WACO, Tex. (KStateSports.com) – VJ Edgecombe showed why he is considered one of the nation’s best freshmen, as the rookie scored a game-high 30 points in helping Baylor overcome a 12-point second-half deficit to post a 70-62 win over Kansas State on Wednesday night before 7,500 fans at Foster Pavilion.
Edgecombe scored 20 of his 30 points in the second half, as the Bears (12-6, 4-3 Big 12) connected on 60 percent (12-of-20) from the field while outscoring the Wildcats, 44-32. He finished the night 8-of-13 from the field, including 3-of-7 from 3-point range, and 11-of-12 from the free throw line. He was near perfect in the second half, going 5-of-5 on field goals and 9-of-10 on free throws.
The second-half offensive barrage came after Baylor shot just 25 percent (9-of-36) in the first half, including 28.6 percent (6-of-21) from 3-point range, as K-State (7-11, 1-6 Big 12) built a 10-point lead. The Bears were able to cut it to 30-26 at the break behind back-to-back 3-pointers from Edgecombe and graduate Norchad Omier.
K-State scored first 7 points out to start the second half en route to taking a 40-28 lead after a 3-pointer from junior Dug McDaniel at the 16:16 mark. After the Bears cut the deficit to 6 points with back-to-back 3-pointers, the Wildcats were able to answer with a 3-pointer from junior C.J. Jones and layup from David N’Guessan to lead 45-36 at the second media timeout with 11:47 to play.
Baylor was able to finally get going offensively out of the timeout, as a pair of free throws from graduate Jalen Celestine sparked a 13-3 run that gave the Bears a 49-48 lead and forced a timeout by Jerome Tang at the 7:44 mark. A jumper by N’Guessan briefly gave the Wildcats a lead before 3-pointers from Celestine and Edgecombe gave the Bears a 55-50 lead with 6 minutes to play.
Junior Brendan Hausen kept K-State within 57-56 after back-to-back 3-pointers with less than 5 minutes to play, but a 6-0 Baylor run pushed the lead out of reach at 67-58 with 1:03 remaining.
Three Wildcats scored in double figures, including a team-high 13 points for N’Guessan, who added 11 rebounds for his team-leading fourth double-double of the season and the seventh of his career. Hausen and McDaniel each finished with 12 points, while senior Coleman Hawkins dished out a team-high 7 assists (with zero turnovers) to go with 8 points and 9 rebounds.
Celestine joined Edgecombe in double figures with 18 points off the bench.
K-State finished the game shooting 43.6 percent (24-of-55) from the field, including 37.5 percent (9-of-24) from 3-point range, while Baylor shot 37.5 percent (21-of-55) from the field, including 37.9 percent (11-of-29) from long range. The team combined for just 13 turnovers.
The loss continued the woes for the Wildcats, who have now lost 6 in a row, the longest such streak under Tang, and 15 straight on the road.
The win was the first by Scott Drew over Tang, who spent 19 seasons on his coaching staff.
K-State returns home on Saturday to begin a 2-game homestand with a visit from No. 23/23 West Virginia (13-5, 4-3 Big 12) at 5 p.m., CT on CBS Sports Network. Tickets can be purchased online at kstatesports.com/tickets or by phone (800) 221.CATS.
HEAD COACH JEROME TANG
Opening statement…
“I was really proud of our guys’ effort tonight. They keep fighting. I just need to keep helping them find ways to help us. I remember back when I was at Baylor, and we started conference play 2-8 and everybody had given up on us. We were able to finish conference play 9-9, won three games at the Big 12 Championship and went to the Sweet 16. We beat Creighton in the second round when I think they were a three seed or two seed and had Doug McDermott. Things can turn just like that. We just have to keep fighting. We’re healthy physically, and I feel like we’re healthy mentally and spiritually. They’ve got a lot of fight in them. Great, great adjustment by coach Drew going to the zone in the second. I thought our guys executed our offensive game plan early and made him have to switch to the zone. And, I mean, we scored more points in the second half than we did in the first. It wasn’t a matter of points. We just got to figure out how to get stops down the stretch. And so that’s for us as a staff to look at and see what we could have done differently, and then, you know, be able to figure out how to draw more fouls and not foul as much, put them at the line as much.”
On not being able to stop Baylor in the second half…
“It’s hard to pinpoint one thing. I have to go watch the film. They went to the middle ball screen, getting VJ (Edgecombe) the ball either getting downhill from the middle or coming off of a floppy action, so he can curl. He had a couple of really great drives where I thought we were there, and he made a great play and finished or got fouled. And so, I have to look at it. I’m just remember, I just know that we were unable to, down the stretch, to really keep them out of the paint, and they were able to pick on what they wanted to pick on.”
On the performance of VJ Edgecombe…
“In the first half, we were switching so he wasn’t able to get the ball. But our switches weren’t as good as they needed to be in the second half, so he got going. Players when they see the ball going down, the basket just gets bigger and bigger. So, I tip my cap to him. He made plays that he was supposed to make. We didn’t do a good job of taking it away.”
On Coach Drew speaking to the team after the game…
“That’s my brother. Man. I absolutely love that man. He loves me. What I was most proud of was for our guys to see how the game of basketball can grow these types of special relationships. They transcend wins and losses and all of that. And you know, he was emotional, and because he loves me, and he knows that I love him, and, you know, I wish like I do, I wish this for my staff. I wish this for our players, that they could experience what I got to experience with Scott (Drew) and John (Jancek), Coach (Matthew) Driscoll and AB (Alvin Brooks III). The love that we have for each other, the support that we give each other, how we care about each other’s families. Man, I wish everybody could experience that, because you just can’t put it into words. And my prayer is that I could do something that would allow our guys and our staff just to feel a little bit of that and take it with them wherever they go. Because it’s just unbelievable. It’s just incredible. And I hurt when they lose. I hurt when they struggle, and I rejoice like I won when they win, and not tonight, but most, you know, but it’s just, it’s just a special thing, and so blessed to be able to have lived life with Scott and continue to live life with them now, and everybody else who was on staff together.”
FIRST HALF
K-State led 6-5 at the first media timeout behind jumpers from seniors David N’Guessan, Coleman Hawkins and Max Jones, but the Wildcats couldn’t take greater advantage of Baylor’s 0-of-7 start from the field with 3 early unforced turnovers.
A 3-pointer from freshman David Castillo from the top of the key gave the Wildcats an 11-10 edge at the 11:46 mark after a 5-0 spurt gave the Bears their first lead of the game. K-State continued to have its struggles with turnovers (5), while Baylor made just 3 of its first 17 shots.
A buzzer-beating 3-pointer by junior Dug McDaniel helped stake K-State to an 18-16 lead at the third media timeout with 7:38 to play before halftime. The Wildcats made 8 of their first 13 field goals, including both 3-point attempts, but the Bears kept the score close with their dominance on the offensive glass with 10 second-chance points on 10 offensive rebounds.
The McDaniel 3-pointer sparked a 10-0 run by K-State, as the Wildcats extended their lead to 25-16 before a timeout by head coach Scott Drew at the 3:56 mark. McDaniel had 7 of the 10 points in the run, as he connected on back-to-back layups before the timeout.
Baylor was able to answer out of the timeout to break the run, but a layup by sophomore Mobi Ikegwuruka and a 3-pointer from Max Jones gave K-State its largest lead at 30-20 with 2:35 to play before halftime. However, back-to-back 3-pointer from freshman VJ Edgecombe and graduate Norchad Omier closed the deficit to 30-26 at halftime.
Led by McDaniel’s 9 points, the Wildcats connected on 50 percent (13-of-26) in the first half, including 42.9 percent (3-of-7) from 3-point range. The Bears finished at just 25 percent (9-of-36) shooting in the half but held a 12-0 lead on second-chance points to make up for it. Edgecombe paced all scorers with his 10 points.
SECOND HALF
K-State opened up a 9-point lead less than 2 minutes into the second half behind a 3-pointer from junior Brendan Hausen and a layup by N’Guessan that forced a timeout by Baylor. The run grew to 7-0 on a dunk by N’Guessan out of the timeout before the Bears scored their first basket.
A McDaniel 3-pointer gave the Wildcats their largest lead at 40-28 before the Bears returned the favor to make it 40-31 at the first media timeout at the 15:42 mark. The teams played even over the next 4 minutes, as junior C.J. Jones answered a second consecutive Bear 3-pointer, while N’Guessan made a contested layup for a 45-36 lead with 11:47 to play.
A 6-0 run by Baylor forced a timeout by head coach Jerome Tang at the 9:54 mark, as the Bears closed to within one possession at 45-42. Hausen was able to connect from the corner to end the run, but the Bears continued to press as a 3-pointer by graduate Jalen Celestine gave them their first lead since the first half at 49-48 to force another timeout by Tang with 7:44 remaining.
A layup by N’Guessan gave K-State a 50-49 but back-to-back Baylor 3-pointers gave the Bears’ largest lead at 55-50 with 6:01 to play. Hausen was able to connect on a third 3-pointer to close the gap to 55-53 before Tang called his final timeout with 5:19 remaining.
After a pair of free throws by Baylor, Hausen connected on yet another 3-pointer to pull K-State within 57-56 but 4 straight free throws put the Bears up 61-56 just after the final media timeout with 3:45 to play. A jumper by Hawkins got the Wildcats to within one possession on the next series, but the Bears put the game away with 6 straight points.
BEYOND THE BOXSCORE
- K-State (7-11, 1-6 Big 12) lost to Baylor, 70-62, on Wednesday night in the first matchup between the schools at the now 2-year-old Foster Pavilion.
- The current 6-game losing streak is the longest under head coach Jerome Tang.
- K-State is now 0-6 away from home, including 0-4 in Big 12 road games… The team has lost 15 consecutive road games.
- The series is now tied at 26-wins apiece, as Baylor snapped a 3-game losing streak in the series… The Bears lead 25-21 in the Big 12 era, including 12-8 at home and 1-0 at Foster Pavilion… This was the first win by Scott Drew over his former assistant Jerome Tang.
- 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 eighth time and the seventh straight game… Hausen, M. Jones, Hawkins and N’Guessan have now started the first 18 games… All 18 of Hausen’s career starts have come at K-State.
- Hawkins now has 100 career starts (Illinois/K-State), M. Jones now has 99 career starts (Tampa/Cal State Fullerton/K-State), N’Guessan now has 57 career starts (all at K-State) and McDaniel now has 60 career starts (Michigan/K-State).
TEAM NOTES
- K-State scored its 62 points on 43.6 percent (24-of-55) shooting, including 37.5 percent (9-of-24) from 3-point range, while hitting on 55.6 percent (5-of-9) from the free throw line.
- The team combined for just 13 turnovers, including 9 by K-State… The Wildcats have just 14 turnovers in the past 2 games.
- K-State outscored Baylor, 30-16, in the paint… The 16 paint points were the second fewest allowed an opponent this season.
- Baylor held a 35-32 edge on the glass… After allowing 12 second-chance points in the first half, the Wildcats outscored the Bears, 9-2, in the second half on second-chance points.
- Baylor posted a 23-8 advantage in bench points.
INDIVIDUAL NOTES
- Three Wildcats scored in double figures led by 13 points from senior David N’Guessan and 12 points from junior Brendan Hausen and Dug McDaniel.
- N’Guessan scored his 13 points on 6-of-10 field goals and 1-of-4 free throws to go with 11 rebounds, 4 assists and 2 blocks in 30 minutes… He now has 41 career double-digit scoring games, including a team-leading 16 this season… It was his team-leading fourth double-double of the season and is seventh of his career.
- Hausen scored his 12 points on 4-of-10 field goals, including 4-of-9 from 3-point range… He now has 24 career double-digit scoring games, including 12 at K-State… He has made 4 or more 3-pointers in 8 games.
- McDaniel scored his 12 points on 5-of-11 field goals, including 2-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 4 rebounds and 2 assists in 36 minutes…. He now has 45 career double-digit scoring games, including 8 at K-State.
- Senior Coleman Hawkins dished out a team-high 7 assists to go with zero turnovers… He also added 8 points on 3-of-9 shooting and 9 rebounds.
