One thing has been quite evident in the 2022-23 college basketball season for the Kansas State Wildcats: winning on the road is a rare occurrence.
But on Saturday afternoon in Stillwater, Oklahoma, the Wildcats returned to their winning ways on the road, taking down the Cowboys, 73-68 for their first road win since Jan. 7 behind 22 points from guard Markquis Nowell.
“I hope that everyone who watched this game today saw our guy’s heart,” head coach Jerome Tang said following the game. “They just didn’t quit. We told them there was going to be adversity and that they had to look it in the face, smile, and then slap the crap out of it.”
The second half ended up being the major difference for the Wildcats on Saturday as the team overcame an eight-point Oklahoma State lead in the early stages of the half.
“We just stood poised and stood together in that time of the game,” Nowell said. “That was our goal coming into this game.”
For the second straight game, Nowell was the facilitator of the offense, shooting over 40% from the field, 90% from the free throw line and delivered eight assists in 40 minutes of game action.
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Other key performances on Saturday came from forward Keyontae Johnson with 17 points and guard Desi Sills who scored 10 in 30 minutes of action. Off the bench, forward David N’Guessan had six and forward Ismael Massoud finished with five including a crucial 3-pointer late in the game.
The Wildcats now have 10 wins on the season in conference play and will enter the month of March with two more conference matchups at home against Oklahoma on Wednesday and on the road in West Virginia on Saturday, March 4. At 22-7 overall and 10-6 in conference, the team currently sits in third place in the Big 12.
