GARDNER-WEBB (0-3) at WICHITA STATE (3-0)
TUESDAY, NOV. 19, 2019 | 7:05 P.M. CT
WICHITA, KAN./ CHARLES KOCH ARENA (10,506)
TV: YURVIEW KS (COX HD 2022 / YurView.com/Kansas)
RADIO: KEYN (103.7 FM / GoShockers.com/Listen)
SERIES: WSU LEADS 1-0

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The Wichita State Shockers (3-0) welcome the Gardner-Webb Bulldogs (0-3) for a 7 p.m. Tuesday tip.

TICKETS:
Tickets are still available for this game, as well as for the Nov. 23 ORU contest at 316-978-FANS or goshockers.com/Tickets

TUNE IN:
Tuesday’s matchup will air statewide on YurView Kansas, available to Cox subscribers on HD 2022 and to fans in all 50 states on YurView.com/Kansas. Shane Dennis and Bob Hull have the call. Division I college basketball’s most-tenured tandem, Mike Kennedy and Dave Dahl, tip off their 39th season together on radio (KEYN 103.7 FM and online at goshockers.com/listen).

THE GREGG MARSHALL SHOW:
Catch the Gregg Marshall Show on Monday nights throughout the season. Join host Mike Kennedy and Coach Marshall LIVE from 6-7 p.m. at A.J.’s Sports Grill at The Alley, or listen on KFH (97.5 FM / 1240 AM). The show is rebroadcast in a television format Mondays at 9 p.m. on YurView Kansas (Cox 2022). Upcoming Dates: Nov. 18, Dec. 2, 9, 16

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OPENING TIPS:

• The Shockers are coming off a 103-62 win over UT Martin on Saturday. Tyson Etienne (21 points) and Jamarius Burton (18) both set career scoring highs and combined to hit nine of the Shockers’ school record-tying 15 three-pointers. WSU shot 56.3% and won the rebounding (+16) and turnover battles (+9). Their 29 assists was fifth-most in AAC history and the most by a Shocker team at home since CKA’s 2003 renovation.
• GWU (23-12 last year) is coming off its first NCAA tournament appearance. The 15th-seeded Bulldogs led eventual national champ Virginia by 14 points in the first half before bowing 71-56.
• This is only the second meeting between the schools.On Dec. 12, 2008 in Wichita, the Shockers won 76-64 behind Toure’ Murry’s 19 points and six assists.
• Despite heavy minutes from true freshmen point guards, the Shockers entered the week ranked second nationally in both assist-to-turnover ratio (2.08) and turnovers-per-game (8.0). They’re also among the top-10 in turnover margin (9th, +9.3).
• WSU is in search of its sixth 4-0 start in the last eight years (and the 24th 4-0 start in school history).
• As of Monday, 74 teams are still undefeated. WSU is one of only seven to do it while shooting less than 40% from the field: Vermont (4-0; 38.4%), Manhattan (2-0; 38.6), Fordham (3-0; 38.9), Temple (3-0; 39.2), WSU (3-0; 39.4), Virginia (3-0; 39.8) and Brown (3-0; 39.8).
• Burton became the second Shocker in as many weeks to land on the American Athletic Conference Honor Roll.  He finished with 18 points, six rebounds and five assists in 22 turnover-free minutes against UTM. The team was +35 with him on the floor.
• Dexter Dennis ranks among the AAC’s top-10 in scoring (10th, 14.3), threes-per-game (t-3rd, 2.7), blocks (t-9th, 1.0), defensive rebounds (t-9th, 5.7) and three-point percentage (10th, .444).

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SCOUTING THE BULLDOGS:

• Gardner-Webb (located in Boiling Springs, N.C.) made its first ever NCAA tournament appearance last spring after upsetting regular season champion Radford in the Big South tournament final. Seeded 16^th, the Runnin’ Bulldogs held a 14-point first-half lead over eventual national champion Virginia before falling 71-56.
• All-conference guard and leading scorer David Efianyi and BSC Tournament MVP DJ Laster both graduated, but the Bulldogs otherwise return three starters and five of their top-seven scorers.
• Gardner-Webb is picked second in the Big South Conference. The Bulldogs earned more first-place votes than preseason favorite Radford (14 to 13), but lost in overall points (299-295).  Gregg Marshall‘s former team, Winthrop, is picked third.
• The Bulldogs (0-3) opened with a 70-63 home loss against Furman (WSU’s 2019 NIT first round opponent) then dropped road games at Western Kentucky (71-59) and No. 6 North Carolina (77-61).
• GWU plays four of its first five games this year against KenPom top-100 opponents. In addition to Furman, UNC and WSU, the Bulldogs also have a Friday date at South Carolina (WSU’s Cancun semifinal opponent).
• 6-foot-5 sophomore guard Jose Perez leads the team in points (14.7), assists (3.3) and minutes (35.3). He was named first team preseason all-conference after landing on the Big South’s All-Freshman Team last spring. Perez scored 19 points against Virginia in last year’s NCAA tournament.
• 6-3 junior wing Nate Johnson — a second team preseason all-conference pick – averages 8.0 points in 32.3 minutes. He has a team-high eight steals.
• Ludovic Dufeal is the team’s leading rbounder (6.0) and shot-blocker (6).

MATCHUP MASHUP:

• GWU’s Kareem Reid and WSU’s Tyson Etienne played together last year at Putnam Science Academy in Connecticut. Both players were rated as four-star prospects. The team went 38-2 with a No. 2 national ranking and reached the semifinals of the National Prep Championship.
• G-W joined the Big South in 2008-09 – two years after Gregg Marshall left Winthrop from WSU. Marshall faced the Bulldogs three times in non-conference games, winning twice.
• GWU won the 2019 Big South Tournament. Marshall did it seven times in his nine seasons at Winthrop.

NOT MANY WITH 20:

• Freshman guard Tyson Etienne scored 21 points off the bench in WSU’s 103-62 win over UT Martin. It was only the fourth 20-point game by a Shocker true freshman in Gregg Marshall‘s 13 seasons.

20-Point Games by Shocker Freshmen (Marshall Era):
23 — Toure’ Murry (Fr.) – MISSOURI ST. (2/10/2009)
23 – Landry Shamet (R-Fr.) – at Missouri St. (2/25/2017)
22 – Garrett Stutz (Fr.) – CENTENARY (11/24/2008)
21 – Landry Shamet (R-Fr.) – SOUTH DAKOTA ST. (12/22/2016)
21 – Erik Stevenson (Fr.) – RICE (11/25/2018)
21 – Tyson Etienne (Fr.) – UT MARTIN (11/16/2019)
20 – Landry Shamet (R-Fr.) – vs. Kentucky (3/19/2017)

FRESH TAKES:

• Freshmen guard Tyson Etienne and Grant Sherfield have as many combined steals (11) as turnovers (11) this year.
• Etienne’s six steals are the most by a WSU frosh in his first three games since Aubrey Sherrod 38 years ago.
• Sherrod — an eventual second round pick by the NBA’s Chicago Bulls — tallied seven in his first three contests during the 1981-82 season. He still ranks seventh on WSU’s all-time steals list (148).
• Sherfield has five steals — a total matched only by Sherrod, Etienne, Jamar Howard (2001-02) and Landry Shamet (2015-16).
• Toure’ Murry owns WSU’s single-season freshman record (44 in 2008-09).

Most Steals by a WSU Freshman; First 3 Games (1980-Pr.):
7 — Aubrey Sherrod (1981-82)
6 — Tyson Etienne (2019-20)
5 — Grant Sherfield (2019-20)
5 — Jamar Howard (2001-02)
5 — Landry Shamet (2015-16)
* = season ending foot injury after 3 games

LEARNING TO SHARE:

• What a difference a week makes:
• The Shockers’ assist total against Texas Southern (6) was their lowest in a home game since Feb. 8, 2011 when they registered six assists on 18 baskets in a 56-53 loss to Southern Illinois. It tied the Marshall Era low.
• The Shockers’ assist total against UT Martin (29) was the fifth-highest in American Athletic Conference history and the most by a WSU team at Charles Koch Arena since its 2003 renovation.

3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3-3 :

• Wichita State’s 15 three-pointers (on 28 attempts) against UT Martin tied a school record set four times previously (most recently Feb. 20, 2019 at Tulsa).
• Tyson Etienne (5-of-8), Jamarius Burton (4-of-5), Trey Wade (2-of-3) and Erik Stevenson (2-of-3) did the bulk of the damage.
• The Shockers tied another school mark with 10 first-half treys on just 15 attempts.

WSU Single-Game: 3-Point Field Goals (All-Time):
15/26  — Md. Eastern Shore (11/20/2016)
15/28 – UT Martin (11/16/2019)
15/30 – Northern Iowa (1/4/2003)
15/33 – at Tulsa (2/20/2019)
15/34 – South Dakota St. (12/22/2016)

YOUNG AT HEART:

• An already youthful roster gets even younger without senior Jaime Echenique. 10 of the 13 players that have seen action are freshmen or sophomores. Underclassmen have accounted for over 80% of the minutes.
• WSU has had at least one freshman on the court for every second of every game (39-straight) going back to last year’s season opener.
• KenPom puts the Shockers among the bottom-10 nationally in his experience rankings.

KenPom // Least-Experienced Rotations (as of Monday, Nov. 18):
1. Memphis (3-1) — 8 Fr., 3 So., 1 Sr. averaging 10%+ of teams’ minutes
2. Utah (3-0) — 7 Fr., 3 So., 1 Jr.
3. Incarnate Word (1-3) — 7 Fr., 2 So., 2 Jr.
4. Central Conn. (0-4) — 6 Fr., 1 So., 1 Jr., 1 Sr.
5. Virginia Tech (4-0) — 6 Fr., 21 So.,  Jr.,
6. USC Upstate (1-3) — 4 Fr., 6 So., 1 Jr.
7. Holy Cross (0-3) — 4 Fr., 2 So., 2 Jr.,
8. Wichita St. (3-0) — 4 Fr., 5 So., 2 Jr.

DEPTH CHARGED:

• Boosted by big scoring efforts from Tyson Etienne (21 points) and Jamarius Burton (18), Wichita State reserves combined for 56 points in the Nov. 16 win over UT Martin.
• It was the third-highest bench scoring total in school history.

WSU Single-Game // Bench Points:
68 – Savannah St. (11/28/2017); W, 112-66
64 – Md.-Eastern Shore (11/20/2016); W, 116-79
56 – UT Martin (11/16/2019); W, 103-62

TRENDING:

• A year after ranking second-to-last in the 12-team American Athletic Conference in three-point percentage (.310), the Shockers have hit a league-best .367 from deep (.387; 29-of-75). WSU, Tulane and Memphis are the only AAC schools shooting better from the new three-point distance than they did last year.
• The Shockers are in the midt of a five-game homestand — their longest since 2003-04.  They’ll play a school record 19 regular season home games in 2019-20.
• WSU’s shooting percentage against Texas Southern (24.2%) was the lowest by a winning team in a Division I game in nearly five years. On Nov. 14, 2014, Temple toppled American 40-37. The Owls shot 22.9% (11-of-48) while holding their opponent to just under 31%.
• WSU made 34 free throws in the TSU win — fifth-most in a Division I game this season (as of Monday).
• Dexter Dennis has the team’s longest active starting streak: 16-straight going back to last Feb. 20.

GETTING ALL DEFENSIVE:

• Going back to last March, the Shockers have held six-straight and 16 of their last 19 opponents to 40-percent-or-less from the field.
• WSU foes made more than half of their shots on just two occasions in 2018-19: Alabama (.510 on Nov. 19 at the Charleston Classic) and Tulsa (.532; Feb. 3; Wichita).
• Since Jan. 1, 2014 (a span of 83 games) just two visiting teams have shot better than 50% against the Shockers at CKA. WSU defeated Tulsa 79-68 on Feb. 2, 2019 despite the Hurricane’s 53.2 percent shooting display. On Jan. 17, 2018, SMU shot 63.8 percent to claim an 83-78 upset against a Shocker team that ranked No. 7 in the national polls.

THREE’S COMPANY:

• Dexter Dennis has connected on a three-pointer in 20 consecutive games going back to last season. It’s the fifth-longest streak in school history. Dennis is 50-of-114 (.439) since his streak began back on Feb. 2, 2019.
• Dennis made 54 threes with 40% accuracy as a freshman in 2018-19, but the bulk of the damage came in the second half of the year. He hit 42 of those 54 triples over the final 17 games.

Consecutive Games w/ 3-Point Field Goal (WSU All-Time):
1. Conner Frankamp – 40 (1/1/2017 to 1/28/2018)
2. Landry Shamet – 29 (12/17/2016 to 11/22/2017)
3. Ron Baker – 27 (11/18/2014 to 2/22/2015)
4. Ron Baker – 25 (4/6/2013 to 2/5/2014)
5. Dexter Dennis – 20 (2/2/2019 to Present)

CENTER ROULETTE:

• With incumbent starter Jaime Echenique out, WSU has started a different center in each of its first three games:
• Sophomore Morris Udeze made his first career start against UT Martin and finished with a career-high 14 points on 6-of- 8 shooting to go with six rebounds in 18 minutes.
• Sophomore Isaiah Poor Bear-Chandler started the Texas Southern game (also his first career start). Despite coming off the bench on Saturday against UT Martin, he played the most of WSU’s three centers (23 minutes), hitting all four of his shots from the field en route to eight points, four rebounds and a block.
• Junior Asbjorn Midtgaard started the opener but logged just 17 minutes in the first two games. Saturday’s performance against UTM was arguably his best of the year. He put up four points, five rebounds (three of them on the offensive glass) in 13 minutes of action.
• Those three Shockers combined for 26 points, 11 rebounds on 12-of-16 shooting against UTM, compared to 8 points, 14 rebounds on 3-of-10 shooting against Texas Southern.

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A SHOCKER WIN WOULD….  
… make them 4-0 for the sixth time in Marshall’s 13 seasons and the 24th time in school history.
… up the series lead to 2-0 on GWU.
… make Marshall 4-1 against GWU.
…  give them six-straight home wins.
… give them eight-straight regular season victories going back to Feb. 28, 2019.
… make Marshall 506-196 (312-113 at WSU, 166-26 at CKA).

A SHOCKER LOSS WOULD…  
… drop them to 3-1.
… be just their second Nov. home loss since 2010.
… snap a five-game home winning streak.
… even the series with GWU at 1-1.
… be only their 27th at CKA under Marshall (165-27).
… be less good than a win.

UP NEXT: ORAL ROBERTS (Saturday, 2 p.m., YurKS)
WSU concludes its five-game homestand to begin the 2019-20 season when it plays host to Oral Roberts on Saturday afternoon. The 2 p.m. CT tip will air statewide on YurView Kansas (Cox HD 2022) and streams in all 50 states on YurView.com/Kansas and ESPN3.

GAME 4
KANSAS STATE (3-0) vs. ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF (0-3)
Tuesday, November 19, 2019 >> 7:02 p.m. CT >> Bramlage Coliseum (12,528) >> Manhattan, Kan.

TELEVISION
Big 12 Now on ESPN+

• Ben Boyle (play-by-play)
• Stan Weber (analyst)
• Missy Heidrick (sideline reporter)

RADIO
K-State Sports Network
Hutchinson:  KHMY 93.1 fm
Online: TuneIn.com [free] / www.kstatesports.com/watch [free]
Satellite Channel 974 [internet only]

• Wyatt Thompson (play-by-play)
• Matt Walters (analyst)

LIVE STATS
www.kstatesports.com
kstate.statbroadcast.com [media only]

TICKETS
www.kstatesports.com/tickets
(800) 221.CATS [2287]

Advanced Single Game: $5 (bench & GA)
Gameday: $10 (bench & GA)/$20 (chairback)
Group (12+): $3

COACHES
Kansas State: Bruce Weber (Wis.-Milwaukee ’78)
Overall: 466-244/22^nd season
At K-State: 153-89/8^th season
vs. UAPB: First meeting

Arkansas-Pine Bluff: George Ivory (Mississippi Valley State ’88)
Overall: 132-225/12^th season
At UAPB: 132-225/12^th season
vs. Kansas State: 0-1 (0-1 at home)

PROJECTED STARTING LINEUP
Kansas State (3-0)
G: #00 Mike McGuirl
G: #2 Cartier Diarra
G/F: #20 Xavier Sneed
F: #23 Montavious Murphy
F: #14 Makol Mawien

Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-3)
G: #10 Jamil Wilson
G: #23 Dequan Morris
G/F: #21 Shawn Doss
G/F: #3 Markedric Bell
F: #12 Terrance Banyard

SERIES HISTORY
Overall: K-State leads 4-0
Current Streak: K-State, 4
In Manhattan: K-State leads 4-0
At Bramlage Coliseum: K-State leads 4-0
Last Meeting: W, 90-76 [12/21/09 in Manhattan]
Weber vs. Ivory: First meeting

OPENING TIP

• Kansas State (3-0) concludes its brief 2-game homestand on Tuesday night, as the Wildcats play host to Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-3) at 7 p.m., CT at Bramlage Coliseum. The contest is the last of two home games affiliated with the Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans Fort Myers Tipoff, which began with a 73-54 win over Monmouth on Nov. 13. K-State will play in the championship rounds of the Tipoff beginning Monday, Nov. 25 with a matchup against Pittsburgh (2-2) at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. The winner will face either Bradley (2-1) or Northwestern (1-1) in the championship game on Wednesday, Nov. 27.
• The Wildcats have won 31 consecutive games against non-conference opponents at Bramlage Coliseum since the start of the 2015-16 season. Overall, the school has a 107-6 (.946) record at home venues in non-conference play since 2006-07, including 98-5 (.951) at Bramlage Coliseum, and has won 94 of its last 98 non-conference home games. The team went 10-3 in non-conference action in 2018-19, including 7-0 at home venues. The last non-conference home loss came to Tulsa, 61-54, on Dec. 9, 2017 in Wichita, while the last at Bramlage came to Georgia, 50-46, on Dec. 31, 2014.
• K-State is off to a 3-0 start for the fifth consecutive season and the sixth time in eight seasons under head coach Bruce Weber, as the Wildcats trailed at the half for the third consecutive game before rallying with a big second-half performance for a 73-54 win over Monmouth on Nov. 13. Down 29-20 at the half to the Hawks after shooting just 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from the field, including 0-of-10 from 3-point range, the Wildcats scored the first 9 points of the second half en route to a 37-6 combined run over the first 14 minutes of the half. The run enabled the squad to flip the 9-point halftime deficit into a 57-35 lead with 5:56 to play. Six different players had at least 7 points in the contest led by senior Xavier Sneed’s team-high 15, while senior Makol Mawien had a near double-double with 11 points and 9 rebounds.
• K-State has shown to be a second-half team in the early going, as the Wildcats are averaging 43.7 points on 54.2 percent (45-of-83) shooting, including 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from 3-point range, after halftime compared to 19 points on 29.9 percent (26-of-87) shooting, including 3.1 percent (1-of-32) from long range, in the first half.
• With the offense still developing, K-State has relied on its defensive foundation to grind out wins over North Dakota State, UNLV and Monmouth in the early going. The team is allowing a Big 12-best 54.7 points on 34.2 percent shooting (54-of-158), including 28.4 percent (21-of-74) from 3-point range, while forcing 19.3 turnovers per game. The Wildcats rank first in the Big 12 in scoring defense (54.7 ppg.), field goal percentage (34.2) and steals (10.3 spg.). After holding NDSU to 54 points (on 28.8 percent shooting), UNLV to 56 (34.5 percent shooting) and Monmouth to 54 (on 39.6 percent shooting), the team has now held 90 opponents (including 21 of their last 37 foes) to 60 points or less in the Weber era (nearly 40 percent of the 242 opponents) with the Wildcats boasting an 82-8 (.911) mark in those contests.

NOTES ON ARKANSAS-PINE BLUFF

• Arkansas-Pine Bluff (0-3) is currently in the midst of a 5-game road swing to start the 2019-20 season, dropping games at South Florida (41-70), No. 8 Gonzaga (60-110) and Grand Canyon (54-67) entering Tuesday’s game. The Golden Lions continue with road tilts at Pittsburgh on Thursday before finally returning home Nov. 25 to play Champion Christian.
• Arkansas-Pine Bluff is averaging 51.7 points on 36.9 percent shooting, including 25 percent from 3-point range, with 28.7 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 7.7 steals and 2.0 blocks per game, while allowing 82.3 points on 49.1 percent shooting, including 32.8 percent from 3-point range. The team has connected on 58.8 percent from the free throw line.
• Junior transfer Shaun Doss is the only Lion averaging in double figures at 12.3 points per game on 40 percent shooting, while three others – Dequan Morris (8.3 ppg.), Terrance Banyard (7.3 ppg.) and Markedric Bell (6.7 ppg.) – are all averaging 6 or more points. Morris leads the team in field goal percentage (53.3), while Banyard is tops in rebounding (5.0 rpg.).
• Arkansas-Pine Bluff posted a 13-19 overall record in 2018-19, including a third-place finish with a 10-8 mark in SWAC play.
• Head coach George Ivory enters his 12th season in 2019-10 with a 132-225 overall record, including a 110-88 mark in SWAC action. He led the Lions to the 2010 NCAA Tournament with an 18-16 record.

SERIES HISTORY

• K-State and Arkansas-Pine Bluff will meet for the fifth time and the first time since a 90-76 win by the Wildcats at Bramlage Coliseum on Dec. 21, 2009. The Wildcats are 4-0 all-time in the series, including a 69-63 win on Dec. 23, 1996, a 76-39 win on Dec. 4, 2002 and a 76-42 win on Nov. 29, 2004.
• This will be the first meeting for coach Bruce Weber against Arkansas-Pine Bluff. Ivory is 0-1 all-time against K-State, coaching against the Wildcats in the last matchup on Dec. 21, 2009.
•  K-State is 9-1 against teams with the SWAC with all 10 matchups coming at home. This will be the first meeting with a SWAC opponent since a 58-56 loss to Texas Southern on Dec. 28, 2014. This will be the first of two meetings with SWAC opponents, which includes a Dec. 11 game with Alabama State.

LAST TIME OUT: K-STATE 73, MONMOUTH 54

• Kansas State scored 53 points on 64.3 percent shooting after halftime, as the Wildcats used another second-half rally to pull away from Monmouth, 73-54, on Nov. 13 at Bramlage Coliseum.
• K-State has now trailed at the half in all 3 games and rallied in the second half to win.
• Down 29-20 at the half to Monmouth after shooting just 28.6 percent (8-of-28) from the field, including 0-of-10 from 3-point range, the Wildcats scored the first 9 points of the second half en route to a 37-6 combined run over the first 14 minutes of the half. The run enabled the squad to flip the 9-point halftime deficit into a 57-35 lead with 5:56 to play. Six players scored in the pivotal stretch, including 9 by senior Makol Mawien and seven each by senior Xavier Sneed and freshman Montavious Murphy.
• Sneed led the way in scoring for the second straight game with 15 points on 5-of-10 field goals to go with a career-tying 5 steals and 6 rebounds in 34 minutes. Mawien nearly had his second double-double of the season with 11 points on 3-of-5 shooting and a team-high 9 rebounds in 17 minutes. Three others – Murphy and juniors Cartier Diarra and David Sloan – each had 8 points, as Diarra added a career-high 7 assists and 4 steals.
• The Hawks, which connected on 54.5 percent (12-of-22) from the field in building a 9-point lead at half, hit on just 26.9 percent (7-of-26) in the second half. They became the third consecutive opponent to not reach 60 points against the stingy Wildcat defense, which is allowing just 54.7 points on 34.2 percent shooting this season.
• K-State registered 17 steals on the night, which were the third-most in school history and the most since team tied the program record with 19 steals in a win over Northern Arizona on Nov. 20, 2017.
• The Wildcats finished the game at 46.4 percent (26-of-56), including 21.1 percent (4-of-19) from 3-point range, and converted on 70.8 percent (17-of-24) from the free throw line. The team set or tied season-highs in a number of categories, including points (73), field goals (26), field goal percentage (46.4), assists (17), points in the paint (38) and fast-break points (22).
• Of the Wildcats’ 200 points this season, 98 have come in the paint.

LEADING WITH DEFENSE

• K-State continued its reputation as one of the top defensive teams in the country under head coach Bruce Weber to start the season, holding its first three opponents to a Big 12-best 54.7 points on 34.2 percent shooting (54-of-158), including 28.4 percent (21-of-74) from 3-point range.
• K-State has held 21 of its last 37 opponents to 60 points or less with just two eclipsing 70. The squad has held 90 opponents to 60 points or less in Bruce Weber‘s tenure, boasting an 82-8 mark in those contests.
• K-State had one of the top defensive teams in the country in 2018-19, holding opponents to 59.6 points on 41.5 percent shooting, including 31.4 percent from 3-point range, while forcing 14.8 turnovers per game and
• averaging 7.5 steals per game. The Wildcats ranked among the nation’s best in a number of defensive categories, including fourth in scoring defense, 16th in turnover margin (+3.5), 36th in 3-point field goal percentage defense, 43rd in total steals (256) and 48th in steals per game. The squad led the Big 12 in steals and turnover margin, while was second in scoring defense and rebounding defense (32.1) and third in 3-point field goal percentage defense.
• The 59.6 points per game average was the lowest opponent scoring average since the introduction of the shot clock in 1985-86, surpassing the 60.4 points per game average in 2012-13, while it was the sixth-lowest all-time and the lowest since the 1982-83 team allowed 58.4 points per game. Only eight other teams (1948-49, 1949-50, 1950-51, 1961-62, 1980-81, 1981-82, 1982-83) allowed less than 60 points per game in school history.
• K-State has held foes to an average of 14.5 points under their average, including a 14.6 average in Big 12 play. Eleven opponents (6 Big 12 foes) were held to 20 or more points under their average, most notably Texas Tech (26.6), TCU (25.4 and 23.5), Iowa State (24.3) and OSU (21.8).
• In Big 12 play, K-State allowed 59.6 points per game on 42.6 percent shooting, including 33.8 percent from 3-point range. It is the school’s lowest defensive scoring average in a Big 12 season and a tie for the ninth-best in a conference season and the lowest since 1961-62. The Wildcats held Big 12 opponents (Iowa State, TCU [twice], Texas Tech, Oklahoma State [twice], West Virginia, Baylor and Oklahoma) to 60 points or less on 9 occasions.
• In the 58-45 win over No. 14/13 Texas Tech last season, the Wildcat defense had their most impressive effort, holding the Red Raiders to the fewest by a conference foe under Weber and the fewest since 2003.

FIRST HALF VS. SECOND HALF

• K-State has had a unique start to the season, having trailed at halftime in all three games before rallying in the second half to win each game. It marks the first time in more than two decades that the Wildcats have rallied from halftime deficits in three consecutive games and the first time in recorded history in the first three games of the season.
• The Wildcats have almost been two different teams from the first half to the second half, averaging 19.0 points on 29.9 percent (26-of-87) shooting, including 3.1 percent (1-of-32) from 3-point range, in the opening half to averaging 43.7 points on 54.2 percent (45-of-83) shooting, including 41.4 percent (12-of-29) from long range, after halftime. The team has scored 21, 16 and 20 in the first half of the first three games before posting 46, 44 and 53 in the second half. The team had nearly as many points in the second half (53) vs. Monmouth as they have had in three games in the first half (57).
• Not only is the scoring different from each half, the team has taken better care of the ball with 32 assists (to 16 turnovers) in the second half compared to 11 assists (to 22 turnovers) in the first half. Five players – Cartier Diarra (31), Xavier Sneed (25), Makol Mawien (19), Levi Stockard III (13) and DaJuan Gordon (10) – have totaled double-digit points in the second half, compared to just two – Sneed (14) and Diarra (12) – in the first half.
• No player more exemplifies this than Diarra, who is averaging 10.3 points on 40.9 percent (9-of-22) shooting, including 28.6 percent (2-of-7) from 3-point range, in the second half with 12 assists and 4 turnovers. He is averaging just 4.0 points on 28.6 percent (6-of-21), including missing all 10 3-point field goal attempts, in the first half with 6 assists and 4 turnovers. Others with big jumps include Sneed (4.7 points to 8.3 points) and fellow senior Makol Mawien (3.0 points to 6.3 points).
• There has been greater flip from first half to second half than the win over Monmouth on Nov. 13. K-State scored just 20 points in the opening half on 28.6 percent (8-of-28) shooting, including missing all 10 3-point attempts, with just 3 assists (with 8 turnovers) on its 8 made field goals.
• In the second half, the Wildcats flipped a 9-point halftime deficit into a 57-35 lead with under 14 minutes to play behind a 37-6 run. Overall, the team scored 53 points after halftime on 64.3 percent (18-of-28) shooting, including 44.4 percent (4-of-9) from 3-point range, with 14 assists (on just 5 turnovers) on its 18 made field goals. The 53 points were the most second-half points since scoring 58 vs. Eastern Kentucky on Nov. 16, 2018.

SCORING INSIDE THE 3-POINT LINE

• With its struggles from the 3-point line to start the year, K-State is getting much of its scoring from inside the arc. Of the 200 points scored so far, 120 have come from 2-point field goals, including 98 inside the paint.
• The Wildcats are connecting on 53.1 percent (60-of-113) inside the 3-point line compared to just 22.2 percent (14-of-63) from 3-point range.
• The 98 points in the paint through the first three games are the most since scoring 110 in the first three games of the 2015-16 season.

DIARRA PROVING TO BE A SOLID PG

• Junior Cartier Diarra is proving to be a solid point guard for the Wildcats, averaging a team-best 14.3 points on 34.1 percent (15-of-44) shooting with 6.3 assists, 4.7 rebounds and 1.7 steals in 32.9 minutes per game. He has led the team in assists in three straight games to start the season.
• Diarra’s 19 assists are the most by a Wildcat in the first three games since assists began being kept in 1976-77, surpassing the previous three-game high of 17 done Gaylon Nickerson (1991-92), Askia Jones (1992-93) and Aaron Swartzendruber (1996-97).
• Diarra was the only player to score in double figures in the first two games, including a career-best 23 points in the season opener against North Dakota State on Nov. 5, connecting on 8-of-21 field goals, including 2-of-8 from 3-point range, and went a perfect 5-of-5 from the free throw line to go with 6 rebounds and 6 assists in 32 minutes. He followed that with 12 points before fouling out in the overtime win at UNLV on Nov. 9.
• Although he struggled shooting the ball against Monmouth on Nov. 13, Diarra made up for it with an all-around effort, which included a career-best 7 assists, 4 steals and 4 rebounds to go with 8 points in 32 minutes.

SNEED GETTING HOT

• Senior Xavier Sneed has led the Wildcats in scoring in the last two games, averaging 17 points in wins against UNLV and Monmouth, after struggling with just 9 points in the opener against North Dakota State.
• Sneed scored a season-high 19 points in the overtime win over the Runnin’ Rebels, including the go-ahead jumper with 28 seconds left, then followed that up with a 15-point effort in the over Monmouth.

NON-CONFERENCE HISTORY

• K-State has a 107-6 (.946) record at home venues (includes home games played at Bramlage Coliseum, INTRUST Bank Arena in Wichita and the Sprint Center in Kansas City) in non-conference play dating back to the 2006-07 season, including a 98-5 (.951) mark at Bramlage Coliseum
• The Wildcats have won 94 of their last 98 non-conference home games, including a 31-game winning streak at Bramlage Coliseum. The last home non-conference loss came against Georgia, 50-46, on Dec. 31, 2014.
• K-State has posted a 143-36 (.798) record in non-conference play since the 2006-07 season, which includes a 10-3 (.769) mark in 2018-19. The team has posted double-digit non-conference wins in 12 of the last 13 years.
• Since going 7-6 in non-conference in 2014-15, which included back-to-back losses to Texas Southern and Georgia, the Wildcats has won double-digit non-conference games each of the past four seasons and is 46-9 (.836) in non-conference play since the start of 2015-16 season.

A LOOK AT THE 31 STRAIGHT NON-CONFERENCE WINS AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

• A closer look at K-State’s current 31-game non-conference winning streak at Bramlage Coliseum, which dates to the start of the 2015-16 season. The Wildcats have won by an average of more than 17 points per game.

 

• 11/13/15 — Maryland-Eastern Shore, 80-53
• 11/16/15 — Columbia, 81-71
• 11/20/15 — South Dakota, 93-72
• 11/29/15 — South Carolina State, 68-66
• 12/9/15 — Coppin State, 83-58
• 12/22/16 — North Dakota, 63-49
• 12/29/16 — Saint Louis, 75-47
• 1/30/16 — Ole Miss, 69-64 (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
• 11/11/16 — Western Illinois, 82-55
• 11/15/16 — Omaha, 81-68
• 11/20/16 — Hampton, 89-67
• 11/22/16 — Robert Morris, 61-40
• 11/30/16 — Green Bay, 80-61
• 12/6/16 — Prairie View A&M, 74-55
• 12/21/16 — Gardner-Webb, 67-54
• 11/10/17 — American, 83-45
• 11/14/17 — UMKC, 72-51
• 11/17/17 — UC Irvine, 71-49
• 11/20/17 — Northern Arizona, 80-58
• 11/29/17 — Oral Roberts, 77-68
• 12/5/17 — USC Upstate, 86-49
• 12/16/17 — SE Missouri State, 89-71
• 1/27/18 — Georgia, 56-51 (Big 12/SEC Challenge)
• 11/9/18 — Kennesaw State, 56-41
• 11/12/18 — Denver, 64-56
• 11/24/18 — Lehigh, 77-58
• 12/15/18 — Georgia State, 71-59
• 12/19/18 — Southern Miss, 55-51
• 12/29/18 — George Mason, 59-58
• 11/5/19 – North Dakota State, 67-54
• 11/13/19 – Monmouth, 73-54

HISTORY AT BRAMLAGE COLISEUM

• K-State has posted a 380-118 (.763) all-time record at Bramlage Coliseum since its opening during the 1988-89 season. The 380 wins are the most at a home venue for the Wildcats, surpassing the 378 wins at Ahearn Field House (1950-88). It is the school’s third home venue.
• K-State has registered a 180-38 (.826) record at home over the past 14 seasons, including a 79-33 (.705) mark in Big 12 play. The 180 wins rank fourth among all Big 12 schools in that span, while the 79 league victories at home are only surpassed by Kansas and Texas. In all, the program has earned double-digit victories in 26 of its 31 seasons in the arena, including a current streak of 18 straight seasons.
• K-State has a 240-61 (.797) record at home, including a 140-10 (.933) mark in non-conference action, since the 2001-02 season for an average of just over 13 home wins (13.3) per season in that span.
• Head coach Bruce Weber has tallied a 96-22 (.814) record at Bramlage Coliseum since taking over at K-State in 2012-13 with non-conference home losses to Northern Colorado (2013), Texas Southern (2014) and Georgia (2014). The 22 losses (19 of which have come in Big 12 play) have come by a grand total of 174 points or just 7.9 points per game.

‘CATS EARN FIRST OVERTIME ROAD WIN SINCE 2015

• Senior Xavier Sneed scored a season-high 19 points, including 4 of the team’s last 6 points in overtime, to help propel K-State to a 60-56 come-from-behind victory at UNLV on Nov. 9 at the Thomas and Mack Center.
• Playing in their first overtime in more than a year, the Wildcats went back and forth with the Runnin’ Rebels in the extra session before a jumper by Sneed with 28 seconds left gave the team the lead for good at 56-54. A deflection off a missed shot by senior Amauri Hardy went the way of K-State with 18 seconds, and junior Mike McGuirl calmly sank a pair of free throws to extend the lead to 58-54 with 13 seconds remaining.
• Freshman DaJuan Gordon blocked a desperation 3-pointer by junior Jonah Antonio on the next Rebel possession with 7 seconds to play and Sneed finished off the Wildcat scoring with two free throws for a 60-54 lead with 4 seconds. A lay-up Hardy at the buzzer closed the scoring at 60-56.
• Playing in their earliest road game in school history, the Wildcats claimed their first non-conference true road victory in close to two years, snapping a 3-game losing streak, and earned their first overtime victory in a road venue since a 66-63 win at No. 16 Oklahoma on Jan. 10, 2015.

‘CATS WIN OPENER AGAIN

• K-State opened the season with a hard-fought 67-54 win over preseason Summit League favorite North Dakota State on Nov. 5. Behind the play of junior Cartier Diarra who scored a career-high 23 points, the Wildcats used a second-half resurgence to break open a tight game.
• K-State is now 91-25 (.784) all-time in season openers dating to the first season in 1903, including a 79-9 (.898) mark at home. The Wildcats have a 26-2 (.929) record in season openers played at Bramlage Coliseum. Overall, the team is now 28-4 (.875) at Bramlage Coliseum in home openers. Head coach Bruce Weber is now 7-1 (.875) in season openers at K-State.
• It marked the first time the school has opened a season against an NCAA Tournament opponent in nearly 20 seasons (an 88-69 loss at Arizona on Nov. 16, 1999) and the first time at home since hosting Purdue (with  then head coach and K-State alum Gene Keady and assistant coach Bruce Weber) in the first-ever game at Bramlage Coliseum on Nov. 26, 1988.

A QUICK LOOK AT K-STATE

• The Wildcats return nine lettermen, including four players (Xavier Sneed, Makol Mawien, Cartier Diarra and Mike McGuirl) who registered starts, in 2019-20 from a squad that posted a 25-9 overall record a year ago and earned a share of the Big 12 regular-season championship for the second time under head coach Bruce Weber. The 25-win season was the seventh in school history, including the first time in consecutive seasons. K-State is one of just 24 schools  — 15 in power conferences — and 3 in the Big 12 (Kansas and Texas Tech) — with 25 wins in each of the last 2 seasons.
• All-Big 12 honorable mention Xavier Sneed (10.6 ppg., 5.5 rpg.), fellow senior Makol Mawien (7.0 ppg., 4.9 rpg.) and key reserve and junior Cartier Diarra (6.8 ppg., 3.3 rpg.) form the core of a group returning for the Wildcats,  who must replace their top three scorers in Barry Brown, Jr. (14.6 ppg.), Dean Wade (12.9 ppg.) and Kamau Stokes (11.0 ppg.). All three have played pivotal roles with the consecutive 25-win seasons, including 71 and 70 starts, respectively, by Mawien and Sneed and major minutes by Diarra.
• Sneed is the team’s top returner in nearly every stat category, including scoring (349), rebounding (182), assists (64), steals (45) and minutes (1014). He enters his senior season ranking 29th on the school’s all-time scoring list with 1,008 points having seen action in 105 career games with starts in 70 of the last 71 games. Mawien, who has started every game of his K-State career, has the fifth-highest career field goal percentage (56.1; 204-of-364) in school history after posting the sixth-highest (59.8; 104-of-174) field goal percentage in a single season as a junior in 2017-18. Diarra scored in double figures in four consecutive games, including three in Big 12 play, before missing eight games due to a broken finger. He did come back to play in the last three games with Wade out for the season, including a 15-point effort against Iowa State in the semifinals of the Phillips 66 Big 12 Championship and a 9-point effort in the NCAA Tournament.
• The Wildcats also return rising senior Pierson McAtee (0.5 ppg., 0.5 rpg.), juniors Mike McGuirl (3.6 ppg., 1.5 rpg.), Levi Stockard III (1.8 ppg., 1.5 rpg.) and James Love III (0.3 ppg., 0.4 rpg.), sophomores Nigel Shadd (0.2 ppg., 0.4 rpg.) and Shaun Williams [was Neal-Williams] (1.4 ppg., 1.1 rpg.).

‘CATS WELCOME FIVE NEWCOMERS

• The Wildcats will welcome five newcomers in 2019-20, including a pair of junior college transfers (David Sloan and Joe Petrakis) and three true freshmen (Antonio Gordon, DaJuan Gordon and Montavious Murphy).
• Sloan was regarded as one of the top community colleges players in the country (and a Top 150 player out of high school) in 2018-19 after helping John A. Logan College to a 27-5 overall record as a sophomore. The NJCAA All-American twice led the NJCAA ranks in both total assists and assists per game, including 10.2 assists per game a year ago.
• The freshmen were all consensus Top 200 prospects, as the recruiting class was a consensus Top 40 class nationally by a number of recruiting services, ranking No. 39 by Rivals.com and No. 40 by 247Sports.com. DaJuan Gordon was a consensus Top 150 player by both recruiting services.
• Antonio Gordon scored nearly 1,600 points in his high school career at Eisenhower High School in Lawton, Okla., and averaged 26.3 points and 10.1 rebounds as a senior in 2018-19. DaJuan Gordon was the Chicago Sun-Times City Player of the Year after averaging 17.6 points in leading Curie to the school’s first city title. Murphy was one of the best players in Houston and a finalist for the Guy V. Lewis Award, averaging 19 points and 10 rebounds as a senior at Concordia Lutheran.

‘CATS PICKED NINTH IN BIG 12 POLL;
SNEED NAMED HONORABLE MENTION ALL-BIG 12

• K-State was picked to finish ninth by the league coaches in the annual Big 12 Preseason poll released on Oct. 17, as the Wildcats received 23 points. Kansas was selected first for the ninth consecutive season, while Baylor, Texas Tech, Texas and West Virginia rounded out the Top 5.
• The ninth-place selection tied for the lowest by a K-State team in the history of the 10-team poll, joining the 2016-17 team which was also picked to finish ninth by the league coaches. The team has been picked to finish eighth or worse 13 times in the history of the 24-year poll, including eighth in 2001-02, 2003-04, 2008-09, 2015-16 and 2017-18, ninth in 1996-97, 2004-05, 10th in 1999-2000, 11th in 2002-03 and 2005-06 and 12th in 1997-98 and 2000-01.
• Senior Xavier Sneed was one of eight players to be selected to the honorable mention All-Big 12 preseason team, along with Oklahoma’s Kristian Doolittle, Oklahoma State’s Yor Anei, Texas’ Matt Coleman, Texas Tech’s Chris Clarke, Davide Moretti and Jahmi’us Ramey and West Virginia’s Derek Culver.
• Kansas’ Udoka Azubuike and Devon Dotson, along with Baylor’s Tristan Clark, Iowa State’s Tyrese Haliburton and TCU’s Desmond Bane were named to the Preseason All-Big 12 team. Azubuike was the Preseason Player of the Year, while Chris Clarke was the Preseason Newcomer of the Year and West Virginia’s Oscar Tshiebwe was the Preseason Freshman of the Year.

SNEED NAMED CANDIDATE FOR JULIUS ERVING AWARD

• Senior Xavier Sneed was named one of 20 watch list members for the 2020 Julius Erving Small Forward of the Year Award, as announced by the Naismith Basketball Hall of Fame on Oct. 16.
• Sneed was one of two Big 12 players named to the watch list, including Texas Tech transfer Chris Clarke. Other candidates include Arizona’s Josh Green, Duke’s Matthew Hurt, Florida’s Scottie Lewis, Gonzaga’s Corey Kispert, Harvard’s Seth Towns, Kentucky’s Kahlil Whitney, Louisville’s Jordan Nwora, Memphis’ Precious Achiuwa, Oregon State’s Tres Tinkle, Providence’s Alpha Diallo, Purdue’s Nojel Eastern, St. John’s L.J. Figueroa, Syracuse’s Elijah Hughes, Vermont’s Anthony Lamb, Villanova’s Saddiq Bey, Washington’s Jaden McDaniels, Washington State’s C.J. Elleby and Xavier’s Naji Marshall.
• Wade is the first K-State player to be a preseason candidate for the Wooden Award since Rodney McGruder in 2012. Jacob Pullen, who was a preseason candidate in 2010, was the last Wildcat to earn recognition to the Wooden All-American team, while Michael Beasley (2008) was the last finalist.
• The 20-member watch list for the Erving Award will be narrowed to just 10 by mid-February. In March, five finalists will be presented to Julius Erving and the Hall of Fame’s selection committee. The winner will be presented at The College Basketball Awards presented by Wendy’s on April 10, 2020.

UP NEXT: VS. PITTSBURGH (2-2)

• K-State opens semifinal play in Rocket Mortgage by Quicken Loans Fort Myers Tipoff against Pittsburgh (2-2, 1-0 ACC) at 5 p.m., CT on Monday at the Suncoast Credit Union Arena in Fort Myers, Fla. The winner will play either Bradley (2-1) or Northwestern (1-1) in the championship game at 7:30 p.m., CT on Wednesday. The losers will play in the third-place game at 5 p.m., CT.

MEXICO CITY, Mexico – Chiefs Rewind with Mitch Holthus and Shawn Barber after win over the Chargers on Monday night.

MANHATTAN, Kan. – K-State used a school record 33 points in the first quarter and went over 100 points for the second time under Jeff Mittie to coast to a 109-69 victory over Oral Roberts. The 109 points were the most points scored by K-State since the 2002 season and the third most in Wildcat history. The win extended K-State’s win streak over non-conference opponents to 10 inside Bramlage Coliseum.

“It was probably as good of a start as we could’ve imagined,” said Mittie. “Obviously, we were hot early. I think our defense was really good early. That first quarter of throwing up thirty-three and then following it up in the second quarter with thirty, we just were in a really good rhythm. We were timely tonight with passes. We were really aggressive pushing the ball, and defensively we got after them. We’ve got to foul less. That’s a problem. We’ve got to correct those things, but all in all, pretty pleased with the performance.”

The Wildcats (3-0) had seven players in double figures. K-State was led by sophomore guard Christianna Carr, who notched a career high 24 points with 20 in the first half. She knocked down five threes to go along with four rebounds and two assists.

Redshirt freshman Ayoka Lee continued her hot start to the season, as the center tallied a double-double with a career high 20 points and 11 rebounds.

Junior guard Rachel Ranke contributed 16 points, including three three-point field goals, while senior forward Peyton Williams secured her second straight double-double with 11 points and 13 rebounds. Senior guard Jasauen Beard also dropped 11 points to go with four rebounds and two blocks.

Redshirt sophomore guard Cymone Goodrich and sophomore guard Savannah Simmons both hit double digit scoring efforts with 10 points each. For Simmons, the 10 points set a career high to go along with four assists off the bench.

K-State bolted out of the gates in the first quarter, and aside from a few turnovers and foul trouble, ended the first quarter strong with a 20-point lead thanks to a 19-2 run in the middle of the quarter.

The hot shooting continued through the second quarter, as the Wildcats scored 30 behind a team shooting percentage of 68 percent from the field, including 50 percent from three. The ball movement was fantastic, and 17 first-half assists helped put K-State up 63-32 at the break.

Halftime didn’t cool off the Cats. Just 14 seconds into the second half, Peyton Williams knocked down a three pointer to open up the scoring. Lee tallied five points in the first minute and 45 seconds of the third quarter. Lee and Beard each had six points in the third, and K-State held a 92-50 lead heading to the final frame.

A Beard free throw put K-State over the century mark for the first time in four years.

The Wildcats concluded their historic night shooting 55.1 percent from the field and knocking down 10 three pointers at a 47.6 percent rate. Senior guard Angela Harris played a huge role as distributor, as her nine assists are most by a K-State player this year. As a team, the Wildcats dished out 27 assists on their 38 made baskets.

Defensively, K-State swiped 15 steals from Oral Roberts, including three from both Williams and Goodrich. The Wildcats converted the turnovers into 26 points in the victory.

K-State will have six days off before its next game, as the Wildcats host UT Arlington on Sunday at 2 p.m. For tickets, call the K-State Athletics Ticket Office at (800) 221-CATS or visit kstatesports.com/tickets.

Sunday’s game will be broadcast on Big 12 Now on ESPN+, on the K-State Sports Network and for free at kstatesports.com.

What They Said

JEFF MITTIE, HEAD COACH
Opening statement…
“Well it was probably as good of a start as we could’ve imagined. Obviously we were hot early. I think our defense was really good early. That first quarter of throwing up thirty-three and then following it up in the second quarter with thirty, we just were in a really good rhythm. We were timely tonight with passes. We were really aggressive pushing the ball, and defensively we got after them. We’ve got to foul less. That’s a problem. We’ve got to correct those things, but all in all, pretty pleased with the performance.”

On if Ayoka Lee and Christianna Carr provided the spark tonight…
“Chrissy obviously got so hot from three and we were really finding her. That was a problem for Oral Roberts, because we were stretching them at the three and then Yoki was getting great position down there. I thought that we had a pretty good balance at that time. You don’t want to get too three hungry when you can throw it into Yoki and get good looks there, so our balance at that time was pretty solid. I thought Angela Harris, after the initial couple of turnovers, she really had a nice game of vision up the floor and finding people timely. I think that it all went together, obviously very well. That’s as good as I’ve seen us play offensively this year.”

On ball movement…
“Yeah, the ball moved as well as it has all year. We prepared a lot for them to potentially play some junk defense because they’ve played the buzz some. They’ve played matchup defense. They’ve played a 1-2-2, and so we were trying to get it moving. We probably have worked less man the last day and a half. We wanted to get out in transition because I was afraid that if they did go zone, I didn’t want us walking the ball up the floor so I wanted us attacking. They never went zone, so I just liked our attack. I really think what’s key for our shooters, though, is to get to the free throw line. Chrissy is doing a better job of mixing her game up so it’s not just 0-of-3 from three. If you’re 0-of-3 from three, that’s going to happen but can you get four free throws in that stretch to watch it go through three out of four or something like that? That’s different, and it’s different for Rachel as well, because she’s getting to the free throw line better than she did a year ago.”

On if foul troubles for Peyton Williams posed a challenge for Ayoka Lee…
“I think it posed a big problem for everybody, because Ashley Ray tweaked her ankle in practice yesterday and was limited. She spent the whole time last night trying to get ready to play whatever minutes, because we did not want to play Peyton (Williams) a lot of minutes. It did stress Yoki a little bit. She went some extended stretches there, but we got good production. Emma Chapman came in and gave us a nice lift. Laura (Macke) battled some foul trouble, but we’ve got some players that can fill that role for us.”

On the defensive effort and forcing turnovers…
“I thought we forced them. I thought we were really up into them. We had a lot of live turnovers out there. We had a lot of opportunities to get layups at the other end, so I thought we did a really good job of forcing them. The only downfall tonight was the fouling. Going into this game, we wanted two things. We wanted to limit their three point shots and certainly their makes. We wanted to limit their assists. We wanted to turn them into one-on-one players. We expected Lippe to have the ball in her hands more than she did. We did not have enough discipline in that stretch, and that’s the part we’re going to just need to get better on.”

AYOKA LEE, REDSHIRT FRESHMAN CENTER
On being a presence in the paint…
“Coming into this game, a big thing was to keep the post an option and keep passing it in. I knew I had to do my job to make sure I was posting up hard to give them a big target when passing it in. Sometimes they were sending someone over in front and sometimes they weren’t, so it came with reading it and communicating with my teammates.”

On the opposing team’s changes in their plays because of K-State’s continuous shooting…
“A lot of it was taking advantage of times where I could post up. Coming into the game I wanted to be aggressive posting up in the paint. That was a big part, but my teammates finding me was the biggest thing because they are the ones who got me the ball. It was a little of both.”

CHRISTIANNA CARR, SOPHOMORE GUARD
On what was clicking offensively…
“Right now, being able to shoot at a high level is just taking and making open shots. My teammates did a good job of finding me. It came to me just by being patient, finding other people and getting inside to Yoki (Lee) always helps because they collapse on her and she kicks it out. We have been stressing patience and everyone being a threat offensively, which really does help because it opens up a lot more things for all of us. My teammates did a good job of finding me and the open player tonight.”

On making five straight three pointers..
“The one at the top of the key I was not expecting to make it and it went in. Just being able to take and make open shots, doing my part of the job. If your teammates are finding you and you are not making open shots, I would expect someone to tell me to quit shooting. My teammates did a great job of finding me.”

On scoring 100…
“That was our goal. We went into halftime talking about hitting 100 and keeping them under 50. Unfortunately, we did not keep them under 50, but we did get to 100 so I think we need to focus more on the defensive mindset coming out of halftime and start taking things personal.”

NEW YORK (AP) — Derek Jeter is among 18 newcomers on the 2020 Hall of Fame ballot. He is likely to be an overwhelming choice to join former New York Yankees teammate Mariano Rivera in Cooperstown after the reliever last year became the first unanimous pick by the Baseball Writers’ Association of America.

A 14-time All-Star shortstop and five-time World Series champion, Jeter hit .310 with 3,465 hits in 20 seasons and was the 1996 AL Rookie of the Year. He has been CEO of the Miami Marlins the past two seasons.

Other newcomers announced Monday by the BBWAA include Cliff Lee, Josh Beckett, Jason Giambi, Paul Konerko, Rafael Furcal, Bobby Abreu and Alfonso Soriano.

Holdovers include Curt Schilling, who received 60.9% last year, Roger Clemens (59.5%), Barry Bonds (59.1%) and Larry Walker (54.6%). Schilling rose from 51.2% in 2018. Walker, on the ballot for their 10th and final time this year, increased from 34.1% in 2018.

Bonds and Clemens, whose candidacies have been tainted by allegations of steroids use, are both on for the eighth time. Clemens rose from 57.3% in 2018 and Bonds from 56.4%.

Ballots are sent to more than 400 BBWAA members with at least 10 consecutive years in the organization, and a player must appear on at least 75 percent to gain election. Ballots must be mailed by Dec. 31, and results will be announced Jan. 21.

Anyone elected will be inducted July 26 along with any selections by the Hall’s modern era committee, which meets and votes at San Diego on Dec. 8.

Players remain on the ballot for up to 10 years, provided they receive at least 5 percent of the vote annually.

Roy Halladay, Edgar Martinez and Mike Mussina were elected along with Rivera in the 2019 BBWAA vote.

The ballot: Bobby Abreu, Josh Beckett, Heath Bell, Barry Bonds, Eric Chávez, Roger Clemens, Adam Dunn, Chone Figgins, Rafael Furcal, Jason Giambi, Todd Helton, Raúl Ibañez, Derek Jeter, Andruw Jones, Jeff Kent, Paul Konerko, Cliff Lee, Carlos Peña, Brad Penny, Andy Pettitte, J.J. Putz, Manny Ramírez, Brian Roberts, Scott Rolen, Curt Schilling, Gary Sheffield, Alfonso Soriano, Sammy Sosa, José Valverde, Omar Vizquel, Billy Wagner, Larry Walker

The NFL announced today scheduling changes for Week 13 on Dec. 1.

Oakland at Kansas City has moved from noon on CBS to 3:25 p.m. on CBS. Cleveland at Pittsburgh has moved from 3:25 p.m. on CBS to noon on CBS.

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Three impressive victories last week have propelled the Hutchinson Community College men’s basketball team into the Top 5 of the NJCAA Rankings.

Double-digit victories over NEO, Monroe College and Iowa Western moved the Blue Dragons to 7-0 and up three spots to No. 4 in Monday’s latest rankings.

Former No. 1 Vincennes University lost over the weekend and dropped to No. 6. The new Top 5 as Ranger, Florida SouthWestern State, Indian Hills, Hutchinson and Chipola. Ranger received 15 of the 16 first-place votes. The Blue Dragons picked up the other vote.

This is the first time the Blue Dragons have been ranked in the Top 5 since their preseason No. 1 ranking before the 2017-18 season.

Hutchinson defeated NEO (85-65), unbeaten Monroe College (114-91) and Iowa Western (91-70) in the last rankings period. The Dragons shot better than 50 percent in 2 of the 3 games and were dominant in the second half.

Hutchinson and Coffeyville continue to be the only two Jayhawk Conference schools ranked in the Top 25. Coffeyville moved up four spots this season to No. 19. Cowley, Seward County and Independence are all in the receiving votes list.

The Blue Dragons will play host to Hesston College at 7 p.m. on Tuesday in the Sports Arena.

 

NJCAA MEN’S DIVISION I RANKINGS

Record      Points       Last Week

1. Ranger (15)                                           7-0              399             2

2. Florida SouthWestern State             7-0              382               3

3. Indian Hills                                         6-0              367           4

4. Hutchinson (1)                                    7-0              339              7

5. Chipola                                                  4-0              336            5

6. Vincennes                                             6-1              304             1

7. Tallahassee                                           5-0              297             8

8. USC Salkehatchie                                6-0              284           11

9. South Plains                                          5-1              265             6

10. Pearl River                                           3-0              253           10

11. Western Texas                                     9-0              234             16

12. Otero                                                     8-0              218           17

13. Panola                                                   6-1              177             13

14. Casper                                                   5-1              167             9

15. Mineral Area                                       7-0              131             RV

16. Southeastern                                     6-1              118             14

17. Northern Oklahoma Tonkawa      8-0              102             RV

18. Northwest Florida State                 4-1              86               22

19. Coffeyville                                           6-2              81             23

20. Shelton State                                      5-1              70             19

21. Clarendon                                            7-1              59             RV

22. Harcum                                                 5-1              52            25

23. New Mexico                                        4-1              45             18

24. Moberly Area                                     4-2              41             12

25. Tyler                                                    5-0              32           RV

Others Receiving Votes: Cowley (6-1, 28.0); Gulf Coast State (4-0, 27.0); Caldwell Tech (6-0, 26.0); Polk State (5-0, 25.0); Seward County (4-1, 25.0); Salt Lake (4-2, 23.0); Olney Central (5-0, 22.0); Triton (4-1, 20.0); LSU Eunice (5-0, 19.0); Connors State (6-0, 16.0); Western Wyoming (4-0, 16.0); Jones (4-1, 11.0); Daytona State (4-3, 10.0); East Mississippi (3-0, 9.0); Lincoln Trail (5-0, 9.0); South Georgia State (5-0, 9.0); Collin County (5-0, 8.0); Eastern Arizona (7-0, 7.0); Independence (6-1, 7.0); John A. Logan (3-3, 6.0); Kilgore (5-1, 6.0); Miami Dade (5-1, 5.0); Wallace-Selma (7-0, 3.0); Blinn (6-1, 1.0); Highland (3-2, 1.0); Northeastern JC (4-0, 1.0); Williston State (6-1, 1.0).

(BY STEVE CARPENTER)
(HUTCHINSON CC SPORTS INFORMATION)

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Three members of the 2019 Hutchinson Community College Volleyball team earned All-Jayhawk West/Region VI postseason honors on Monday.

Freshman Katelyn Elstun was the only Blue Dragon to earn first-team status. Freshman Alissa Bautista was named to the second team and sophomore Eboni Sapien was an honorable mention selection.

The Blue Dragons finished the 2019 season 14-19, advancing to the Region VI Tournament semifinals for the ninth-consecutive season. Under head coach Patrick Hall, since 2020, the Blue Dragons have produced 30 all-Jayhawk West players, including 17 first-team selections.

CLICK FOR ENTIRE 2019 ALL-KJCCC WEST TEAM

Katelyn Elstun, 1st-team outside hitter
A 5-foot-10 freshman from Overland park, Katelyn Elstun was the Blue Dragons’ leading hitter at 3.44 kills per set, 413 total kills and a .171 attack percentage.

Elstun set a Blue Dragon single-match record with 34 kills in a five-set victory over Missouri State-West Plains on September 27 in Tyler, Texas.

Elstun’s 484 kills ranks tied for fifth on the Hutchinson single-season kills list. Elstun recorded the second-most kills by a Blue Dragon freshman. Her 3.44 kills per set is the sixth-best in single-season history and second highest by a freshman.

Elstun normally played in all six rotations for the Blue Dragons. She also averaged 2.38 digs, 0.42 blocks and 0.27 aces per set. She posted 10 double-doubles this season with four matches of 20 or more kills. She also had 13 matches with 10 or more digs, including a season-high 24 in a 24-kill, 24-dig match against Pratt on September 11.

Elstun was named the league’s Defensive Player of the Week and the NJCAA National Defensive Player of the Week this season.

Alissa Bautista, 2nd-team libero
A 5-3 freshman from Kaneohe, Hawaii, Alissa Bautista posted some huge numbers in 2019.

She racked up 591 total digs this season and averaged 4.84 digs per set.

Her digs total tied McKenzie Steele (2014) for fourth place on the Blue Dragon single-season digs list. That mark also tied Steele for the freshman single-season records for digs. Her 4.84 digs per set was a Blue Dragon freshman record and ranked second on the single-season list only behind Hall-of-Famer Mariana Blum.

Bautista posted the second and fifth-best single-match digs totals in Blue Dragon history this season. She had a season-high 34 digs against Colby on October 12 at the Sports Arena, which tied Samantha Lackey and Raychel Reed for No. 2 on Hutch’s single-match list. She then tied for the fifth-most digs in a match with 33 against Jefferson College on October 10.

Bautista had 29 matches of 10 or more digs, including a stretch of 18 matches in a row.

Eboni Sapien, Honorable mention setter
A 5-2 sophomore from Holcomb, Kansas, Sapien was the lead setter in the Blue Dragons’ 6-2 offense through the first three-fourths of the season. On October 23, the Blue Dragons switched to a 5-1 and Sapien played well in that span of matches.

For the season, Sapien averaged 5.77 assists per set with 704 total assists in 122 sets played. While running the 5-1, Sapien averaged 8.72 assists.

Sapien also averaged 1.80 digs per set and had the third most service aces with 31.

She had three double-doubles this season. She had a career high of 46 assists and 20 digs in a five-set loss to Colby at the Sports Arena.

HUTCHINSON, Kan. – Join Dragon Talk every Monday night throughout the Hutchinson Community College Basketball season with Steve Eck, head men’s coach and John Ontjes, head women’s coach at AJ’s At the Alley, located at 23rd and Lorraine in Hutchinson.

Dragon Talk with Steve Eck airs from 6:00 pm – 6:30 pm hosted by Glen Grunwald, then join Dragon Talk with John Ontjes from 6:30 – 7:00 pm hosted by Steve Carpenter.  Stop by to listen and ask a question live, or tune into KWBW 1450am/98.5fm.

The Kansas Volleyball Association has announced the 2019 All State Team, Players of the Year, and Coaches of the Year selections for all classifications. Nickerson’s Cyra Kelly was named to 4A 1st team and Morgan Stout 2nd team.  Buhler High’s Hadley Waldren was named Honorable Mention in 4A.

Following are the honors by classification.