Cats Rally Not Enough in Loss to Red Raiders

The Kansas State Wildcats briefly led in the second half, but eventually the 23rd-ranked Texas Tech Red Raiders proved too much and pulled away for a 77-63 win at Bramlage Coliseum that dropped the Wildcats to 0-4 in Big 12 play and 7-9 overall.

Cartier Diarra’s driving layup with 13:24 to play in the game gave K-State a 46-45 advantage, their first of the game after trailing 10-0 early and by as many as 15 points in the first half. But the Red Raiders responded with a 16-4 run that restored their double-digit advantage, and Kansas State got no closer than six points the rest of the way.

The Wildcats could not overcome 20 turnovers or a 31-23 deficit in rebounding. Tech in particular ran rampant on the offensive boards, snaring 14 offensive rebounds and turning them into 16 second-chance points.

Kyler Edwards led four Red Raiders in double figures with 24 points. Davide Moretti added 14, while Jahmi’us Ramsey and Kevin McCullar each scored 10. The Wildcats were paced by Diarra’s 19 points, with Xavier Sneed chipping in 14 points and Montavious Murphy scoring 11.

Both teams had notable absences from their starting lineups. Texas Tech was without their third-leading scorer, Terrence Shannon Jr., while K-State’s Mike McGuirl missed the game due to a concussion.

K-State is back in action on Saturday, when they host West Virginia at 1 pm.

POSTGAME AUDIO: Bruce Weber, Xavier Sneed, Montavious Murphy