Kansas State basketball gets back on track with impressive victory over BYU
MANHATTAN — Kansas State basketball isn't dead yet.
The Wildcats, who came in on a three-game losing streak and having dropped seven of their last eight, started each half with a flurry and then held off a desperate Brigham Young rally at the end Saturday to claim a much-needed 84-74 victory over the No. 21-ranked Cougars at Bramlage Coliseum.
Arthur Kaluma had a career-high 28 points with 10 rebounds to lead five K-State players in double figures as the Wildcats improved to 16-11 overall and 6-8 in the Big 12. Tylor Perry added 16 points, David N'Guessan 12 and Cam Carter 12 each, and Will McNair 11.
BYU (19-8, 7-7) got 15 points from Jaxson Robinson and 12 each from Spencer Johnson and Noah Waterman. K-State never trailed in the game, racing to an early 16-4 lead, though BYU came back to tie it and trailed just 42-38 at the half.
K-State scored the first five points of the second period to extend the lead and BYU got no closer than six points the rest of the way.
Here are three takeaways from a good day for the Wildcats.
Related: Kansas State basketball comeback falls short again in loss to Texas to run skid to three
Related: Kansas State basketball guard Tylor Perry finds a way, even when 3-pointers don't fall
A big game from Arthur Kaluma
Kaluma clearly came to play for K-State.
After getting a basket and two free throws in the first three minutes, Kaluma kept going right at BYU and the Cougars had no answer.
Kaluma had 16 first-half points on 4 of 6 shooting with a pair of 3-pointers and six free throws. He then scored five points in the first 1 1/2 minutes of the second half.
For the game, Kaluma made 8 of 11 shots, including 2 of 3 from 3-point range, and 10 of 12 free throws.
Wildcats protect the arc
K-State clearly made protecting the 3-point line a priority against BYU, and it showed.
The Cougars, who came in shooting 35.8% behind the arc, made just 4 of 16 in the first half and then missed nine of their first 10 to start the second period.
BYU finished the game at 6-for-30 from 3, including 2-for-14 in the second half.
Big man chess game
K-State coach Jerome Tang and BYU's Mark Pope agreed on their preferred post player matchup, no doubt based on their first matchup just two weeks ago in Provo, Utah.
When Pope brought in 6-foot-7 bruiser Fousseyni Traore for 6-11 starter Aly Khalifa early on, Tang countered with Will McNair in favor of the leaner Jerrell Colbert. Later in the half, when Tang sent Colbert in for McNair, Pope immediately turned back to Khalifa.
Arne Green is based in Salina and covers Kansas State University sports for the Gannett network. He can be reached at agreen@gannett.com or on Twitter at @arnegreen.
This article originally appeared on Topeka Capital-Journal: Kansas State basketball snaps out of slump with 83-74 win over BYU
