K-State basketball fends off Mississippi Valley State for 74-56 win

The Kansas State Wildcats got all they could handle from the Mississippi Valley State Delta Devils on Tuesday night, but still pulled out a sizable 74-56 victory to improve to 3-1 on the year.

K-State was a massive favorite entering the game, with some sportsbooks setting the spread as large as -39.5 favorite the Wildcats. It was an understandable line, given that MVSU came into the game ranked dead last in Division I, 364th in the country, according to KenPom.

The Delta Devils gave coach Jerome Tang and the Wildcats a tough battle, though, getting within 10 points of K-State with under five minutes to play. Kansas State found a way to overcome that late surge, however, going on a 12-4 run to end the game.

Junior center Ugonna Onyenso led K-State in scoring in the win, going for 16 points off the bench in just 12 minutes of action. He was one of three Wildcats in double figures, joined by junior guard C.J. Jones, who scored 12 points, and senior wing David N’Guessan, who added 10.

It was another difficult game for senior forward Coleman Hawkins, who scored just two points on 1-of-11 shooting, though he did tie his career high with 13 rebounds. Hawkins is shooting just 24.3% (9-of-37) from the floor this season.

Mississippi Valley State outshot K-State throughout the night, besting the Wildcats in shooting percentage, three-point percentage and free throw percentage. Turnovers were a major difference maker in Kansas State’s favor, though, with the Wildcats finishing +7 in turnover margin.

Kansas State will leave Manhattan for the first time this season when it returns to action at the Paradise Jam on St. Thomas, U.S. Virgin Islands. The Wildcats will face the George Washington Revolutionaries in the opening round on Friday, Nov. 22 at 7:00 p.m. central time.

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