KANSAS CITY, Mo. (KStateSports.com) – Baylor looked like a team playing on a bye, as the 7-seeded Bears used a hot-shooting first-half to jump out to a 17-point halftime lead en route to a 70-56 win over 10-seed Kansas State at the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship on Wednesday night at the T-Mobile Center.
Baylor (19-13) will now face No. 2 seed Texas Tech (24-7) in the quarterfinals on Thursday night.
Fresh legs proved to be the difference for the Bears, who connected on 53.1 percent (17-of-32) from the field in the first half in jumping out to a 41-24 lead at the half. The trio of senior Jayden Nunn (12 points), graduate Norchad Omier (10 points) and freshman V.J. Edgecombe (9 points) combined for 31 of the 41 points, connecting on 60.9 percent (14-of-23) from the field.
In comparison, K-State (16-17) shot just 31 percent (9-of-29) from the field in the first half, making just 1 of its first 12 attempts from 3-point range. Senior David N’Guessan, who finished with his third 20-point, 10-rebound performance, had 11 of the 24 first-half points on 4-of-5 field goals and 3-of-4 free throws while the rest of the team combined for 13 points on 5-of-24 shooting.
K-State performed better in the second half, outscoring Baylor, 32-29, while hitting on 42.9 percent (12-of-28) from the field, but could never get closer than 11 points in falling to the Bears for the second time this season.
N’Guessan led all scorers with 20 points on 8-of-9 field goals and 4-of-5 free throws to go with a team-high 10 rebounds in nearly 38 minutes. It was his seventh career 20-point game, including his team-leading sixth this season, while he collected the 10th double-double of his career, including his team-leading seventh this season. He was joined in double figures by junior Dug McDaniel (14 points) and senior Max Jones (10 points).
A pair of Bears collected double-doubles, as Edgecombe finished with 19 points on 7-of-15 field goals and 4-of-5 free throws to go with 10 rebounds, 3 assists and 3 steals, while Omier added 12 points and a game-high 14 rebounds. The duo was joined in double figures by Nunn, who had 18 points off the bench on 7-of-10 shooting, including 4-of-6 from 3-point range.
Baylor finished the night at 45.9 percent (28-of-61) from the field, including 33.3 percent (7-of-21) from 3-point range, with 42 of its 70 points coming in the paint. The Bears had 16 assists on their 28 made field goals with just 6 turnovers.
K-State hit on just 36.8 percent (21-of-57) from the field, including 12 percent (3-of-25) from 3-point range, with just 10 assists. The team fell to 2-13 this season when scoring less than 70 points.
With the win, Baylor now takes the lead in the all-time series, 27-26, while evening the all-time record in Big 12 Championship play at 3 wins each.
K-State is now 39-46 all-time at the Big Eight/12 Championship dating back to 1977, including 19-28 at the Big 12 Championship. The Wildcats are now 1-1 in second-round games, including a 5-4 mark as the tournament’s No. 10 seed.
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
Opening statement…
“First of all, just want to thank my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, for the blessing of being able to lead this program and live life with these young men. Man, I just wanted to be able to spend one more day with them, and that’s just my whole goal. Can we just go one more day and, you know? And it’s never easy when the season ends either way, you know. I’ve only been really happy at the end of one season, you know, and because you never wanted to, not because of the outcome is because of the end of the relationships, and because the team’s never the same the next year. And so, just super thankful for the time I’ve got to spend with all these guys. And you know, Baylor did play better than we did tonight, and they deserve all the credit.”
On what he told the team in the locker room…
“That I love them. It’s been a joy to coach him and to have them call me coach. This year, we’ve learned that one of the definitions for coach is a vehicle that takes people from one place to the next safely, and my job this year was to get them from where they were at to where they wanted to go safely. And, you know, it’s a journey. I don’t know that we got there fully, but for the rest of my life. And there’s they can call me coach, and I can be someone that helps them get there. So, you know, that’s just wanting to know they’re loved.”
On what David N’Guessan has meant to this program…
“I’ll go to that word ‘consistency’ that you asked about. He’s been so consistent as a human being, showing up every day and working really hard and to get better and caring with a big heart and representing our university, model student, model citizen, terrific son. I’m so proud that he calls me coach.”
On the message to the team as take the next steps in their lives…
“We’re going to look back on this season that we had, and the ups and downs and everything that took place, and we’re going to be able to say, ‘Man, that’s why God had me go through what I went through, and it’s prepared them for something next,’ and we don’t know what it is, but they’ll know when it happens. And I asked them to make sure they send me a text; I hope I’m alive. They send me a text, say, coach, remember when we went through this and this? That’s what I learned, and now I’m handling this situation, and so, you know, just you can have struggle and success at the same time. And I love the fact that I’ve seen these guys have success in the midst of the struggles.”
FIRST HALF
K-State got off to a fast start, as senior David N’Guessan scored on back-to-back layups to force a quick timeout by Baylor head coach Scott Drew. The timeout worked as the Bears responded with back-to-back buckets to knot the game at 4-all. Senior Max Jones converted on a jumper and a pair of free throws to push the Wildcats ahead 8-6 at the first media timeout.
A second-chance 3-pointer from senior Jayden Nunn sparked a personal 7-0 run, as Baylor jumped ahead 13-8 to force a timeout by head coach Jerome Tang at the 13:58 mark. The lead grew to 16-10 on a last-second 3-pointer by senior Jalen Celestine, but 3 straight points from N’Guessan pulled K-State to within 16-13 at the second media timeout with 11:51 on the clock.
Five straight points by the Bears out of the timeout sparked a 12-5 run that increased the lead to double figures at 28-18. Junior Dug McDaniel scored on consecutive possessions to get the Wildcats to within 30-22 at the third media timeout at the 4:55 mark.
A McDaniel layup right before the last media timeout kept the lead at 32-24 but Baylor ended the half on a 9-0 run to take a 41-24 lead at the break. The Bears converted on 53.1 percent (17-of-32) from the field, including 40 percent (4-of-10) from 3-point range, while holding the Wildcats to 31 percent (9-of-29) shooting, including 8.3 percent (1-of-12) from beyond the arc.
Nunn (12 points) and fifth-year Norchad Omier (10 points) combined for 22 points.
SECOND HALF
McDaniel opened the scoring in the second half with a 3-pointer, but Nunn quickly answered on the other end for Baylor. The teams increased their lead to 18 (46-27) with a dunk from Omier. The team exchanged baskets before the media timeout at the 13:43 mark, as the Bears led 50-34.
Both teams struggled to shoot the ball over the next few minutes, as Tang took a timeout after a basket by McDaniel with K-State trailing 52-36 at the 11:51 mark. Back-to-back baskets by N’Guessan pulled the Wildcats within 58-44 prompting a timeout by Drew with less than 9 minutes to play. A McDaniel layup closed the deficit to 58-46 at the third media timeout.
Baylor was able to score 6 of the next 8 points out of the timeout to pull back ahead 64-47. A pair of free throws by senior Max Jones and a 3-pointer by senior Coleman Hawkins got K-State within 68-56 with 1:57 to play but the Wildcats could get no closer in falling 70-56.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- K-State (16-17) saw its run at the Big 12 Championship end in a 70-56 loss to 7-seed Baylor (19-13) at the T-Mobile Center in Kansas City on Wednesday night.
- K-State is now 39-46 all-time at the Big Eight/12 Championship dating back to 1977, including 19-28 at the Big 12 Championship… The Wildcats are now 1-1 in second-round games, including a 5-4 mark as the tournament’s No. 10 seed.
- Baylor now takes the lead in the all-time series, 27-26, while evening the all-time record in Big 12 Championship play at 3 wins each.
- K-State used a starting lineup of junior Dug McDaniel, junior Brendan Hausen, senior Max Jones, senior Coleman Hawkins and senior David N’Guessan for the 20th time this season… Hausen, M. Jones and N’Guessan have now started all 33 games.
- M. Jones now has 114 career starts (Tampa/Cal State Fullerton/K-State), N’Guessan now has 72 career starts (all at K-State), McDaniel now has 75 career starts (Michigan/K-State) and Hawkins now has 112 career starts (Illinois/K-State).
- All 33 of Hausen’s career starts have come at K-State.
TEAM NOTES
- K-State scored its 56 points on 36.8 percent (21-of-57) shooting, including 12 percent (3-of-25) from 3-point range, while hitting on 84.6 percent (11-of-13) from the free throw line.
- K-State is now 2-13 this season when scoring less than 70 points.
- Baylor out-scored K-State, 42-32, in the paint.
- Baylor held a 37-32 advantage on the glass, turning 10 offensive rebounds into a 10-4 edge in second-chance points.
- Baylor led 41-24 at the halftime, as K-State fell to 1-12 when trailing at the half.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Three Wildcats scored in double figures led by a game-high 20 points from senior David N’Guessan… He was joined in double figures by junior Dug McDaniels (14 points) and senior Max Jones (10 points).
- N’Guessan scored his 20 points on 8-of-9 field goals and 4-of-5 free throws to go with 10 rebounds… It was his seventh career 20-point game, including his team-leading sixth this season… He now has 51 career double-digit scoring games, including 26 this season.
- N’Guessan finishes as the school single-season and career field goal percentage leader… he ended the season at 64.4 percent (179-of-278) from the field while he finished at 63.6 percent (367-of-577) for his career.
- N’Guessan collected the 10th double-double of his career, including his team-leading seventh this season… It marked his third 20-point, 10-rebound performance, which have all come in 2024-25.
- McDaniel scored his 14 points on 6-of-17 field goals and 1-of-2 free throws to go with 7 rebounds, 5 assists and a steal in 38 minutes… He now has 58 career double-digit scoring games, including 21 this season (14 in Big 12 play).
- Jones scored his 10 points on 3-of-10 field goals in 35 minutes… He now has 83 career double-digit scoring games, including 18 this season.
