K-State Blows Out Incarnate Word, Clinch Best Record in First Ten Games Since 2011

Kansas State opened the second half with 23 consecutive points to blow open an already lopsided game, as the Wildcats capped an impressive offensive performance with a 98-50 win over UIW on Sunday afternoon before 7,042 fans at Bramlage Coliseum.
 
K-State (9-1) collected its third 90-point scoring effort of the season, narrowly missing the school's first 100-point game since 2010 in the last few minutes before opting to dribble out the basketball in the closing seconds against an undermanned UIW (5-6) squad. The Wildcats connected on a season-best 59.1 percent (39-of-66) from the field, including 68.8 percent (22-of-32) after halftime, and saw seven players score in double figures.
 
The 9-1 start is best start by the Wildcats since opening the 2011-12 season with a similar 9-1 mark, while head coach Jerome Tang is off to the best 10-game start by a first-year coach in school history.
 
The 48-point margin of victory was the 10th-largest in school history and the largest since 2008.
 
K-State busted open a close contest with a 20-1 run midway through the first half before landing the knockout punch with a 23-0 start to the second half. Six different Wildcats contributed during the first-half run, including 5 points each from senior Markquis Nowell and freshman reserve Dorian Finister. The second-half run consisted of much the same balance with seven players registering points, including 3-pointers from senior Keyontae Johnson and juniors Ish Massoud and Nae'Qwan Tomlin.
 
Johnson led all scorers with 18 points on 7-of-9 field goals, including 3-of-5 from 3-point range, to go with 5 assists, 4 rebounds and 3 steals in a season-low 24 minutes of action. The Wildcats' leading scorer (17.3 ppg.) has now scored in double figures in all 10 games this season. Tomlin had a near double-double with 15 points and a season-high 9 rebounds in 23 minutes, while junior reserve Desi Sills added 14 points, 4 assists, 3 rebounds and 2 steals.
 
Sophomore Cam Carter, Finister and Nowell each added 10 points, as Nowell nearly notched another double-double with a game-high 8 assists to go with 5 rebounds in 23 minutes. Finister saw his most action of the season in 22 minutes, recording his first career double-digit scoring game to go with 7 rebounds and 4 assists.
 
UIW, which has 9 true or redshirt freshmen among its 16-man roster, connected on 38 percent (19-of-50) from the field, including 50 percent (7-of-14) from 3-point range, and made just 5 of 8 attempts from the free throw line. Freshman Trey Miller led the Cardinals with 12 points on 5-of-9 shooting, including 2-of-3 from 3-point range.
 
It was the first meeting between the schools.