior Wesley Iwundu said Tuesday night. “Moving forward we just have to keep our heads high and just foucs on our opponents the next game. We played a great game today. We shouldn’t be upset with ourselves.”

“No matter what, we will still have doubts,” countered K-State forward D.J. Johnson, “because we didn’t get the win.”

But those doubts are no longer as large as they once were. K-State (12-2, 1-1 Big 12) gained some national respect by fighting back from a 10-point halftime deficit to give itself a shot at beating Kansas (13-1, 2-0) inside a building where the Jayhawks have won 48 straight and the Wildcats haven’t won since 2006.

The Wildcats came with an eyelash of pulling the upset. Many of th 16,300 in attendance held their breath as Dean Wade attempted an open three-pointer on K-State’s final possession. Iwundu called it a “great look” and a shot Wade makes “nine out of 10” times. A swish would have given K-State a 91-88 lead in the closing seconds. Instead, Wade’s shot bounced off the top of the rim and the Wildcats couldn’t hang onto the rebound.

Kansas won, but not without drama.

“We gave a heck of an effort,” Weber said. “We have got a good group. I think we proved we belong.”

KU coach Bill Self echoed that sentiment, saying the Wildcats should have been 13-0 coming into the game. K-State’s only other loss came by a single point on a neutral court against Maryland in a game K-State held a late lead.

The Wildcats’ two losses have come by a combined three points.

“We learned at Colorado State, we learned at Maryland, we learned at Boston College,” Weber said. “We are a good team. we keep battling and keep coming back.”

Weber was asked if this loss would provide K-State with extra motivation as it returns to action Saturday against Oklahoma. He hopes so, saying his team needs to rally together the same way K-State’s football team did following narrow losses to West Virginia and Oklahoma State on its way to a 9-4 season.

He will continue to empasize improvement.

“It’s done and over with,” Weber said of the KU loss. “We have got to worry about Saturday. It’s a long season with a lot of basketball left. A lot of good things can happen. They have got to come back to our place, but before that there are a whole bunch of games and we have to get better.”

Iwundu is confident that will occur.

He is also looking forward to the rematch on Feb. 6 at Bramlage Coliseum.

“We will see them again,” Iwundu said. “We are passed this and looking forward to the next game.”

This story was originally published January 4, 2017 at 3:47 PM with the headline "K-State takes positives away from narrow loss at KU."