After winning back-to-back Big 12 Conference games, the K-State men’s basketball team will take the show on the road this weekend as they travel to face the No. 12 Texas Longhorns on Saturday.
K-State (13-7, 2-4 Big 12 Conference) won its first Big 12 game with an 77-75 overtime win over the Colorado Buffaloes last Saturday.
The Wildcats were able to carry that momentum over into Wednesday’s game against the Missouri Tigers. K-State came away with its second league victory by an 88-72 margin.
“You can say this is the best 40 minutes we played this year,” sophomore guard Jacob Pullen said. “We played well and had intensity.”
K-State will look to carry that intensity with them as the team makes the 700 mile journey to Austin, Texas.
“That’s how we’ve got to play,” head coach Frank Martin said. “As young as we are they’ve continued to believe and continued to work.”
The 88 points the Wildcats scored on Wednesday night was the highest point total they have had since Big 12 play started. K-State also shot a scorching 53 percent from the field, including 54.5 percent from behind the 3-point arc.
And once again K-State won the battle of the boards as the Wildcats out-rebounded the Tigers 39-35. K-State has now out-rebounded 17 of 20 opponents, including five of six Big 12 teams.
The Longhorns (15-4, 3-1 Big 12) come into Saturday’s contest winners of four of their last five Big 12 games. The only loss came to the Oklahoma Sooners in Norman, Okla. on Jan. 12.
Texas is lead by senior guard A.J. Abrams and Damion James. Abrams is seventh in conference is scoring at 17.0 points per game. James is also in the top 10 in scoring with 15.5 points per game and fifth in the Big 12 in rebounding with 8.4 per game.
The Longhorns are also at the top of the league in most defensive categories.
“Texas is pretty darn good,” Martin said. “We have to go in there and figure out a way to fight and survive and try to figure out a way to compete with one of the better teams in the nation.”
Tip off is set for 3 p.m. on Saturday and can be seen on KSNT channel 7.