Manhattan
Another basketball game ended in disappointment for Kansas State when it lost to TCU 77-68 on Saturday at Bramlage Coliseum.
The Wildcats fought hard for most of the afternoon, as the Horned Frogs never led by more than 11. It was a tightly contested game until the last few minutes. But that wasn’t enough for K-State to surge ahead or celebrate a victory.
A late 9-0 run from the Horned Frogs was the deciding factor in this one.
The Wildcats (11-18, 2-14 Big 12) have lost three in a row and 14 of their last 16. They are trending toward their worst conference record in the Big 12 era. The Horned Frogs (19-10, 9-7 Big 12) continued their march toward an NCAA Tournament berth with the win.
K-State will next be in action on Tuesday against West Virginia.
Until then, here are takeaways from Saturday’s action:
PJ Haggerty and Nate Johnson need more help
The last time K-State won a basketball game, its two best scorers went off.
PJ Haggerty erupted for 34 points, Nate Johnson exploded for 33 points and the Wildcats thumped Baylor 90-74 in Matthew Driscoll’s first game as interim head coach.
It was an encouraging game from both players. The Wildcats were able to beat a Big 12 opponent when both of them played their best. But K-State hasn’t been able to win lately under any other circumstances.
Saturday’s loss was another reminder that Haggerty and Johnson require help from their supporting cast. Haggerty scored 18 and Johnson chipped in 16, but it wasn’t enough.
No other K-State player scored more than eight.
Andrej Kostic should have played more this season
One player who has improved his form under the guidance of Driscoll is Andrej Kostic.
The Serbian guard has averaged 7.8 points per game since Jerome Tang was fired earlier this month. He made a pair of 3-pointers against TCU on Saturday.
He has more than enough offensive skills to help this team. But his defense is subpar. He is also still adjusting to life as a college basketball player. He would be further along in his development had Tang chosen to play him earlier in the season.
Kostic was relegated to the bench for early on and didn’t even see action in nine games.
Driscoll trusts him, though. So he is getting playing time now. If he had more experience he would likely be more of a factor.
K-State fans finally had a reason to cheer
The loudest moment of this game didn’t come after a dunk or 3-pointer from K-State.
Instead, fans roared with approval when TCU center Xavier Edmonds missed a pair of free throws with 15:57 remaining in the second half. Why? Not just because it meant the Horned Frogs had an empty trip to the foul line, but because it meant everyone in attendance had just won free breadsticks.
Pizza Hut gives away free breadsticks to K-State fans anytime the visiting team misses back-to-back free throws in the second half of a game at the Octagon of Doom.
Fans haven’t benefited from the promotion many times this season. Opposing teams have been clutch from the free-throw line. But K-State fans were able to distract Edmonds enough to get their prize.
It gave them a rare reason to cheer in an otherwise disappointing season.
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Kellis Robinett covers Kansas State athletics for The Wichita Eagle and The Kansas City Star. A winner of more than a dozen national writing awards, he lives in Manhattan with his wife and four children.