How Kansas State took control against UMKC and won its first game of the season
Kansas State could do no wrong in the early moments of a 62-58 victory over UMKC, and that’s a big reason why the Wildcats won their first game of the season on Monday at Bramlage Coliseum.
They came out so hot that they raced to a 17-0 lead before the Kangaroos scored their first bucket on a three-pointer from Marvin Nesbitt … 8 minutes and 10 seconds into the game.
The Wildcats did a little bit of everything during that stretch. Nijel Pack go things started with a jumper, Mike McGuirl kept them going with a three-pointer, then DaJuan Gordon scored four straight points, Pack made a three and Selton Miguel poured in five straight points until the Roos finally pushed back.
“We did that last game against Colorado, too, so It’s not hard when we come out and play the right way and play with energy,” Gordon said. “We can get off to a hot start. The important thing is sustaining that throughout the game, which we didn’t do against Colorado and we did do tonight.”
As you might expect, K-State was unable to maintain that torrid pace for the entirety of the night, and only looked so-so the rest of the way, but it didn’t matter. That opening run was too much for the Roos to overcome. And it was more than enough for K-State to avoid its first 0-3 start since 1965.
Bruce Weber and K-State players can feel a little better about themselves as they return to practice this week and prepare for their next game against UNLV on Saturday.
“It means everything,” Pack said. “It gets our confidence boosted. Coaches talked about going on a winning streak. This was the first win in our winning streak. We want to keep that mentality going into our next game.”
No one on the roster will have more confidence than Gordon. The sophomore guard delivered one of his finest games in a K-State uniform by scoring 14 points and grabbing nine rebounds. Best of all, he was inefficient. Gordon only needed six shots to lead the Wildcats in scoring, connecting on four shots from the field and also knocking down six free throws.
He was hardest to guard around the basket, as he continually used his athleticism to slash his way to the rim for high-percentage shots.
Pack also had an impressive outing, making a trio of three-pointers on his way to 14 points. He also provided a calming influence whenever he was on the court. That showed most when he knocked down an important three to stop a 7-0 run from the Kangaroos in the second half.
This was a step forward for the Wildcats, even though the Roos battled back in the second half, after they began the season with consecutive losses against Drake and Colorado. In this odd season, any victory feels valuable regardless of circumstance.
“If we get a steal we have got to value that ball,” Weber said. “A couple layups and better decisions on fast breaks and then maybe we get the lead up to 20 and break their spirit. That didn’t happen ... But it was probably good for us to have to make free throws and execute down the stretch.”
It’s worth noting Kansas City was also a step down in competition, ranking 299th nationally in Ken Pomeroy’s college basketball database. But UMKC guard Brandon McKissic did look like a talented player on his way to a game-high 24 points. He made a three right before the final buzzer to pull the Roos within four.
Good thing K-State got off to such a commanding lead in the early moments.
This story was originally published November 30, 2020 at 9:17 PM.