Takeaways from Kansas State’s closer-than-expected victory over Louisiana Monroe
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- K-State escaped 94-85 against Louisiana Monroe after surrendering a 20-point lead late
- PJ Haggerty rescued the game with 24 points, eight rebounds and 10-of-11 free throws
- Bench duo Dorin Buca and Taj Manning delivered defense, rebounds and timely scoring
A win is a win.
That is the way Jerome Tang and the Kansas State men’s basketball team will choose to view a 94-85 victory against Louisiana Monroe on Sunday at Bramlage Coliseum. But not all victories are created equal. For that reason, few fans will be feeling great about the Wildcats after this kind of result.
Louisiana Monroe (3-11) is one of the lowest-rated teams in the country, but the visitors held an early lead against K-State (9-4) and refused to go away late in the second half. The Wildcats led 69-49 lead with 13 minutes to play, but the Warhawks pulled as close as four, at 75-71, in the final minutes.
K-State had to make clutch plays to avoid disaster on an afternoon when its players were clearly getting re-acclimiated after a holiday break.
“I thought it would take a little bit to get the junk out of us, which it did,” Tang said. “Then we got rolling, and then we went into a lapse. So we have got some things we need to clean up. But for the most part, I’m very pleased. We won, and it’s hard to win.”
PJ Haggerty led the charge with 24 points. He scored 23 of them in the second half. Haggerty did most of his damage from the free-throw line, where he went 10 of 11. Nate Johnson added 14 points and Abdi Bashir had 11 for the Wildcats.
This was the final nonconference game of the season for K-State.
Up next is a home game against BYU and the start of Big 12 play on Jan. 3.
“This is the best basketball conference in college basketball,” Haggerty said. “I’m looking forward to going in every night and competing and trying to come out with wins”.
Until then, here are takeaways from Sunday’s action:
PJ Haggerty continues to run hot and cold
K-State’s leading scorer looked well on his way to a forgettable game when he went 0 for 6 and only scored one point in the first half against ULM.
His shot was off and he was unable to draw fouls on his way to the basket.
But then he kicked his game into high gear and found a way to finish the day with a team-high 24 points. He also grabbed eight rebounds and sent out three assists.
“I would say in the second half shots just went in,” Haggerty said. “In the first half, I missed a couple bunnies. It’s part of the game. You have got to keep playing. I just never stop believing in myself. My teammates don’t ever stop believing in myself, even when I miss, they say, ‘Keep shooting.’ That just builds confidence. It’s a long game.”
This is not the first time this has happened this season. In several games, he has started slow and finished strong.
It is admirable that Haggerty is able to flip the switch and help his team win games, even when things aren’t going well early. But K-State would prefer he find a bit more consistency as the season goes on.
Dorin Buca and Taj Manning play well together
It has been fascinating to watch Dorin Buca and Taj Manning improve this season.
Both frontcourt players barely saw any playing time at the beginning of the year. Now they are two of the most valuable reserves on the roster.
Buca, a 7-foot-2 junior center from Italy, brings defense and inside scoring to the rotation. His size makes him an ideal rim protector. Whenever he is in the game, opposing teams are extremely hesitant to drive and score against him in the paint. He is also capable of finishing around the rim on offense.
He had seven points and three rebounds against ULM.
Manning continues to be a valuable role player for the Wildcats. He is never going to be a big-time scorer, but he plays well on defense and is a dependable rebounder. He also passes the ball, especially to fellow big men in the paint.
Against ULM, he had seven points and two rebounds.
Good things tend to happen when Buca and Manning are on the court together. The Wildcats outscored the Warhawks by eight points when both were on the court.
K-State suffered a holiday hangover in this game
Jerome Tang gave his players a lengthy holiday break around Christmas.
After the Wildcats defeated South Dakota last Saturday, everyone on the roster got five days off, which didn’t leave them much time to get back in their routine and prepare for this game.
It showed. K-State played like a team that was still on holiday break early and late against Louisiana Monroe.
“There was a little bit of rust,” Johnson said. “We had some jitters and other stuff to knock off, but it was good to get back in here and see the fans and all that.”
The Warhawks led for much of the first half as the Wildcats looked rusty on offense and slow on defense. Leading scorer Haggerty needed as much time as anyone to get re-set, as he scored one point and missed all five of his shots in the first half.
Tang thought so little of his starting lineup that he subbed in a fresh group of five players before the first media timeout arrived.
The Wildcats eventually found their groove and took a 46-36 lead into halftime. Later, they pulled ahead by 20. That was enough to secure a win.
Still, that score was closer than anyone expected, even with K-State returning to the court after a week between games.
This story was originally published December 28, 2025 at 3:30 PM.